La risata del bambino: da ricerca di approvazione a evento di disapprovazione

Carlo V. Bellieni

Docente di Pediatria, Università di Siena

Centro di Bioetica della Regione Toscana

 Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese

Keywords: risata, umorismo, bambino, neonato, madre

La risata è uno dei primi segni di reazione verso l’incongruenza della realtà: nasce dal constatare una rigidità non vitale in un fenomeno vitale, che lascia spaesati; ma se subito dopo arriva l’evidenza che quell’incongruenza non è pericolosa, allora nasce la risata come avviso agli astanti di cessato pericolo.  La dinamica del riso fa parte dei pattern di crescita neuropsichica: il bambino neonato ride per imitazione del riso della madre. Quando il bambino cresce, non riderà più per essere approvato dagli altri, ma perché inizia a disapprovare la realtà inautentica, rigida. In questo già presenta le tracce del riso dell’adulto. Il fatto che il sentimento dell'ironia sorga subito dopo il sorgere del sentimento dell'empatia, quindi in età precoce, ci dice che i giovani esseri umani sono in grado di cogliere l'incoerenza nei fenomeni della vita, requisito preliminare dell'umorismo. Conclusione: l'essere umano è precocemente capace di recepire l’umorismo e di ridere, come arma contro l'inautenticità, la banalità, e gli stereotipi della vita.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Carlo V. Bellieni

Il prof. Carlo Bellieni insegna Pediatria presso l'Università di Siena. Ha pubblicato oltre 500 lavori scientifici e fa parte di vari comitati editoriali. Si è occupato dell’analisi del pianto infantile, per poi estendere il suo interesse al pianto e al riso dell’adulto. I suoi studi sono stati ripresi come interviste o articoli dai principali mass media, dalla BBC alla RAI.

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