Humor & Laughter

Written by Steve Ngai on 17 July 2006

This topic is something I have been thinking quite a lot for very long time. I did some research at one point of time but I didn't really write about it. Now, I went back to this topic and really need to start this here. Start with a little here first, as usual.

Benefits of humor / laughter
  1. For good health
    • “When we laugh, natural killer cells which destroy tumours and viruses increase, along with Gamma-interferon (a disease-fighting protein), T-cells (important for our immune system) and B-cells (which make disease-fighting antibodies). As well as lowering blood pressure, laughter increases oxygen in the blood, which also encourages healing.” "Science of Laughter” Discovery Health Website
    • It is like exercise - Research Shows that Laughter is called "inner jogging." A robust laugh gives the muscles of your face, shoulders, diaphragm, and abdomen a good workout, and sometimes even your arms and legs. Heart rate and blood pressure temporarily rise, breathing becomes faster and deeper, and oxygen surges throughout your bloodstream.
    • It is like an anesthetic - Norman Cousins claimed to nurse himself back to health from a crippling arthritic condition, in part with old tapes of "Candid Camera" television program and Marx Brothers movies. He claimed that ten minutes of belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give him at least two hours of pain-free sleep
    • Release tension. Help us to relax. Reduce stress. (No need Ogawa anymore ...)
  2. Helps relationship/friendship - It helps the friendship become enjoyable, light and comfortable. It is a universal friendship languauge. "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people."

Some interesting facts
  • Laughter begins to develop at a very young age, between three and four months. It is a way in which a baby can communicate without using words.
  • Have you ever found yourself laughing for no apparent reason just because someone near you is also laughing? This is because laughter can be quite contagious. Some scientists believe that humans possess some kind of laugh detector which is triggered by particular species-specific vocalizations. This detector acts as a sensory receptor and sets off the serious of neurons which results in laughter.
  • When we laugh, we simply cannot be worrying deeply at the same time.
  • When confronted with a threatening situation, animals have two choices: they can flee, or they can fight. We humans have a third alternative: to laugh
  • “By the time a child reaches nursery school, he or she will laugh about 300 times a day. Adults laugh an average of 17 times a day.” “Science of Laughter” Discovery Health

Related link - My Humor library