Why We Laugh
Mar 15, 2007-- Laughter, a topic that has baffled philosophers for 2,000 years, is finally yielding to science. Researchers have now traced the evolution of laughter back to an unexpected discovery: laughter has little to do with humor. It’s an instinctual survival tool for social animals, not an intellectual response to wit. In other words, it’s not about getting the joke; it’s about getting along. Researcher Robert Provine maintains that it's a largely involuntary process, and though people can consciously suppress laughs, few can make themselves laugh convincingly. In his words, "Laughter is an honest social signal because it’s hard to fake [...] It’s a kind of behavioral fossil showing the roots that all human beings, maybe all mammals, have in common." (5065 reads)
Read Full Story
Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is.
-German Proverb-
Upcoming Stories
Subscribe to DailyGood
We've sent daily emails for over 16 years, without any ads. Join a community of 152,716 by entering your email below.
- Email: