- Question
Is sense of humour learned or innate?
Is a sense of humour something we are born with or something we acquire? This entry sets out the two positions in the debate: that a sense of humour is learned through culture and experience, and that it is innate.
A sense of humor is learned
This position holds that a sense of humour is acquired rather than inborn. Proponents argue that what counts as funny varies sharply between cultures and eras, that children learn comic timing by imitation, and that humour depends on knowledge a person must first absorb.
A sense of humor is innate
This position holds that a sense of humour is innate. Proponents point to laughter appearing in infants long before language or cultural training, to its presence in every known society, and to the differences in comic disposition visible between siblings raised alike.