Laughter is essential for healthy relationships and a happy life.
And laughing is fun.
During college, I wrote a term paper on the Pygmies of the Congo. While researching, I stumbled upon a fascinating observation about their way of life that made me laugh out loud. The anthropologist who had lived among them described how, when something struck them as funny, their laughter would escalate to the point that they would roll on the ground, tears streaming down their faces.
This memory resurfaced when I was reminded how much I loved watching Jerry Lewis movies as a child. I would laugh so hard and loudly that my laughter would spread throughout the theater until everyone was laughing, not at the movie, but at me; that is how my older brother remembers it.
In college, I took a psychology class where the professor often used humor in his lectures. One day, he said something that made the whole class laugh. Whether it was his joke, my mood, or the atmosphere in the classroom, I couldn't stop laughing, even after the others had quieted down. My continued laughter sparked the other students to laugh again. Fearing I might be reprimanded, I looked up to see the professor laughing right along with us. It was a wonderful moment that I remember fondly, even after all these years.
It's often said that laughter is the best medicine, and research backs that up. But laughter isn't just about jokes; it's essential to human connection. The amount of laughter shared between two people can frequently indicate the state of a relationship.
While much research focuses on the conflicts that lead to divorce or the end of relationships, it's easy to overlook that laughter is a key ingredient in any happy partnership. Laughter can be a barometer of how well a couple is doing. It brings people closer, especially during the early stages of a romance when laughter is warm, spontaneous, and plentiful. Perhaps couples need to laugh together much more.
Laughter is not only fun but also incredibly social. It's contagious, drawing people together. Just as seeing someone yawn makes you yawn, hearing someone laugh can make you laugh, too.
Being with people who laugh easily is always a delight. Once the laughter starts, everything seems funny, and we all share the joy.
Do you allow laughter into your life, or has everything become too serious to enjoy a good laugh? We laugh because it is fun and makes us feel good. It also relieves stress, and it is difficult to feel depressed when we are laughing. So, let's make more room for laughter in our lives and share that joy with others.
Adrian, remember when back to the days long ago when I was a classroom teacher, I used humor and levity in the classroom. To this day and I’m almost 82 years old there are a couple of students from the past who have kept in touch. It is really amazing. And one of the things they mentioned to me is that my classroom was fun. Of course they were seriousness, and there was learning as a teacher, and that was European history. There were very serious topics, but humor was frequently brought in, and it made the classroom for me and for them enjoyable.
“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.” – Mark Twain