I am not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there.”
~ Martin Luther
Why we laugh is so important. By understanding why we laugh, you will understand how to get others to laugh. Your writing and delivery will have a purpose. With these insights it will be that much easier for you to successfully amuse, entertain, and enlighten.
We Laugh For Several Reasons
1.Discomfort
That’s right, we laugh when we are uncomfortable. Recall all the times you were in an awkward situation or close to it. Someone said something rude about a third person and you chuckled. The discomfort was caused by tension, the tension of being uncomfortable.
2.Surprise
Surprise is what gives you the big belly laughs; they are laughs where you just let it all out. The laughter can come so fast you don’t have a chance to even think about it. You laugh simply out of surprise. I will go into detail in the next chapter as to why the punchline MUST BE LAST. The technique used most to trigger surprise is misdirection.
3.Feeling Superior
Mel Helitzer in his book Comedy Writing Secrets wrote, “There appears to be a strong and constant need for us to feel superior.” In many ways, humor satisfies this most basic need. “Humor is a reaction to tragedy. The joke is at someone else’s expense,” wrote anthropologist Alan Dundes. We laugh when someone falls down. A person had the misfortune of falling down and we didn’t. Humor often ridicules the IQ of others, their social standing, or athletic ineptness. Our need to feel superior shows up when we ridicule places, cities, and countries. It shows up when we make fun of sports, hobbies, and politics.
4.Hostility
Hostility is good for humor because it is a strong emotion. Humor is a great way to ridicule someone or something. Helitzer says, “That is why, in humor, ridicule is spelled ‘rid cruel.’ Comedy is cruel. The words ‘cruel’ and ‘ridicule’ appear together frequently—where there is one, there is the other.” We are human, and most everyone has some hostility toward someone or something. Can one talk about their ex-husband or wife without a least remembering being just a little or maybe a lot hostile?
5.Embarrassment
When we are feeling shame, self-consciousness, or even a hint of humiliation, we laugh. It is as if there is an automatic release valve set to go off. It’s our innate method of dealing with those awkward feelings.
6.Relief
I have shared a speech about when I fell down as an eight-year-old in front of a large group of people. I didn’t get up for a few long moments. When I did, there was laughter throughout the crowd. Their laughter was a natural relief or reassurance in knowing that I wasn’t seriously hurt.
7.Shock
It is the surprise factor that makes us laugh. Shock is simply a surprise. When we encounter or hear something we don’t expect, we are shocked, and often that is when we laugh. Here is an example: My success is due to my determination, hard work, and the fact I married the owner’s daughter. The shock or the left turn at the end, or punchline of the joke, is what makes one laugh.
8.Escape
Why do we play golf, watch TV, shop, read, and play sports? We all need some recreation and comedy. Laughter is a great way to get away. We need a place to hide or go and just forget about the job, the kids, or our well-intentioned mother/father-in-law. Humor is an effective and fun escape.
9.Sadness
The emotion of sadness can be expressed by laughter. I believe it is a way our bodies can produce the healing release of an endorphin rush. Humor is nature’s way of assisting us through a situation.
10.Joy
We laugh when we experience joy. Joy is a feeling, a thought, an expression of life at its best. It is being happy for no apparent reason.
11.Love
We laugh when we feel love, loving, and lovable.
Conclusion
We laugh, therefore we are. Laughter is what keeps the world and our lives together. According to a Psychology Today report, a four-year-old laughs 300 times a day, where a forty-year old laughs four times. Do you think it would help the world if we could be more like the four-year-old and less like the forty-year-old? We laugh because it feels good. We laugh because it is healthy and natural. We laugh because we can’t help it. We laugh because it’s fun.
Recap-Why We Laugh
Here are a few of the reasons why we laugh:
1.Discomfort
2.Surprise
3.Feeling Superior
4.Hostility
5.Embarrassment
6.Relief
7.Shock
8.Escape
9.Sadness
10.Joy
11.Love
Time To Play
Write of an event where you or someone you knew laughed for each of the nine reasons.
1.Discomfort
2.Surprise
3.Feeling Superior
4.Hostility
5.Embarrassment
6.Relief
7.Shock
8.Escape
9.Sadness
10.Joy
11.Love
Write about how knowing
