The benign-violation theory explains that humor occurs 'when something seems wrong, unsettling, or threatening, but simultaneously seems okay, acceptable or safe'[2]. This theory aligns with the idea that we find things funny when our expectations are violated in a surprising, but not too threatening, way[1]. Many jokes are insults that violate expectations about people’s well-being, break social norms, or use word play[1].
Philosopher Daniel Dennett theorizes that the reason humans evolved humor was so that we had a positive incentive (laughing) to learn from the mistakes of others, and even our own[1]. Humor can be used as a method to easily engage in social interaction by taking away that awkward, uncomfortable, or uneasy feeling of social interactions[2].
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