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Why do we laugh? "We laugh because it hurts."

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6dark6dreams6 On August 19, 2010




hereford, United Kingdom
#1New Post! Nov 05, 2008 @ 22:24:28
I was reading Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A.Heinlein (if you have no read this book i strongly recommend it, it's an amazing book!).
The character in this book claimed he understood why humans laugh.

"I've found out why people laugh. They laugh because it hurts... because
it's the only thing that'll make it stop hurting...I had thought a funny thing is a thing of goodness. It isn't. The goodness is in the laughing. I grok it is a bravery...and a sharing...against pain and
sorrow and defeat." p289-290

I believe this holds truth. Think about all the jokes you can remember. The 'punchline' or the height of the joke is the when the cruelty, the sadness, or just plain bad is revealed to the listener (or reader).
The same goes for when see someone do something stupid, like walk into a lamp post, or fall over. We laugh.

Do you agree? If not then why? Why do we laugh? What do we find funny?
crazychica On March 13, 2011
A taste of insanity





Aberdeen, United Kingdom
#2New Post! Nov 05, 2008 @ 22:28:46
Laughing is an involuntary reaction, possibly related to survival instinct. It could be for any number of reasons. My personal favourite is as a warning for people nearby. It's changed a bit since then obviously.
6dark6dreams6 On August 19, 2010




hereford, United Kingdom
#3New Post! Nov 05, 2008 @ 22:38:30
It never claimed that it wasn't an involuntary reaction. But think about it, there must be some connection between humor and pain/cruelty?
crazychica On March 13, 2011
A taste of insanity





Aberdeen, United Kingdom
#4New Post! Nov 05, 2008 @ 22:39:56
That's what I was saying. Laughter is believed to be linked to survival instincts. At some point in our evolutionary history, it probably served as a warning.
Lili On July 12, 2019
....................





Sunshine Land,
#5New Post! Nov 06, 2008 @ 00:46:20
we laugh when something is unexpected and catches by surprise.
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