Are humans the only species that laugh?
Ordinary people believe that only humans experience emotions and bond with one another through those emotions, and that only humans express emotions through laughter. As a result, people assumed that animals had no emotions and only acted instinctively. However, while researching animal emotions, it was discovered that they can also smile. When animals experience pleasant emotions, they are said to make a distinct sound. It has also been established that birds laugh to express their emotions. In other words, ordinary humans do not develop emotions right after birth. Humans learn emotions through their experiences and express them through laughter.
Why and when do we smile/laugh?
When we smile, our facial muscles contract, causing our facial expressions and breathing patterns to change. During this process, our mouth muscles contract, causing us to smile and laugh aloud. Laughter is a type of facial expression. When people are happy and joyful, they usually laugh. We can also laugh at tickling as a physical reaction. Humans do not learn the emotion of laughter separately; rather, it is present from birth. In other words, this emotional expression’s laughter can be a vocabulary for expressing human emotions (Provine, 1999).
What is the relationship between laughter and hormones, and how does it affect our bodies?
Laughter has a direct impact on our health. When we laugh, the brain recognizes the emotion of laughter and releases a hormone called endorphin. This endorphin is a hormone that is associated with our immune system. In other words, when we laugh a lot, our endorphins increase, increasing our immunity for a short time but relieving pain. Furthermore, blood flow increases, which improves blood vessel function and benefits heart health. Laughter also benefits our mental health by making us feel good and think positively. In other words, we should strive to keep our bodies healthy by smiling frequently because laughter relieves stress and allows our bodies and minds to function comfortably (Robinson, Smith, and Segal, 2018).
Does fake smiles also affect our brains?
Humans make fake smiles depending on the situation, not unintentional laughter that comes out of happy emotions. Ordinary people will sometimes fake their laughter in order to appear likeable. It is also a bad situation, but other people pretend to smile and say everything is fine to reassure them. Communication difficulties may arise because these fake smiles do not reflect our true feelings. In other words, our bodies perceive a difference between fake and genuine laughter. Fake laughter temporarily relieves stress and makes us feel better. However, as the time to smile passes, we become more stressed. In other words, depending on the circumstances, this phony laugh may benefit us or harm us (Scott, 2018).
How does laughter therapy improve our mental health?
Laughter has numerous advantages. Laughter boosts our positive energy, allowing us to stay active. We also need to understand the significance of laughter as a stress reliever. Laughter also suppresses anxiety, and anxiety and mental disorders such as depression can be overcome through laughter therapy. Furthermore, laughter therapy has been shown to reduce anxiety and insomnia, allowing for an increase in average life expectancy. In other words, we are cognitive behavioral therapy that helps to improve physical and psychological behavior through laughter therapy (Fielding, 2021).
Conclusion
Emotions can exist in both humans and animals, and happy emotions are expressed through laughter. This laughter is a vocabulary that expresses emotions and allows us to communicate with others while also providing numerous benefits to our bodies. We can also improve our physical and mental health through laughter therapy, and we can become healthy through laughter.
References
Fielding, S. (2021). Laughter Therapy May Increase Life Satisfaction, Study Finds. [online] Verywell Mind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/can-laughter-therapy-increase-life-satisfaction-5116510 [Accessed 3 March 2023].
Provine, R. (1999). A big mystery: Why do we laugh? [online] NBC News. Available at: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3077386 [Accessed 3 March 2023].
Robinson, L., Smith, M. and Segal, J. (2018). Laughter is the Best Medicine. [online] HelpGuide.org. Available at: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/laughter-is-the-best-medicine.htm [Accessed 3 March 2023].
Scott, E. (2018). When to Fake It, When to Be Honest. [online] Verywell Mind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/when-to-fake-happiness-for-stress-relief-4068437 [Accessed 3 March 2023].
Weisberger, M. (2021). Do animals laugh? [online] livescience.com. Available at: https://www.livescience.com/do-animals-laugh.html [Accessed 3 March 2023].
