[SoHotRightNow]

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I've thought about making a thread about this. It's not quite what the OP is looking for but a lot of arguments I get into with my wife get a million times worse because I laugh. There are a few reasons for this. Most of the time it's just because the situation is awkward. I don't actually think anything in is funny and it's just nervous laughter. Sometimes I think the situation itself is somewhat humurous in that what we're arguing about is absurd and meaningless. Other times I just think she's funny.

Almost every time she gets really upset and says I'm disrespectful and laughing in her face - that sort of thing. I'm not really sure what to do about it because I usually can't help it.

I may get some [censored] for posting this, but I can appreciate the Barenaked Ladies lyric:

How can I help it if I think youre funny when youre mad
Trying hard not to smile though I feel bad
Im the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral
Cant understand what I mean?
Well, you soon will

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I do this a lot as well, the nervous/awkward laughter at innapropriate circumstance, in particular when something has just gone horribly, yet comedically, wrong for for a friend of mine. I kind of like I detach myself from the whole situation, and just laugh because its funny or ridiculous, with blatant disregard to the fallout of my laughter.

A story comes to mind- my fiance (gf at the time) and I got thai take out and also bought half a lemon merigue pie for dessert, which came in a full pie box. We get home, and she goes to put the pie on the counter, but only puts it half on. Of course, the half pie is sitting in the unsupported half, and the box flips over and falls on the ground. She swears, and picks up the box, but the box opens upside down and the remains of the pie spill out all over the floor. I know that the correct course of action is
1> Hug girlfriend
2> Help clean up
3> Offer to get new pie
4> Profit?

Instead, I instinctively
1> Laugh with tears rolling down my face, until I see her standing there glowering at me
2> Pull myself together for a little while, help clean up a bit, but go into fits of laughter every 10-15 seconds
3> Watch as girlfriend grabs her keys, storms out, and goes round to her parents for the evening.
4> Eat my dinner, and for dessert, the parts of the pie that weren't too mangled or smeared on the floor.

Actually, that didn't turn out too bad for me...