Is laughter healthy?
In the Middle Ages, laughter was considered the work of the devil. Later on, Calvinists also had their reservations about humorists who made people laugh, especially when it came at the expense of clergymen. These days, you can safely book a laughter therapy session or practice laugh yoga. The idea that laughter is healthy seems to have gained ground
.
There isn’t actually that much solid evidence for it. Unless you count the fact that the body releases pain-relieving substances like endorphins and dopamine when we laugh. Smiling and laughing also help to establish social bonds. Most laughter happens when we play (including tickling), something we share with many animals—from apes to birds, cows, seals, elephants, and even foxes. Humans, however, also laugh frequently out of schadenfreude, at bad jokes, or at our own clumsiness. That seems to be far less common—if present at all—among animals.
Humans have developed a kind of grammar of laughter. It consists of a series of repeated, staccato sounds. Only the first and last syllable can differ. “Hahohaho,” for instance, is not an acceptable laugh, but “hohoho” or “hihihiha” are. Primatologist Jan van Hooff may have spent too much time observing apes, but he concluded that humans laugh in a very peculiar way: We begin with a salvo of exhaled barks, mouths wide open. Then we end up in a cramped state: “dying of laughter.” After a squealing in-breath, we launch into another salvo. According to him, our fellow apes also have a sense of humor, often laughing when they trick one another or engage in playful mischief.
For us, laughter always seems to have a double character. Alongside its role in signaling friendly intentions during encounters, it can quickly slip into the nastier realm of ridicule. As Thomas Hobbes wrote in the 17th century: “The grimaces called laughter are nothing else but sudden glory arising from some sudden conception of eminency in ourselves, by comparison with the infirmity of others, or with our own formerly.”
Humor, then, can come from outside us, in the form of jokes or play. The most universally accepted kind of humor, in my (admittedly personal) opinion, is self-mockery. Yet laughter can also run completely out of control, as in a fit of the giggles. In extreme cases, it can even be fatal. Philosophers have spilled endless words on laughter, spinning wild ideas about its cause and function—rarely connected to the biological mechanisms of breathing and facial muscles that must, somehow, be involved.
The simple claim that laughter is healthy is gradually gaining some scientific support. It seems to reduce high stress levels, lower cortisol, and help blood vessels function more optimally. Perhaps the best thing about laughter therapy is that, if it works, it’s a very cheap treatment—or at least, it should be.
Tips when it comes to laughter
A cheerful expression (take a look in the mirror before entering a room) works not only for others but also positively affects you as the smiler.
A fake smile is quickly recognized.
TV shows with laugh tracks should be banned (or at least switched off immediately).
When making a joke, a touch of genuine self-mockery makes it stronger.
There’s little to object to about laughter therapy—except when it gets too expensive.
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