6 Interesting Facts About Laughter
Laughter is the only universal language that is recognized by all and you don’t even need to learn it to communicate with others. This fascinating means of communication has intrigued scientists and general folks for ages. Many scientific studies have been carried out to understand why, when, and how we laugh. In fact, these studies have thrown into light many amusing and a few quirky facts related to its impacts on our brains, bodies, and social life.
We have compiled and highlighted below, 6 interesting facts that will make you wonder about the reach and effects of a simple thing like laughter:
1. Adult Human Male Laughs The Least!
We know that most of you have gone into a state of shock after reading this statement. It’s not a mere speculation but a scientifically-proved fact that women laugh more than their male counterparts and kids tend to laugh about 3 times more than them. Notably, an average adult laughs almost thirteen times within a 24-hour period. Sounds like it’s time to improve our sense of humor!
2. Laughter is Infectious!
As soon as we hear someone else’s laughter, we start feeling the urge to join in that laughter, unexpectedly. The scientific explanation behind this is that the brain’s premotor cortical region gets activated by a mere sound of laughter. Actually, this section of the brain controls and prompts the movement of our facial muscles in response to a laughing noise. Isn’t it a good thing to know that you don’t need a good joke or funny situations to burst out laughing and feel better!
3. Your Brain Can Recognize Fake Laughter!
Our complex brains can easily differentiate between deliberate and real laughter. Even if you manage to give out an excellent imitation of a loud guffaw, still, everyone around you will not get fooled. Laughter-related brain imaging studies confirm that we instinctively start interpreting a person’s deliberate laughs even when not required at all. This is due to a specialized section in our brains, which is involved in figuring out other person’s emotions. This area shows heightened activity when we hear a fake laughter.
4. Laughter Binds People!
We tend to feel a sense of belonging with others in a group when we share a laugh with them. This is because we all are human beings with emotions and the laughter helps us to experience the same feeling of happiness, together. In fact, it helps us to instantly bond with people and understand them better and serves as instant social glue. You can, also, strengthen your existing relationship by bringing in an element of humor and laughter into it!
5. Laughter is the World’s Best Free Medicine!
Okay, you have probably kept reading or hearing the phrase that “Laughter is the best medicine”, since your childhood. All of us know that act of laughing makes us forget our sorrows, brighten our moods, and feel more energetic. What many of us might not know that it helps to release Endorphin, the happy hormone and suppress the stress-inducing hormones, Epinephrine and Cortisol. A daily dose of heavy laughter can actually boost your immune system, increase blood-oxygen levels, and improves your heart functions. Surprisingly, laughter doesn’t cost you a thing and there are no side-effects of a genuine laugh. What’s more, this anti-anxiety magical pill also helps you to overcome fear and become more confident!
6. Laughter Makes You Burn A Few Calories!
Yeah, you read it right. But before you cancel your gym membership, leave your personal trainer job-less or stop doing exercises altogether, we’d advise you to carefully read the next sentence. You can burn almost 40 calories by having a solid and continuous laugh, for full 15 minutes! Theoretically, it might sound good to you but laughing like a maniac for more than 5 minutes can be quite daunting. We say so because it’s not easy to fake laughter and it requires a strong trigger to make us laugh continuously!
Another amusing fact related to laughter is that many animals like rats, dogs, and cats, can also laugh. However, it’s hard to detect their sound of laughter.
So, start making room for ‘feel-good’ laughter in your everyday life. Unleash your ‘inner kid’ and try to seek the humor everywhere, in order to enjoy your life more!