One woman is in labor and has a horrible time. She suddenly shouts: “Shouldn’t!” Wouldn’t! Couldn’t! Didn’t! Can’t!”
“Don’t worry,” advises the doctor. These are just contractions.
Until now, several TheoriesHave tried to understand what makes something funny enough that it makes us laugh. These include transgression (something forbidden), puncturing a sense of arrogance or superiority (mockery), and incongruity – the presence of two incompatible meanings in the same situation.
To find out if there were other conclusions, I reviewed all literature published in English on laughter and humor over the past 10 years.
My research has led me to more than 100 papers. StudyThis led to a new explanation: laughter could be a tool that nature gave us to survive.
I reviewed research papers about theories of humor, which provided important information in three areas: the physical characteristics of laughter, brain centers that produce laughter, and the health benefits associated with laughter.
These papers included more than 150 papers, which provided evidence of important characteristics of the conditions that make people laugh.
I organized all theories into areas so that I could condense laughter into three steps.
This raises the possibility of laughter being preserved. natural selectionHumans have survived for millennia. It may also explain why people who make us laugh are so attractive to us.
The evolution and development of laughter
While the incongruity hypothesis is useful for explaining humor-driven laughters, it is not enough.
In this instance, laughter is not about an overt sense of incompatibility or out-of-step. It’s about being placed in a situation that is not normal.
For example, if we see a tiger strolling along a city street, it may appear incongruous, but it is not comic – on the contrary, it would be terrifying. It becomes comical if the Tiger rolls itself like a ball.
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Homer Simpson is an animated anti-hero who makes us laugh every time he falls from his house’s roof.
These are examples of the human experience shifting into an exaggerated, cartoon version of the world where anything – especially the ridiculous – can happen.
The event must also be considered harmless in order to make it funny. We laugh because Homer or the Tiger have never hurt others and we also acknowledge that their worlds do not exist.
It is possible to reduce laughter to a simple three-step process. First, you need to create an odd situation that induces a feeling of incongruity (bewilderment) or panic.
The second is to deal with the stress or worry that the incongruous circumstances have caused. Third, the release of laughter serves as an alarm to all other witnesses (relief), that they’re safe.
Laughter has been used by people for millennia as a way to let others know they are happy. Fight or FlightResponse is not necessary and that you do not need to Perceived threat has passed.
This is why laughter can be contagious. It unites us, makes our lives more social, and signals the end to worry or fear. Laughter can be life affirming.
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This is easily translated to 1936 film Modern TimesCharlie Chaplin’s humorous tramp character fixes bolts in factories like a robot and not a man.
We laugh at it because we want to prove to others that the frightening spectacle of a man reduced into a robot is fiction. He is not a robot, but a human being. There is nothing to alarm.
Humor can be a powerful tool for success
Similar to the above, the joke at beginning of the article begins with a normal scene, but then becomes something a bit strange and baffling (the lady behaving oddly), which eventually leads to laughter.
As I did in a Previous studyThe human behavior of weeping is a sign of weakness in the body’s physiology. However, laughter can be a powerful tool to help you get through it.
Like weeping – and chewing, breathing or walking – laughter is a rhythmic behavior which is a releasing mechanism for the body.
The brain centers responsible for regulating laughter are those that control anxiety, fear, and emotions. The release of laughter relieves stress and tension from a situation.
Humor is often used in hospitals to aid patients in healing. Clown therapy researchThey have.
Humor is also possible Improve blood pressure and immune defensesHelp, Overcome depression and anxiety.
ResearchMy review also showed that humor is an important part of teaching and can be used to highlight concepts.
Humor related to course material maintains attention and creates an environment conducive to learning that is more relaxed and productive. Humor in teaching settings can reduce anxiety, improve participation, and increase motivation.
Love and laughter
This data on laughter allows us to make a hypothesis about the reason people fall in love because they “make me laugh”. This is more than just being funny. It could be more.
If someone else’s laughter provokes ours, then that person is signaling that we can relax, we are safe – and this creates trust.
Their jokes can trigger laughter, which can help us overcome fear from unfamiliar situations. We are more attracted to people whose ability to laugh inspires us to overcome our fears. It could explain why we love those who make us laugh.
We don’t hesitate to laugh in these modern times. It’s a great way to feel good and uplifting.
This human behavior may have served an evolutionary function, in that it is self-protection and danger awareness.
Even though we may be in danger right now, laughter is a common reaction to the sensation of relief.
Carlo Valerio BellieniProfessor of Pediatrics. Università di Siena.
This article has been republished from The ConversationUnder a Creative Commons License Learn more Original article.
