Why the hell do humans laugh? In a recent study, it was confirmed through experiments that mice also enjoy playing hide and seek, running and having fun. Laughter is not the monopoly of mankind. On the one hand, it is suggested that laughter is more than just a reflex, such as understanding the words and jokes and confirming that a baby’s laughter is not a physical reaction.
To support the idea that laughter is not just a reflex activity, an experiment where animation was shown to a group of two and a half to four year olds. In the experiment, when children were asked which animation was more fun to watch alone or with another child, most of them answered that it was the same level of fun.
However, when we actually saw the animation, the children who watched the animation with other children laughed 8 times more than when they were alone. For this reason, it can be seen that human laughter has a function as a communication tool.
Additionally, in an experiment involving 966 participants living in 24 regions, they were able to distinguish between friends and non-friends with just a brief smile. In other words, laughter is also a means of recognizing close people.
Some people think that there may be a hint in animal grooming about the origin of laughter as such a communication tool. Social animals communicate by grooming each other and confirming that they are colleagues, but human society has grown so large that it is impossible to groom them all individually. Therefore, it is believed that humans could have used laughter as a means of clarifying colleagues and those who are not in the stage of developing groups and forming organizations.
Laughter also has health benefits. Laughter fills the body with lots of oxygen and releases endorphins from the brain, leading to relaxation. At the same time, the heart, lungs and muscles are stimulated to stabilize the pulse and blood pressure. In the long term, smiling well has the effect of improving immune function and preventing depression. Because of this effectiveness, doctors at the Mayo Clinic, a large general hospital in the United States, claim that laughter is the best medicine.
Laughter can be said to promote health while promoting cooperation, which is most important for human survival. Furthermore, it can be the perfect justification for spending time with friends over dinner or drinks. Laughter has scientifically supported benefits. Relevant information can be found here.
