Laughter is like touch – it is a way of communicating without words. It is often a more effective way of communicating, than with words. We have all heard the adage, ‘Laughter is the shortest distance between two people’.
Robert Provine a professor of neurobiology and psychology at the University of Maryland along with his colleagues studied the science of laughter for many years. Having studied the science of laughter, their research discovers some fascinating aspects of laughter.
Here’s what the study showed:
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You laugh more in a group than alone
You laugh more when you in a group, then when you are alone. So you will laugh (30 times) more at a joke in a funny theater than while watching it alone on your laptop.
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You don’t need a joke to laugh
Yes, you read that right. Their research showed that laughter is elicited by boring, everyday conversations too and not always by a smart joke.
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Laughing creates more laughter
The sound of laughter gives rise to more laughter. (That’s why all these sitcoms used to use recorded laughter – because the sound of laughter got more laughs). Our brain is designed in such a way that when we hear someone laughing, we laugh along. It is hard to resist laughter when the whole room is laughing.
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The deliverer of the joke laughs the most
We always picture comedians as people who deliver jokes with a poker face. But. Provine’s research shows that the average speaker laughs 46% more than their audience.
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Men are funnier, but women laugh more
Women laugh 126 % more than men, but it is men who are found funnier. Women do not tend to show off their senses of humor while men like to present themselves as people with developed senses of humor. Also, men find it pleasing when women laugh at their jokes.
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Laughter is natural to man
In human tribes, much before language was evolved, man would laugh to show that a potential danger had been surpassed. Laughing was a sort of ‘reset’ button, to indicate that all was well again.
Laughter was also used as a sign of reassurance. In an uncertain situation, the head of the tribe would smile to show that it was okay, and not that bad after all. The others would follow suit.
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Laughter made learning easier
Think of your favourite teacher in school, and you are most likely to think of a cheerful teacher. That is because laughter makes learning easier. The laughter approach, research shows, is much better than the poker faced approach to teaching.
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We laugh less as we age
Sadly, laughter is inversely proportional to age. We begin to laugh at the age of 3-4 months, as a way to communicate with our care-givers, and we all know that little children will break in laughter for the silliest reasons. Adolescents laugh at topics they are uncomfortable discussing (say, sex).
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Laughter is not a voluntary action
Sure you laugh politely at your boss’ jokes, but that is not real laughter. In fact, laughter is perhaps an indicator of the kind of relationship shared by two people. It shows who yields authority and power over the other.
Laughing will not make your problems go away, but they will make them more bearable. Something as simple and natural as laughter can make us more effective communicators, better liked as people and reduce our anxiety. So increase your laughter ‘reserves’, keep handy funny jokes, videos, and comics to look at when you are feeling down. Starting from now, laugh more for a better life!
