Greenfield Roots: Why Do People Laugh (by Antonella and Macarena U.)

Laughter

Fred is 32 years old and he is still single.
One day a friend asked, "Why aren't you married? Can't you find a woman who will be a good wife?"
Fred replied, "Actually, I've found many women I wanted to marry, but when I bring them home to meet my parents, my mother doesn't like them."
His friend thinks for a moment and says, "I've got the perfect solution, just find a girl who's just like your mother."
A few months later they meet again and his friend says, "Did you find the perfect girl? Did your mother like her?"
With a frown on his face, Fred answers, "Yes, I found the perfect girl. She was just like my mother. You were right, my mother liked her very much."
The friend said, "Then what's the problem?"
Fred replied, "My father doesn't like her."

Did you laugh? Probably. And its probably that you are likely to laugh most of the time as well. But do you know why?
Laughter, natural laughter, is a response to humor and physiological, psychological benefits.
Laughter can be divided in two parts. The first is a set of gestures, and the second is the production of sound that the brain produces simultaneously. From a physiological standpoint, a sensor in the brain responds to laughter by triggering other neural circuits in the brain, which, in turn, generate more laughter.
We usually tend to laugh at stressful situations, because the benefits of laughter are for a good health. It helps to reduce the stress levels by reducing the level of stress hormones, and also helps us cope with serious illness. Physiologically, laughter promotes healing. By lowering the blood pressure, and by increasing the vascular blood flow and the oxygenation of the blood. It also helps as it pents up negative emotions, such as anger, fear and sadness.

We usually laugh with common things. When we hear something funny or see something funny, like a sitcom or a comedy.
Another thing that makes us laugh are funny pictures. They usually have funny signs, funny people faces or crazy people and animals. Also funny videos of people that are shared on the web, as well as black humor and funny jokes.
But sometimes we laugh about common things, unexpected things.

In conclusion laughing is a way of reducing stress and preventing illnesses. We do not always laugh from specified hilarious things, but from everyday things. Like when you are spending time with friends, watching TV or reading a book.