I first saw a picture of a man gurning in Life magazine in 1966 and thought it was some passing fad, but gurning is an English tradition that goes back several hundred years. The annual gurning championship is held in Egremont, Cumbria in the UK. To gurn is to make a distorted facial expression.
Interestingly, the Japanese have a similar tradition, although it is practiced daily as a form of mental health. Many Japanese gather to laugh and make ridiculous faces because some research indicates that laughter and silly faces, forced or not, causes the body to release both endorphins and serotonin, the body’s natural “feel good” chemicals.
I’m not advocating that anyone put away his or her antidepressants. I’m not a Scientologist, just an iconoclast and a chronicler of the unusual. But the Japanese seem to be more aware of mental health than the rest of the world as exhibited by their work habits. Japanese companies incorporate times into the workday for employees to rest, exercise, stretch, cultivate bonsai, or do deep breathing. Maybe they’re onto something.
We in the west would probably scoff at such habits as daily gurning or stopping work to relax or act silly. It doesn’t conform to the Protestant work ethic, plus we take ourselves too seriously.
But maybe the people in Egremont know something we don’t. Just grist for the mill.
Pics: public domain
Interestingly, the Japanese have a similar tradition, although it is practiced daily as a form of mental health. Many Japanese gather to laugh and make ridiculous faces because some research indicates that laughter and silly faces, forced or not, causes the body to release both endorphins and serotonin, the body’s natural “feel good” chemicals.
I’m not advocating that anyone put away his or her antidepressants. I’m not a Scientologist, just an iconoclast and a chronicler of the unusual. But the Japanese seem to be more aware of mental health than the rest of the world as exhibited by their work habits. Japanese companies incorporate times into the workday for employees to rest, exercise, stretch, cultivate bonsai, or do deep breathing. Maybe they’re onto something.
We in the west would probably scoff at such habits as daily gurning or stopping work to relax or act silly. It doesn’t conform to the Protestant work ethic, plus we take ourselves too seriously.
But maybe the people in Egremont know something we don’t. Just grist for the mill.
Pics: public domain
13 comments:
They say that 'laughter is the best medicine' and I'd quite agree. Not sure about the gurning though! Thankfully I've never encountered it. It seems the best gurners are toothless:-(
I suppose it's not surprising that karaoke comes from Japan, a culture that works hard and plays very hard too:-)
Stopping to relax and act silly is for me daily business, although not through gurning. Hope that's all right.
i think the japanese are knowlegable about good health. The are the longest living people, eventhough they work long hours.
Marja, my dad said that it wasn't worth getting out of bed each day unless one was going to act silly. Years later, I still practice his advice. I have been characterized as a court jester or benign village idiot. That's okay with me :)
I gurn in the mirror sometimes and get the shock of my life.
Nothing relaxes as much as a good laugh that's why a good comedy is usually so successful.
Middle Ditch, I'm glad I'm not the only one who interacts with my mirror lol
lol @ Middle Ditch
Yes, Billy, Norah seems as a versatile person, and it ain't her on the pic's above, either. :-D
Facial expressions is an interesting language tool, that the emoticons used online never has grasped to its full extent. Affective communication, meaning not cultural (learned) face expressions is the most universal language, if not mixed up with the earlier mentioned facial variant. It is all about (didn't You mention this before in an other post)reading (atune) the other. Unfortunately to many human language collide, when saying one thing with Your lips, and an other with the more "outspoken silent" communication channel ... still, sometimes it is there, latent, between the lines online ;-)
Anna-lys, yes, there is a deeper communication that transcends language. Body language is a form of it, but that too is superficial since it is still there to be interpreted, even though it has more nuance.
And then there is the silent communication you speak of. If people are attuned, it may indeed be palpable or outspoken, but either way I believe it is there. Given the existence of connotation and the rich possibilities of language, it exists "between the lines" as you say -:)
Ohh
You show a different face, the serious one - I like that appearance, as wll ;-)
anna-lys, this blog has always been a combination of humor and more serious thought. I just hope it makes people think a little. -:)
We have the same goal with our blogging!!!! :-D
(can it be that we as teachers use this communication channel as edutainment?, aware or not aware of it.)
(I meant the changed pic as well)
"edutainment." I like it !!!!
that is interesting, both in the UK and Japan. Both empires, or former empires. Of course, the Japanese have the Buddhist background for centuries. This is very interesting.
Glad you found it interesting. I did this before, and my son walked the other way :)
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