Humor Impaired

Imagine a friend delivering a punchline to a joke and then waiting in uncomfortable silence while you stare at your shoes. Visualize yourself in a movie theater where you are the only one in the audience who is not laughing. This is what it's like for people like me--an unfortunate soul born without a sense of humor. It's a fairly common genetic defect, as it's estimated that one in eight people are afflicted. Over 40 million Americans suffer from cachinnus hilum. It's a debilitating social disease that no one wants to talk about, so we suffer in silence while the rest of the world is free to laugh as they please.

It's not that we can't physically perform laughter; we simply can't detect humorous situations. People can tell jokes, and I simply don't get it. I can watch dudes get hit in the groin over and over again without any kind of reaction. I can listen to Dane Cook's stand up routines and not even crack a smile. Why are all those other people laughing?

You might be thinking, "What's the big deal, who cares if you're humor impaired?" There are many reasons why this condition is so hard to cope with. Here are just a few:

1. Our career options are limited to professions like judge, lawyer, news anchor, politician, doctor, religious zealot, or TV sit-com writer.
2. Every social situation is potentially embarrassing and always nerve-wracking.
3. Men find it nearly impossible to date because women like a man with a sense of humor.
4. Our entertainment options are limited to violence and sex.
5. Other people laugh at us, not with us.

Luckily, there are now treatment options available. I've recently started seeing a Laugh Therapist. She helps me learn about certain cues that I can use to laugh at appropriate times. She even says that, with practice, my laugh will eventually stop sounding like a "hyena from Jersey suffering from an asthma attack."

So, next time you run into someone who "can't take a joke," remember that it's not their fault...they are just humor impaired. Urge them to talk to their doctor before it's too late. Please support research projects that seek a cure for this terrible disease. Your support can make a difference.