When people are asked whatโs important in their lives, they often mention humor. Humor and laughter bring the pleasure of acceptance, in-group feeling, and bonding, and lots of positive health benefits. In romantic relationships, one of the first things that people say they look for in a mate is a sense of humor, or the ability to make them laugh. So really, is laughter the best medicine?
Laughing is Infectious
I just watched one of Ali Wongโs stand up comedy shows with my daughter. The show was funny, but what made it really enjoyable was listening to my daughter; she was really laughing, that out-loud, infectious kind of laughter that most people only dimly remember from their childhood. Now, my daughter is one of those people with an incredibly infectious laugh; on multiple occasions, sheโs laughed and laughed at something I didnโt even find funny until eventually, Iโll be laughing too.
There seems to be something irresistible about laughter; โlaugh and the world laughs with youโ may be more than just a saying. It turns out that there is scientific evidence that laughter is contagious. Research suggests that when we see emotional expressions of any kind on other peopleโs faces, our brain will try to mirror them so that we experience a shared reality with the other person, helping us to bond with them.
Listening to my daughter laugh also made me realize that I am much more likely to smile or laugh when Iโm with other people rather than when Iโm alone. There seems to be a solid behavioral prescription in this formula: if you want more laughter in your life, spend more time with other people.
โThere is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.โ
โ Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
How Laughing Makes You Feel Better
Whereas happiness is a long-term mindset, laughing is temporary but gives a similar healing injection of those chemicals that make us feel good (dopamine). But whereas happiness is usually a choice, things that make us laugh can often catch us off-guard; but unexpected or not, laughter will always trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh.
Laughing may have evolved for some of its benefits. Weโve already mentioned how contagious it is (even more so than yawning) and helps bring people together. This social function is obviously important for a species like us, and so we enjoy laughing. The mechanisms for this enjoyment include effects on the immune system, improved functioning of the blood vessels and heart, increased levels of endorphins in the brain which eases pain, reductions in stress hormones, and wonderfully relaxing effects on the muscles:
Laughing Helps Manage Hormones; Laughter increases health-enhancing hormones like neurotransmitters and endorphinโs, while reducing stress hormones such as cortisol.
Offers an Internal Workout: Laughing is a great cardiovascular exercise; it works the abdominal muscles and the cheek muscles in your face. Laughing on a regular basis increases blood flow which improves the function of blood vessels.
Helps keep you Positive and Fights Against Depression: Laughter can be a great distraction from negative emotions often caused by stress, and again it helps regulate stress hormones.
Has Social Benefits; Laughter is contagious, it can often draw attention to what others are laughing about which opens up opportunities for social activities.
Assists in Fighting Illness; Itโs been proven people who are optimistic have stronger immune systems. No matter what illness you may be fighting, laughter can offer an extra boost to the immune system.
Is Humor the Key to a Happy Relationship
Humor, particularly in men, seems to be an extremely attractive trait. A man may not be the tallest, strongest or most handsome, but he can rise above other suitors with a good sense of humor. There seems to be a number of reasons for this, from cognitive fitness (out of the box thinking, creativity and intelligence), safety (a sense of humor indicates that a man may try to defuse conflicts by being funny instead of escalating problems with anger) and because being funny is always beneficial when raising children.
Humor is obviously entertaining and makes time spent with someone more fun, but once the initial flirting is over, and you are in a longer-term romantic relationship, how large a role does humor play? It turns out that similarities in sense of humor are not associated with greater marital satisfaction, nor with longer marriages, but married couples overwhelmingly said that humor has a positive impact on their marriages.
Humor doesnโt always work; in relationships experiencing high stress, the more the man tried to be funny, the greater the chance the couple would separate or divorce. But then again, women who have humorous partners enjoy more and stronger orgasms, compared to women who have less funny partners (thatโs something that definitely needs more research). Laughter is the best medicine, but it seems that when you decide to roll it out is important too!
The Funniest Jokes in the World
I couldnโt close this piece without trying to make you laugh; Professor Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, created an experiment, named LaughLab, in 2002. He created a website where people could rate and submit jokes. The winning joke, which was later found to be based on a 1951 Goon Show sketch by Spike Milligan, was as follows:
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesnโt seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, โMy friend is dead! What can I do?โ The operator says, โCalm down. I can help. First, letโs make sure heโs dead.โ There is a silence; then a gunshot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says, โOK, now what?โ
And if that didnโt work, time for something completely different.
Monty Pythonโs Funniest Joke in the World
โThe Funniest Joke in the Worldโ is a Monty Python comedy sketch. In the scene, Ernest Scribbler, a British โwriter of jokesโ, writes a joke that is so funny that anyone who reads or hears it promptly dies from laughter, he himself, dies after reading his own joke. Ernestโs mother, taking the joke to be a suicide note, also immediately dies laughing after reading it. After more deaths from laughing, the British Army wish to determine โthe military potential of the Killer Jokeโ to use against the Germans in World War II.
The German translation of the joke:
โWenn ist das Nunstรผck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput!โ
described as being โover 60,000 times as powerful as the English version,โ is then used in open warfare, with British soldiers running through an open field amid artillery fire at Ardennes shouting the joke at the Germans, who die laughing in response.
And the joke lives on; if you paste the German version of the joke into Google Translate, instead of an English translation the program returns โ[FATAL ERROR].โ Try it!
Go Ahead and Laugh
We tend to like people who make us laugh because humor is a sign of a common interest. Anything โcontagiousโ spreads easily and affects those youโre in contact with; laughter is probably one of the few emotions that is not only visually a delight, but also more often than not pleasing to the ears.
Laughter is the best medicine; find something that makes you laugh out loud every day; make your own and someone elseโs day.
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24 replies on โLaughter is the Best Medicineโ
Yes laughter is the best medicine. Thatโs one reason why I fell in love with my husband.
Thanks for your stopping by and for your comment ๐๐! Never underestimate the power of laughter it can bring you many things including love โค!
It really is. Can honestly put the doctors out of business if weโd practice it more and with more intention. Thanks.
Thanks Sandra for stopping by and for your comment๐๐. Totally agree!
So true. Laughter is wonderful therapy.
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I once read, not entirely sure if itโs true, that someone who laughs uses less muscles than when she doesnโt. I love laughing. It makes me feel good. When I do something I love, like spending time with my family and friends, then I smile. Who doesnโt like being happy? There is nothing better than having a fun time with my favorite people, seeing them laughing makes me laugh, too. So yes, it is the best medicine. When someone looks at me and smiles, I just have to smile back, even when I have a rough day and just wanna go home and sleep. This instantly makes me feel better. It feels like this gets rare these days, but a smile often says more than a thousand words. Great post!
Thank you Sanny for stopping by and for your comment ๐๐
Totally agree. Have a lovely day full of love โค, smiles๐ and laughter ๐too
Laughter is indeed the most amazing thing ever.
So agree that laughter isithe best medicine and the best way to get to know each other. We take ourselves so seriously and we need to learn to laugh more.
Thank you, great article.
Who wouldnโt want to be around people who are smiling and have an infectious laughter? I do!! ๐More often than not youโll find me laughing. May I meet a man that with that quality too. Thank you ๐๐ผ
You got it! Good luck on your search ๐โค!
Thank your for reminding me about the Monty Python skit, which I had forgotten!
My pleasure ๐๐คฃ!
A wonderful post!
Very well said Maโm, Laughter cures everythingโฆ When I come home after hectic schedule I prefer to watch comedy, it relaxes me for better tomorrow and more than I got a real Napโฆ๐ Thank you for sharing this
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment ๐๐!
What a coincidence we were both thinking of laughter the same day yet wrote two complimentary post on the same topic. I love to make people laugh. It may just run in my family. I remember the laughter of my son when he was a baby. He was in his high chair by the window..I noticed we had fruit gnats and I didnโt want them around his food.. So I hit them with my hand to kill them since they were too fast and too small for a swatter. He watched and started laughing like the babies in the video. The boundless cackling hysterically cute and funny laugh. Of course I laughed too. So may memories of my family involve laughter. Great post. Totally enjoyed it. (Oh,I loved Monty and the Holy Grail!!.
Thank you for stopping by and for sharing your family story. Those moments ๐คถ๐โค are so precious and should cherished!
Oh yes laughter is the best medicine. I took to standup comedy with a friend a few years ago and there is nothing like hearing people laugh (when they do) without being conscious about it.
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Very true,it brings warmth and light and is so needed,it truly is the best cure,enjoy your creativity, respect and peace
Thank you for stopping by and for your comment ๐๐. Glad to hear my articles resonates with you! Stay tuned-in more to come.
Peace and the best