Thread: Laughter

The things that are funny are the things that are unexpected.

Originally Posted by C-Fonz

The things that are funny are the things that are unexpected.

Could be. But it's not in the essence of comical. You must have heard particular story over and over again, that made you laugh every time.

The comical, the object itself doesn't have to be unexpected. Imagine an object that is in front of you for a long period of time, motionless. It is only our realization that is unexpected, spontaneous. For instance we can realize that the one object looks like something else, and that is funny for some reason.

Now, within that realization, why is it funny?

Laughing is your body telling you you've fonud the truth. If it ain't funny it ain't true.

Why do we cry?? Why is that natural thing to say with pain, "Ow"?? It's all about how the language developed and how society formed with what means what, then it kind of evolved into something we just do. Now what is comical, however, is completely out of the question of my explanations.

Why Do We Laugh?
Philosopher John Morreall believes that the first human laughter may have begun as a g esture of shared relief at the passing of danger. And since the relaxation that results from a bout of laughter inhibits the biological fight-or-flight response, laughter may indicate trust in one's companions.

Many researchers believe that the purpose of laughter is related to making and strengthening human connections. "Laughter occurs when people are comfortable with one another, when they feel open and free. And the more laughter [there is], the more bonding [occurs] within the group," says cultural anthropologist Mahadev Apte. This feedback "loop" of bonding-laughter-more bonding, combined with the common desire not to be singled out from the group, may be another reason why laughter is often contagious.

Studies have also found that dominant individuals -- the boss, the tribal chief or the family patriarch -- use humor more than their subordinates. If you've often thought that everyone in the office laughs when the boss laughs, you're very perceptive. In such cases, Morreall says, controlling the laughter of a group becomes a way of exercising power by controlling the emotional climate of the group. So laughter, like much human behavior, must have evolved to change the behavior of others, Provine says. For example, in an embarrassing or threatening situation, laughter may serve as a conciliatory gesture or as a way to deflect anger. If the threatening person joins the laughter, the risk of confrontation may lessen.

Provine is among only a few people who are studying laughter much as an animal behaviorist might study a dog's bark or a bird's song. He believes that laughter, like the bird's song, functions as a kind of social signal. Other studies have confirmed that theory by proving that people are 30 times more likely to laugh in social settings than when they are alone (and without pseudo-social stimuli like television). Even nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, loses much of its oomph when taken in solitude, according to German psychologist Willibald Ruch.

Next, we'll learn how we laugh.

Originally Posted by guitarboy

Why Do We Laugh?
Philosopher John Morreall believes that the first human laughter may have begun as a g esture of shared relief at the passing of danger. And since the relaxation that results from a bout of laughter inhibits the biological fight-or-flight response, laughter may indicate trust in one's companions.

Many researchers believe that the purpose of laughter is related to making and strengthening human connections. "Laughter occurs when people are comfortable with one another, when they feel open and free. And the more laughter [there is], the more bonding [occurs] within the group," says cultural anthropologist Mahadev Apte. This feedback "loop" of bonding-laughter-more bonding, combined with the common desire not to be singled out from the group, may be another reason why laughter is often contagious.

Studies have also found that dominant individuals -- the boss, the tribal chief or the family patriarch -- use humor more than their subordinates. If you've often thought that everyone in the office laughs when the boss laughs, you're very perceptive. In such cases, Morreall says, controlling the laughter of a group becomes a way of exercising power by controlling the emotional climate of the group. So laughter, like much human behavior, must have evolved to change the behavior of others, Provine says. For example, in an embarrassing or threatening situation, laughter may serve as a conciliatory gesture or as a way to deflect anger. If the threatening person joins the laughter, the risk of confrontation may lessen.

Yes, this is of course all true. It is, however, a social aspect.

I've been wondering about laughter for some time now, and luckily found H. Bergson's book on this very subject. I'm currently still reading it.

According to him, there are basic things in common for everything what's considered as comical.

First of all, it has to be a human characteristic. And this is very interesting. We could laugh at our pet, but only because we noticed a human behavior, a human feature. We could laugh at a certain object, such as a piece of clothes, but actually we would be laughing at the human feature that we noticed in its description.

Secondly, laughter and emotion simply can not exist together. Yes, we could laugh at someone who we even empathize with, but in that couple of seconds, it is inevitable to rise above the feeling to be able to laugh.

Further on, 'comical', the object itself is inadvertent and unaware.

no human characteristic here. i think it's funny.

can you really say why something is funny?


-- oh yeah - i think grasshoppa posted this somewhere else. it was the first image that came to mind other than lolcats.

Originally Posted by cygnus

no human characteristic here. i think it's funny.

Well, could you please describe precisely what is it that you find funny here? Yeah it is funny as hell, but wouldn't you say: haha look at him dancing, or: look at his big grin! Isn't that exclusively a human feature?

can you really say why something is funny?

Yup, i think we can if we start thinking about it.

well, humans are animals...

the reason i think it's funny is because i can't explain why. or maybe it's the look on the other bird's face... i'm not sure.

Funny can be when someone goes along with something that you say in the way that isn't expected.

Laughter for me is never some dumb joke.

Originally Posted by Luanne

Well, could you please describe precisely what is it that you find funny here? Yeah it is funny as hell, but wouldn't you say: haha look at him dancing, or: look at his big grin! Isn't that exclusively a human feature?

It took me until this post to figure out that the bird had the illusion of a grin, so I thought it was comical that he was dancing.

Since you don't believe laughter is an emotion then look at it as a tool. A tool for social acceptance, relief of anxiety, and something to improve well being. Do you believe infants are developed enough to see human characteristics in other things in order to laugh? It's seemingly hardwired into our brains.

Some noises are funny, certain drops of water, quick bursts of compressed air, these aren't human, but still result in a chuckle. When I get the shit scared out of me I usually laugh soon afterword...does that involve a human aspect?

To answer your question, C Fonz, that was already answered. it was theorized that laughing was to indicate relief at the sign of passing danger.


Also, don't know too much about it, however, I do know that laughing released endorphins/ painkillers into your blood stream.