Today, many theories have tried to explain what is funny about something that actually makes us laugh.
Carlo Valerio Bellini, professor of pediatrics at the University of Siena, decided to review all the available literature on laughter and humor published in English in the last 10 years to see if any conclusions could be drawn.
After sifting through more than 100 research papers, his work led to a possible new explanation: Laughter is a tool that nature gave us to help us survive.
He looked at research papers on theories of humor that provided important insights into three areas: the physical properties of laughter, the brain centers involved in the production of laughter, and the health benefits of laughter.
It has grown to more than 150 articles that provide clues to important aspects of the conditions that make people laugh.
By organizing all the theories in specific areas, the researcher was able to focus the process of laughter on three main steps: confusion, resolution, and a completely clear signal.
This raises the possibility that laughter may have been preserved by natural selection over the past millennia to help humans survive. It may also explain why we are attracted to people who make us laugh.
Irony theory is good at explaining humor-driven laughter, but it is not enough.
In this case, laughter is not about the general feeling that things are out of tune or out of harmony. It is about finding ourselves in a particular situation that disrupts our normal expectations of life.
For example, if we see a tiger roaming a city street, it may seem inappropriate, but it will not be funny – on the contrary, it will be terrible. But it would be funny if the tiger rolled like a ball.
The anti-cartoon Homer Simpson makes us laugh when he falls off the roof and bounces like a ball.
But for it to be funny, the event must be considered harmless. We laugh because we accept that the tiger does not effectively harm others and the cartoon character itself, because their world is basically unreal.
To restore laughter in a three-step process: First, we need a situation that seems strange and causes a sense of contradiction (confusion or shock). Second, the anxiety or stress caused by the inappropriate situation must be addressed and overcome (solution). Third, the actual release of laughter serves as a complete siren to warn passers-by (relax) that they are safe.
Laughter may be a signal that humans have used for thousands of years to show others that the fight-or-flight response is unnecessary and that the perceived threat is over.
This is why laughter is often contagious: it bonds us, makes us more social, and heralds the end of fear or anxiety. Laughter is the affirmation of life.
As previous research on human crying behavior has shown, laughter is of great importance to the physiology of the body. Like crying – chewing, breathing or walking – it is a rhythmic behavior and an escape mechanism for the body.
These include brain centers that control laughter and areas that control emotions, fear, and anxiety. Letting out laughter breaks the tension in the situation and puts the body at rest.
As studies on clown therapy have shown, humor is often used in a hospital setting to help patients heal.
Humor can also improve blood pressure and immune defense and help overcome anxiety and depression.
The research reviewed also showed that humor is important in teaching and is used to emphasize concepts and ideas. Humor related to course material maintains attention and creates a more relaxed and productive learning environment. Humor in the teaching setting also reduces anxiety, increases engagement, and increases motivation.
Reviewing this data on laughter also allows for a hypothesis as to why people fall in love with someone because they “made them laugh.” It’s not just about being funny. It could be something more complicated.
And if another person’s laughter makes us laugh, that person shows that we can relax, that we are safe – and that builds trust.
And if our laughter comes from their jokes, it will have the effect of overcoming our fears caused by an awkward or unfamiliar situation. This may explain why we adore those who make us laugh.
And in contemporary times, of course, we don’t think twice about laughing. We just enjoy it as a luxurious experience and for the feeling of luxury it brings.
From an evolutionary perspective, this very human behavior may have served an important role in danger awareness and self-preservation.
However, if we are in danger, we usually respond by laughing as a great relief.
Source: Science Alert
Source: Arabic RT
