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Do you think we lose our sense of humour as we get older?

(125 Posts)
Kandinsky Thu 25-Sept-25 09:22:26

I know as we age we have more health issues, bereavement, possibly estrangement issues, and of course have had more time to be ‘battered by life’ - But I find older people generally have no sense of humour.
I remember my days on Mumsnet, I literally cried with laughter at some of the posts on there. Here, not a single post has ever made me even lightly chuckle ( and I’ve been here years )
Is it an age thing?
Everyone seems so serious on here.
I find this happens in RL.
I left the women’s institute before I died of boredom.

Aveline Fri 26-Sept-25 15:25:41

I was watching an old snippet of Morecambe and Wise as backing singers to Tom Jones. So funny. No bad language or insults just funny.

kjmpde Fri 26-Sept-25 15:01:46

Humour is ( in my opinion) related to where you live. I'm from the Midlands and I have a dark sense of humour but those in the South West don't share the same idea of what makes you laugh. I think "old comedians" that never swore were funny , nowadays most comedians use the F word every other word. Yet they get people to laugh - why?

Junglebub Fri 26-Sept-25 15:00:48

Flippin' 'eck! I'm 85 and everyone says I drive them up the wall with my incessant jokes (and I have tons of wrinkles to prove it - often known as 'laughter lines')......

Foxyferret Fri 26-Sept-25 14:45:47

No. Still crazy after all these years.

henetha Fri 26-Sept-25 14:42:32

I still laugh a lot. Cool or not, I don't care who's cool. I just like funny people.
And I do laugh at myself quite often, I do such daft things. (Grin)

Allira Fri 26-Sept-25 14:33:09

Aveline

Allira I can't remember exactly when that time was with Michael McIntyre but I always find him funny. I know. It's uncool and other comedians look down on him but I don't care. He makes me laugh
Unlike the truly dreadful 'Mrs Browns Boys'.

Agreed, Aveline

Grannynannywanny Fri 26-Sept-25 14:23:49

I went for a lovely walk in the country park with my teenage granddaughter this morning. This sign in the park cafe gave me a chuckle and I couldn’t resist taking a photo. Needless to say I followed the advice and enjoyed some cake 😋

Artemis47 Fri 26-Sept-25 14:18:10

Maybe we don't laugh as much as we age. I believe we laugh much more when we are kids. But recently I've deliberately been watching comedy programmes on TV as a way to relax and alleviate stress. I never used to find her funny, but I sometimes laugh out loud at Miranda – I love the way she addresses the viewers. I also like The IT Crowd, especially the one where they present an idea for a new kind of bra on Dragons Den. Old Morecambe and Wise is good too, maybe not for laughing out loud but their timing was so brilliant. I agree with others about wit. Using swearwords and SHOUTING doesn't mean you are funny!

R3b3l Fri 26-Sept-25 14:17:02

Try just wear this life like a loose garment - it helps cover the skin that looks as if it’s falling off our bodies 😂😂

ExDancer Fri 26-Sept-25 14:13:24

www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=baby+laughing+video&&mid=8CAD89FA2055733DDA268CAD89FA2055733DDA26&FORM=VAMGZC

I hope this can be opened

Diplomat Fri 26-Sept-25 14:11:07

Help, just lost my sense of humour, trapped in the car with husband listening to mindless golf commentary!!!

Gillysugar Fri 26-Sept-25 14:09:39

Ooh point scoring on here ! I wasn't aware of this . How do we get these points ? Do enough points win prizes ? 😁

ExDancer Fri 26-Sept-25 14:07:18

When I see a baby of around 6 months chuckle and laugh for minutes on end, I wish I still found everyday life as so side splittingly funny.

SueEH Fri 26-Sept-25 14:06:37

TerriBull

I think the reason why threads can be funnier on MN they're often without the filters we see here on GN particularly around use if expletives, which can be funny depending on context. Inevitably, amongst a younger demographic their life experiences are different, and as such, so are their perspectives to some extent.

Tbh I am finding that my creative use of expletives is getting better and better as I get older! Obviously years of practice is finally paying off 😁

Jojo1950 Fri 26-Sept-25 13:59:46

I have been told I haven’t. 75 and still find funny things to say. Always made my dad laugh!

Romola Fri 26-Sept-25 13:53:41

Never having been in MN, I can't comment on the humour. And tbh I come onto GN most days for company and comfort rather than humour, though I do enjoy the wry comments.

orly Fri 26-Sept-25 13:48:48

If anything I think my sense of humour has got sharper as I've aged and still have a good laugh. I'm enjoying the reruns of "Rising Damp" and finding them even funnier now than back in the seventies and eighties. What's even funnier is how today's millennial and Gen Z so-called comedians react to really funny comedy - what snowflakes they are!

mabon2 Fri 26-Sept-25 13:48:43

My friend and I who walk together laugh much of the time I am 84 she is 78. We also put the world to rights on our three mile walks.

butterandjam Fri 26-Sept-25 13:25:17

@whiff See if any of these make anyone chuckle. I sit with my legs up on my sofa to eat my meals. I am disabled have a rare hereditary neurological condition. My hands shake all the time . I have to put a teatowel and kitchen roll over my clothes

I might have to try that.

Last week I wore my new white jumper. Later as we were going out, DH came and put his hand on my breast and said "Are you going to get changed? "
"No I'm not, this is a new jumper if you haven't noticed, and why is your hand on my boob?"
Dh "Just being a gentleman, covering up the splodge where you dropped spag bol splodge at lunch".

Aveline Fri 26-Sept-25 13:06:19

Allira I can't remember exactly when that time was with Michael McIntyre but I always find him funny. I know. It's uncool and other comedians look down on him but I don't care. He makes me laugh
Unlike the truly dreadful 'Mrs Browns Boys'.

Flippin2 Fri 26-Sept-25 10:52:49

I still have my sense of humour, irreverent at times and if there's a double meaning,I'll find it..I have small boobs and my husband said what you don't know is I've booked an enhancement for your birthday,I looked straight at him and said ooh when are you booked in ...

butterandjam Fri 26-Sept-25 10:52:25

That was at Kandinsky.

butterandjam Fri 26-Sept-25 10:51:30

Doodledog

Oh, I often laugh at posts on here. I still have a sense of humour - if anything I’ve learnt to laugh at things more as I’ve got older and not take life too seriously.

I'll let you know if and when it happens.

DH still makes makes me laugh every day at the ridiculousness of life. He can do it across a crowded room; just a twitch of an eyebrow towards something or someone who mercifully has no idea we have a private joke about that.

IME, the more elderly and decrepit we get the more we can laugh and make terrible jokes about our medical problems, awful families; hysterically bad funerals we've been to etc.

.

Allira Fri 26-Sept-25 10:26:45

Aveline

The last time I had a really good laugh was at Michael McIntyre. I laughed till I cried and could hardly breathe. It was a bit scary though. My glasses filled up with tears and normal breathing was a struggle!
I used to laugh a lot at work as I had some hilarious colleagues. I don't find so much to laugh at these days though.

Was that at the Palladium, on TV recently?
So did I!

Athrawes Fri 26-Sept-25 10:24:56

Our families don't live too far away so we have frequent catch ups which often lead to tears of laughter which is lovely. We've all got a sense of humour luckily! There is also a serious side on occasion too