Should I Be Laughing?

Erich C.M. Loudermalke, Ph.D., is almost to the mid-point of his ninth decade on this beautiful planet. The only difficulty I witnessed the good doctor manifest was keeping track of which pocket he had recently placed his worn, half-bent pipe. A few days ago, while loitering in a local bookstore, I met Dr. Loudermalke. I was contemplating the purchase of a vintage copy of Madd Magazine and he had just purchased a tome by Tiger and Fox. I didn't ask the great man what he thought of my selection of reading material but I did notice his eyes becoming fleetingly fixed on Alfred's toothy grin. I have learned that if you can't stomach an honest answer, don't ask the question. The following is my recollection of our encounter.

Do you possess a sense of humor that leaves you pondering why nobody else discerned an occurrence as being facetious? Do you find yourself chuckling, or clucking, to yourself as those around you become heated and physically agitated by their futile effort to foist their skewed point of view on a captive audience? Are you being avoided by by acquaintences that often peer at you with puzzled stares? When your spouse's blood pressure readings remind you of professional basketball scores, do you struggle to suppress a belly laugh at the same incident that that irritated your mate to near-apoplexy? Do you comprehend the difference between "entitled to a book" and "titling a book"? If so, you may be an elite member of the intelligentsia of our time, said Dr. Loudermalke, a Dutch scientist specializing in the study of human intelligence. Dr. Loudermalke bases his conclusions on data gleaned from over 25,000 adult subjects spanning a period of over 30 years. Based on the tenor our brief exchange, I suspect this study is on-going and will not be willingly concluded as long as Dr. Loudrmalke remains lucid.

According to Loudermalke, subjects with higher intelligence possess a unique funny bone that yearns for frequent exercise. "Highly intelligent people," offered the Doctor without discussing his lecture fee as he reconnoitered for his half-bent, "are more readily prepared to accentuate what they perceive to be humorous with or without external stimulus or suggestion. Smart people don't need permission to express their sense of humor. Those with less mental acuity display merriment only when overtly prompted. It's almost if some folks are waiting for a laugh track before they respond. To be succinct, people with lots of smarts like to laugh!"

Dr. Loudermalke did caution that those subjects blessed with imposing mental prowess are not prone to bouts of silly giggling, unless intoxicated, but find humor where less agile, more mundane, staid subjects do not detect mirth but habitually concentrate their wavering attention on possible negative outcomes of whatever scenario presented for their reaction. "In brief," Erich C.M. served up a slow pitch for my benefit, "the dullards like to think about bad and sad potentialities whenever they are left without specific direction."

When those around you are long-faced, slack-jawed and posing those pickle-pursed lips and you feel a good laugh straining for release, remember the results of this exhaustive scientific study. It may be your superior intelligence straining to break free. Conversely, the next time you are around someone who is laughing without apparent provocation, you may experience difficulty deciding if the happy soul is clueless. a genius or simply intoxicated. As Erich concluded, "Without a program, who can tell the difference?"