What are some words to adequately describe somebody who rarely smiles in the presence of a joke, or just overall smiles reluctantly? Is there a word for it? Perhaps is it a name of a disorder?
British, Reserved, Constained, Withdrawn, Icy, Bitter, Sour, Reticant, Solitary, Confined to name a few
I knew a girl once, she never laughed along with everyone else at a joke; she just looked at everyone else with a blank look on her face, then minutes later ( the conversation could by now have turned serious) for no apparent reason she would burst out laughing, when asked what she was laughing at she would refere back to the joke; she had just got it. It was as if she was living a few minutes behind time. She died young. It turned out that she suffered a rare illness. I don't know the name of the illness and if I did I doubt I'd be able to spell it. However I'll try to explain it. When a baby is born the skull is divided into four sections. It is this division of the skull that allows it (and thereby the brain contained within it) to grow and only when the brain is fully formed and grown should the skull be come one solid complete object. At the age of about twelve of thirteen the brain has a spurt of growth and then the skull can be come solid. Apparently, the girl in question, her skull became fully formed and solid before her brain was fully developed. That is what we were told after she had died. How true this is; I don't know. It made sense to me at the time and I believe it, but I don't honestly know.
Sad story, Trillby. I'd suggest you use thesaurus.com. It's not the best, but it's an easy, on-hand electronic tool. You just need a starting point. One of my characters is very serious. Here are some words I have used for him: Stern, curt, arithmetical, unsympathetic, disapproving, not easy to communicate with, austere, pernickety, serious, dismissive, agonising slowness, disparaging, tense...
Earnest is a good fit. I imagine the good folks at the DSM are right now pressing for it to be incorporated in the next installment of their comic. - a no doubt ill-remembered joke - which I'm sure has a long heritage - from the Long Kiss Goodnight. Easter larks, eh!
joking aside, 'earnest' wouldn't fit at all, imo... it only refers to a level of honesty and forthrightness and not to one's societal behavior or emotional state... i'd call such a person 'aloof' or 'emotionally detached'... and yes, there are dsm iv-listed disorders that fit this type...
Earnest refers, rather happily, to a disposition characterised by seriousness. Attend to usage and etymology. It can also be used as you would have it used.
joking aside, 'earnest' wouldn't fit at all, imo... it only refers to a level of honesty and forthrightness and not to one's societal behavior or emotional state... i'd call such a person 'aloof' or 'emotionally detached'... and yes, there are dsm iv-listed disorders that fit this type...
Would stoic fit? It's not quite the same thing, I know, but the word came to mind when you described the situation.
try DSM IV under 'personality disorders' a person with borderline personality disorder lies without emotion, doesn't laugh, it can be quite dangerous i just joined this forum so if this shows up in the wrong spot sorry mike
Right spot, Mike. Worth keeping in mind that a person would not - customarily - be diagnosed as having BPD solely on the basis of being unremittingly earnest! If we stretch seriousness to anhedonia, it is but one symptom among many and need not be present. I perhaps mistake MG's requirements but I think a commonplace synonym for seriousness would be a better bet than going down pathological paths. There's a slight tension between MG's bolded question and his text. Stoic wouldn't quite work Jon. A stoic is someone who always wears clean boxer shorts just in case he gets knocked over. Which is to say they are a great bunch of lads and Epictetus, especially and famously, has a delightful sense of humour.
That's a really sad story, Trilby There's a blog that I use that has loaadddsss of character traits on it; http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.co.uk/2008/09/emotion-thesarus-entry-somber.html
