Medical humor is the ability to make light of serious subjects in order to promote better patient care. It is a delicate balance between making a topic accessible and mocking it. There are three approaches to delivering medical humor: self-deprecating, other-enhancing, and self-enhancing. This article explores some of the theory behind this type of humor and offers some guidelines for achieving this goal.

Humoral theory

Humoralism, the medical theory that the body is a microcosm of the universe, continued to flourish in both ancient and modern medicine. It was an enduring philosophy that was applied to mental illness until the mid-19th century. However, by the early 20th century it had lost much of its explanatory power.

Hippocrates, a Greek physician from the 5th century BCE, first formulated a humoral theory. He emphasized the importance of keeping the human body in balance. The theory also explained the human temperament.

In ancient Greece, the body was considered to be made up of four basic humors. According to this theory, the balance of these four humors contributed to an individual’s health. Those with an imbalance of one humor were thought to be unwell.

Humor as a kind of emotional response that can replace genuine sympathy

Medical humor may not be the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to enhancing medical practices. Some argue that humor is an essential part of the medical world. Others argue that it can be a tool for bonding.

The nifty medical fact of the matter is that humor can be used positively or negatively. As such, it is important for medical professionals to be able to choose the appropriate uses of humor.

It is also important to consider the effect of humor on the overall quality of patient care. Humor can be a good way … Read more