Making fun of others

[William67]

When my mother's cousin Peggy was very young, she did this thing called "acting flicted". Basically, she and a couple of her friends mimicked mentally handicapped kids. They did this so often that Peggy was eventually placed in a special ed class. That is making fun of others.

Teasing your friends isn't making fun of them. Its teasing.

 

[EyesOfKohl]

But that just sounds like do what you want as long as it doesn't harm others..like the satanist maxim. How can you know a person will handle a joke? Or are you so hardened that you just let people make fun of you and don't care..isn't that disrespectful and degrading? And not honoring yourself or that person?

Example 1:

You and your friend are skateboarding, he tries to ollie (jump) over a fence and ends up out of control and crashes into plastic rubbish bin. He laughs about it, you laugh and have him on about it.

Example 2:

Your friend turns up at school with a new haircut, it looks really horrible and you laugh at her and tell her what you think of it. Inside she feels really hurt.

Obviously example 1 is casual joking about the situation, but example 2 is harming someone - there is a difference here. Example 1 because you laugh doesn't make you a Satanist.

 

[Goodbook]

Why would someone laugh when they crashed into a bin. Thats not funny.

 

[Goodbook]

I remember a boy twisting my arm. He laughed cos it hurt me. He thought it was a game.
He obviously didnt think it really hurt me he was just laughing cos i was crying.

 

[Goodbook]

Boys think its funny when they hurt themselves???

 

[EyesOfKohl]

Why would someone laugh when they crashed into a bin. Thats not funny.

It may not be funny to you, but it can be funny to others. If you can't laugh at small details in life each day, then life must be pretty depressing for you.

 

[redblue22]

this is a serious thread for a subject so light.

 

[LoveDivine]

Boys think its funny when they hurt themselves???

I don't think this just applies to guys. I can think of a few instances that I didn't use common sense and ended up getting hurt in a very comical way. In those situations, I knew I looked ridiculous and most of the time I was laughing along with everyone else. I don't think that allowing others to tease or laugh at you lowers your dignity.I view it as a sign of maturity. If you are secure and confident, you can enjoy the occasional joke at your expense. That being said there were times that I felt totally shamed and humiliated from teasing. Those instances were always the result of having my insecurities highlighted. If I am honest, I do think there were times that I over reacted and was offended over very minor comments. It is good to analyze your feelings. Sometimes the person is being horrible and a bully.Other times, it can be our lack of confidence and insecurities. I don't think the solution is to ban all teasing. I think the solution is to recognize our insecurity in those moments and work to improve our confidence. I had three brothers. Let's just say I got teased a lot growing up, lol. As Darth stated, teasing can toughen you up.

 

[Goodbook]

Well, like what.
If someone acting foolish and accident prone?

I dont laugh at things like that. But i laugh at other things which are more funny. I guess differnt sense of humour. I really dont think its funny when ppl get hurt.

Jesus died on the cross and people laughed at him cos he was naked. They probably pointed and jeered and saw that he was humiliated. I dont think Mary thought it was funny.

 

[Goodbook]

My brothers i have two of them.
I remember one ran over a pukeko on the motorway and he and my sister just lauged about it. I didnt think it was funny. Mayeb they were laughing at the foolish pukeko but all i was thinking was poor thing. i dont know if it died or not.

 

[Goodbook]

I think they later bragged about it on fb.
I just thought they were being cruel. It was an accident, but they made out like the pukeko was stupid for being in the way.

 

[Goodbook]

Although when my cat, she once ran into a glass door as thought it was open and docked her head. My sister thought this was hilarious, and just teased her mercilessly for being stupid. I didnt think this was funny. And im sure my cat didnt either. Oh the indignity of it!

So next time my sister has an accident i just laugh at her as makes it alrright and call her stupid?

 

[Goodbook]

Ok..well next time someone does something stupid, maybe on Cf as i will test this out, i will maybe pick on za'atar and make fun of him as hes the one that can laugh at himself.

 

[BookofMatt]

this is a serious thread for a subject so light.

This whole thread is quite surreal. I have to admit it's stuff like this which sometimes makes CF one of the most interesting community forums on the web.

 

[blackribbon]

Intention does play into whether or not something is cruel, and that person should also be sensitive to whether or not someone is able to read that it wasn't said to be cruel.

Often humor is often used to lighten a moment. It really does for many people. I coached gymnastics for a while and when child did something that they ended up in tears, I used humor to determine if the tears were related to fear/embarrassment or pain/injury. Coddling them didn't help them in anyway...not unless the end goal was to limit their growth as an athlete and a person. You can't laugh off a broken bone but you can laugh off an embarrassing or scary moment. It was a way to sort through a lot of emotions that hit all at once. Laughter is part of releasing the "fight/flight" reflex and returning a body back to a state of homeostasis.

For whatever reason, would your brother and sister have been better off if they sat down and mourned the dead animal...or did humor allow them to release the stress for something they could no longer do anything about? Life is about finding a way to keep going. Humor and laughter often gives us the ability to process and survive through horrible experiences. This is not the same as cruelty disguised as humor which actually inflicts more pain.

I can tell that you have difficulty recognizing sarcasm but most people really don't have this problem...and can see good hearted humor for what it is...a stress reliever and often a bonding element. I imagine that life can be very confusing for those that do have trouble recognizing this but I don't think the answer is for everyone else to stop because it does have its place.

 

[blackribbon]

Ok..well next time someone does something stupid, maybe on Cf as i will test this out, i will maybe pick on za'atar and make fun of him as hes the one that can laugh at himself.

Do you not see that you just called everyone else here "stupid" because they don't believe as you do? You did the very same thing that you are trashing other for doing.

 

[Miss Spaulding]

I have a very teasing, sarcastic family. Everyone has a grand sense of humor, and a few of us possess a dark sense of humor that not everyone can appreciate or even understand. You need a thick skin in my family, but for what it's worth, if my family teases right off the bat, then that's a sign you're accepted into the 'clan'.

Anyway, I agree a lot with YankeeGirl. Much of one's reaction to being teased has to do with one's insecurities, self-confidence, and maturity.

 

[William67]

I have a very teasing, sarcastic family. Everyone has a grand sense of humor, and a few of us possess a dark sense of humor that not everyone can appreciate or even understand. You need a thick skin in my family, but for what it's worth, if my family teases right off the bat, then that's a sign you're accepted into the 'clan'.

Anyway, I agree a lot with YankeeGirl. Much of one's reaction to being teased has to do with one's insecurities, self-confidence, and maturity.

We may be related. lol

 

[Toro]

I have a very teasing, sarcastic family. Everyone has a grand sense of humor, and a few of us possess a dark sense of humor that not everyone can appreciate or even understand. You need a thick skin in my family, but for what it's worth, if my family teases right off the bat, then that's a sign you're accepted into the 'clan'.

Anyway, I agree a lot with YankeeGirl. Much of one's reaction to being teased has to do with one's insecurities, self-confidence, and maturity.

My family is the same way. My family is dysfunctional as all get out, but.... its family. We sure as heck aint the Bradys. More like the family that made that bunch move 3 states away.

 

[Miss Spaulding]

We may be related. lol

I'm starting to wonder, William...haha.