Some laughter leaders have recently shared the opinion that "Naughty-Naughty" (sometimes called "Argument Laughter") implies Judgment/Criticism, and we want to laugh free of such conceptualizing; so perhaps we ought to cut that exercise out from our repertoire. Also, it has been said that "Arguing" (even with laughter) can push the buttons of folks who may get emotionally stressed at the thought of someone yelling at/criticizing them.
"Naughty-Naughty/Argument" is one of the "Value-Added" (stress-defusing) exercises; and I submit that the potential for healing ("healing" here meaning: to integrate energies/emotions which previously were suppressed or rejected) is great with the "Argument" laughter exercise. The participant can become free of the "critical" aspect, and just have the finger-waggling action be seen as a game - an activity - something that people just do sometimes. They can be liberated from the "it pushes my button" reaction; and then when "arguing" occurs in 'real' daily life, they need not get plugged in; they just witness another person doing an activity.
The art for the Laughter Leader is to present (demonstrate or model) the activity in a way where participants see it as a game (playful), not as a confrontation (serious).
So when demonstrating "Naughty-Naughty," we could say something like this: "In this next exercise, you waggle your finger at another person like they've disappointed you, but it's nothing serious... (Enacting, wagging finger:) "Oh you silly-bones, you forgot to tie your shoelaces! I still love you, but you just gotta learn to keep those laces tied, ha ha ha ha ha!"
The term 'waggle' is already childlike (non-threatening), and the example of something so insignificant as "shoelaces untied" allows the participant to feel okay with the action - no one is gong to judge them as being too "mean" if they waggle their finger at someone - for merely forgetting to tie their shoelaces.
The potential of the activity (to give participants freedom from previous inhibitions on the "evil" of being judgmental) is so great that I urge us all to share this exercise - albeit in a manner where people are likely to get the joy/playfulness of it, and not get their "critical" button pushed.
One fact of human existence is that we are judgmental, sometimes, all of us - it's an unavoidable part of having a Mind. If we can have peace with this aspect of ourselves - if we can be so unattached to our judgments as to be able to let them go, with laughter, as easily as if we were criticizing someone for wearing mismatched shoes - then we can have more peace with all aspects of ourselves, and the way things are.
