Learn About Laughter

As the saying goes “Laugh and the whole world laughs with you.” It’s a proven fact that we are roughly 30 times more likely to laugh when we’re in a social setting than when we’re alone (not many people can laugh at their own jokes…).

We’ve all been in a situation where one of us gets a fit of the giggles and before long everyone else is joining in; it’s as contagious as a yawn, and a lot more fun.

Reasons to laugh

• 15 minutes of laughter equals the benefit of 2 hours sleep.
• On average we laugh 17 times a day.
• One good belly laugh burns off three and a half calories.
• It’s been medically proven that laughter is an effective painkiller.
• Laughter helps prevent heart disease.
• Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system.
• Laughter has positive effects on all the major body systems – respiratory, circulatory and cardiac.

The two-year laughathon

One of the most famous cases of contagious laughter occurred in Tanganyika, East Africa in 1962. What began as an isolated fit of laughter in a group of schoolgirls rapidly rose to epidemic, hysterical proportions; it spread to the local community and didn’t die out for another two years.

It would be interesting to know what the schoolgirls in Tanganyika were laughing at to start such large scale hysteria but it doesn’t really matter. Research suggests that up to 80% of laughter isn’t caused by humour at all, it’s down to mood, and tense, nervous, happy or excited feelings all cause outbursts.

The science of laughter (beware, not all that funny…)

Most scientific research suggests that we catch laughter from each other because our brains are programmed to join in. Laughter is an instinctive behaviour, it’s in our genes.

Despite all the research, mankind is still at a very early stage of understanding the science behind laughter, there is still mystery attached to the true source and logic behind all the mirth. The US scientist, Igor Krishtafovich, however, has come up with a formula for would-be comedians to find out whether a joke is funny or not:

HE = PI x C/T + BM

HE – (humour effectiveness) equals PI – (personal involvement) multiplied by C – (complexity of a joke) and T – (time spent by a person solving a joke) plus BM – (background mood).

When not to laugh

Here’s one good reason to know when to stop laughing. The Greek philosopher Chrysippus allegedly died of laughter watching his donkey attempt to eat some figs after he gave it wine. Not recommended.

Did you know…?

• The funny bone is not a bone, it’s a nerve.
• People who study laughter are known as Gelotologists.
• People smile only 35% as much as they think they do.