Finding the Funny: How Humor Helps Us Cope

"Dopinder, you're the greatest Uber driver a superhero could ever have!"

-Wade Wilson, Deadpool 2

The greatest benefit of using humor as a coping tool is its ability to connect us with others. When we use playful language or funny observations to talk about a serious issue, we never exclude the people around us. In fact, humor invites them in, sharing the burden and creating a bond. Unlike isolating mental retreats, this kind of coping is social: it encourages shared understanding and collective relief. It's a way of saying, "Yes, this is hard, but we can see the absurdity and get through it together," making it one of the most evolved and effective ways to navigate life's inevitable emotional bumps.

This powerful strategy allows a person to directly express difficult or painful feelings-such as anxiety, fear, or frustration- in an open and honest way, but without causing personal distress or upsetting others (Elzer & Gerlach, 2018). Humor doesn't block or distort the feeling itself; it simply provides a safe, socially acceptable vehicle for its release. In contrast to simple "wit," which often distracts everyone away from the serious topic at hand, true humor allows for the overt and direct expression of that tough feeling. This is why a person can laugh about a stressful situation they just went through; they're acknowledging the emotion but processing it constructively (Elzer & Gerlach, 2018).

Wade Wilson, as Deadpool, perfectly embodies humor as a defense mechanism throughout Deadpool 2. Facing unimaginable pain, mortality, and the loss of his fiancée, Vanessa, Wade constantly uses sarcasm, meta-jokes, and slapstick comedy to keep his true feelings at bay. His relentless wisecracking is an overt expression of his deep despair and fear, allowing him to acknowledge the severity of his circumstances- like his disfigured appearance or his repeated violent dismemberment- without ever having to experience or openly show personal discomfort. By never taking anything seriously, including his own feelings, he maintains a projective distance. If everything is a joke, then the tragedy of his life can’t truly hurt him or those around him.