The Science of Laughter
Did you know that...
- Although we usually think of laughter as coming from an audience, according to a recent study, the speakers observed laughed almost 50% more than their audience. We laugh more often when we're talking than when we're listening.
- Laughter is 30 times more frequent in social situations than when we're alone. It appears laughter is a signal we send to others and it virtually disappears when we don't have others around.
- Girls laugh more than boys. When we talk to boys, we laugh 126% more than they do, meaning they tend to do most of the laugh getting.
- Teens laugh more than twice as many times in a day than people over 65.
- People in the Northeast laugh less than all other Americans.
- Men laugh most often at jokes and funny stories, women laugh most at the antics of people and animals.
- A great sense of humor can add up to eight years to your life.
- A good belly laugh can give you health-boosting benefits equal to ten minutes on a rowing machine. Not only does it burn calories, it increases oxygen intake, increases the amount of pain we can withstand and raises our immunity.
- Pre- school kids laugh or smile 400 times a day. By they time reach 35, the number drops to 15.
- Gorillas and chimpanzees laugh too but because they can't make speech sounds, they sort of pant instead.
A good sense of humor reveals a gift for noticing human imperfections and taking them lightly. We can all work to improve our sense of humor. Follow your intuition and be spontaneous. Big deal if nobody laughs. You wouldn't expect to be great at anything...playing the piano or tap dancing...without learning what works and what doesn't. Think about how, when you were seven or eight, you didn't hesitate before telling a joke. Humor is inexpensive, always available and a tremendous morale booster, both for the speaker and the audience. The rewards, socially, emotionally and physically are enormous. Go for it.
