Why do people laugh? What are the benefits of laughing?

Laughter is not only used to express positive emotions or social interaction, but also to deal with stress and difficulties. So why are we laughing? These are the reasons why we laugh and their academic approach.

What is laughter and why is it done?

Laughter is a behavior that occupies an important place in people’s lives. It is often associated with positive emotions such as happiness, joy and fun. However, laughter is not only used to express positive emotions, but also in social interaction.

Laughter is a combination of many different factors. The limbic system and cortex of the brain work together to control the emotional, mental, and physiological processes required to laugh. These processes are usually triggered by the expression of a positive emotion felt in a situation or event.

Laughter also plays an important role in social interactions. People show closeness and sincerity towards each other by smiling in their relationships with other people. Laughter strengthens our social bonds and deepens our emotional relationships.

What happens in our brain to laugh?

Laughter is a behavior that arises from many different parts of the brain working together. The emotional centers, intellectual centers, and motor parts of the brain work together to make you laugh.

The first step to laughter is when a stimulus evokes a positive emotion. This stimulus can be a joke, a funny situation, a pleasant memory, or an experience shared with other people. This positive emotion is processed in a part of the brain called the limbic system and then activates the processes needed to laugh.

Then the intellectual centers of the brain come into play. Laughter involves the cognitive processes required to understand that something is funny. To understand that a situation is funny, the brain first perceives the situation, then evaluates this perception and finally decides that it is funny. This process takes place in an area of ​​the brain called the prefrontal cortex.

Benefits of Laughter

Laughter is one of the most basic ways of social interaction between people. However, laughter is not only a social activity, it also has positive effects on our health. Here are some important health benefits of laughter.

Stress reduction

Laughter helps reduce stress by lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, which gives a feeling of happiness and relaxes our mind.

Pain relief

Laughter relieves muscle tension that causes pain in the body. In addition, the release of endorphins reduces pain by creating an analgesic effect. Therefore, laughter therapy can be used especially in people with chronic pain.

Strengthening the immune system

Laughter boosts immune system function. Studies have shown that people who laugh regularly show an increase in the number of natural killer cells in their immune system cells.

Improving heart health

Laughter can improve heart health. Like regular exercise, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease, regular laughter has a protective effect against heart disease. Studies have shown that people who laugh regularly have lower blood pressure than people who do not laugh regularly.

Strengthen relationships

Laughter strengthens social bonds between people. People who smile communicate better with those around them, which helps to have healthier relationships.

Why do we laugh when we are angry?

When we are angry, we are often ready to react aggressively. However, some people start laughing when they are angry. This may seem strange to some, as irritability and laughter are often seen as contradictory emotions. However, there are several reasons to understand why we laugh when we are angry.

The first is that irritability and laughter can trigger similar chemical reactions in our brains. Nervousness is a physiological response resulting from stress hormones released from adrenaline. These hormones can also cause the release of happiness hormones, such as the endorphins that are released when you laugh. Therefore, there may be a connection between nervousness and laughter.

The second reason is that when we get angry, we laugh as a defense mechanism. When we are angry, we can experience a perception of threat and be ready for a physical attack on this threat. However, this reaction can sometimes be reversed when we realize that what we are angry at is not really a threat. In this case, instead of looking for a way out to let go of the irritable reaction, we can soften our reaction and feel better by laughing.

The third reason is that our laughter when we get angry can turn out to be a confrontational mechanism. When some people are angry, they try to lighten the situation by laughing instead of taking it seriously. This can be seen as a challenge to what they are angry about and laughing this way can mean they are reining themselves in and curbing any aggression.

Why is laughter important to humans?

Laughter is a natural behavior that provides people with physical, mental and social benefits. Laughter can reduce stress, strengthen the immune system, increase happiness and positive emotions, improve relationships and improve overall health.

Is laughter related to people’s intelligence level?

Laughter is not directly related to one’s intelligence level. However, factors that elicit laughter, such as a sense of humor, ability to tell jokes, and other social skills, may be related to a person’s intelligence level.

Why do some people laugh more than others?

A: Laughter depends on personal characteristics, life experiences and social factors. Some people may have an innate sense of humor or a positive personality. Others may have factors such as a positive life experience or a healthy social support network.