Humor

Humor converted situations that might produce awkwardness or social withdrawal into opportunities for closeness. Pity causes people to slowly withdraw, whereas humor draws people closer. Humor changed the emotional environment around pain without eliminating recognition of that pain's seriousness. For Stephenson, human connection and the proximity humor created served as a survival instinct given his physical condition. Humor functioned as a deliberate practical tool for Stephenson rather than simply an innate personality trait.