Table of contents:
- Why is the way everyone laughs different?
- People laugh not just because they hear jokes
- Health benefits of laughter
People laugh when they see something (they think) is funny. But if you pay close attention, everyone's laughing style can be different from one another - some are laughing, giggling, chuckling, and some can even laugh out loud but make no sound at all. The way someone laughs can make him appear warm, authoritative, friendly, or just plain annoying.
Which is your style of laughter?
Why is the way everyone laughs different?
"Laughter is a mechanism that everyone has, because laughter is part of a universal human vocabulary. There are thousands of languages and hundreds of thousands of dialects in the world, but everyone laughs in almost the same way, "said Robert R. Provine, PhD, a behavioral neurobiologist from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, quoted from WebMD.
What triggers laughter is usually things that are spontaneous and uncensored. Laughter is a primitive instinct, an unconscious reflex of sound. "When we laugh, we emit sounds and express a burst of primitive emotions that emanate from our bodies," continued Provine.
Humans can laugh about 30 times more when they are surrounded by other people than when they are alone. Usually people laugh louder when alone, and when they are with friends, laughter is more of a form of social bonding and sharing experiences together.
Provine then explained how the laughter style of women and men can even be different. After observing nearly 1,200 random people in various social settings (malls, campuses, road crossings, etc.). She found that women laugh more often than men.
Provine's findings showed women were more enthusiastic and able to laugh 126% more often than the people they were talking to. The opposite is true for men. Male speakers are more picky with whom to laugh, and will laugh more when conversing with their male friends than with female listeners.
People laugh not just because they hear jokes
The funny thing is, the reason people laugh out loud is not because they hear jokes that we think. Said Provine, "Actually, most laughter is not a response to hearing jokes, anecdotes, or other humorous stuff." Most laughter reflects a pleasant relationship between people, he said.
“Laughter isn't about jokes. If you really pay attention to your daily life, you will laugh, "concluded Provine. Like small talk, laughter plays a somewhat similar role in social bonding, in strengthening friendships and drawing people into warmth.
The way people laugh will usually be adjusted to the situation and the reasons why they laugh. A person can have more than one style of laughter and this is influenced by many factors, including life events. A suppressed laugh may indicate self-control or embarrassment, or even just an attempt at lip service.
Health benefits of laughter
Behind the different styles of laughter, there are many benefits of laughter. Not only pleasing to the heart, laughter is also beneficial for health.
For example, laughing diligently lowers blood pressure. When you laugh, blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body will be smoother and the production of oxygen will also increase in blood circulation. The lowering of blood pressure due to laughter can help protect you from the risk of stroke and heart problems.
During laughter, the brain also produces endorphins, which are natural painkillers. Endorphins can also stimulate a happy mood, thereby helping to ward off stress and negative thoughts.
Thanks to the release of these endorphins, laughter is also considered to be a good alternative therapy for cancer patients. The therapeutic effectiveness of laughter has even been reported to have an effect equivalent to a sedative for people with mental disorders, but without the side effects of the drug. Having a sense of humor is believed to help neutralize any negative forms in your life that can lead to depression.
