why do we get laughter and amusement about charlie chaplin comedies
Answers
Answer:
KidSpirit
Search
Why Do We Laugh?
Naomi Chasek-MacFoyJune 6, 2011Exploring HumorThe Big Question
Why do we laugh?
As defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary, to laugh is to show emotion (as in mirth, joy, or scorn), to find amusement or pleasure in something, or to produce the sound or appearance of laughter.
This basic definition of laughter will serve as a point of reference as I try to delve deeper into the causes of laughter. In addition, I want to add a distinction to this definition: There are two distinct forms of laughter, the social laugh, and the humorous laugh. The humorous laugh is fairly simple; it is a laugh triggered by something perceived as truly funny. However, the social laugh is most often triggered by a particular social interaction or the need to conform to social norms.
Laughter, a trait unique to humans and our primate cousins (or at least as we know it), is a phenomenon which has been discussed and studied for centuries. However, modern science and medicine have yet to pinpoint one definite cause for it. Not being a trained scientist or doctor, I can’t shed any light on the clinical causes of laughter, nor can I offer any data or statistics to back up my ideas. I am merely a teenager making observations in hopes of helping create a more nuanced picture of laughter. So, why do we laugh?
Laughing plays an integral role in normal human social interactions. It lends an immediate sense of freedom and carelessness to the moment. If you can laugh in a given situation, it is implicit that you can find the joy or happiness in that moment. It also suggests that you are unburdened with negative emotions. Because happiness is a generally pleasurable state of affairs, it’s logical that laughing, the projection of an image in which happiness abounds, would have some sort of social clout. Because of that, laughing has yet another positive connotation. It conveys a sense of ease with the world around us. As a result of the positive associations we have with laughter, we are sometimes expected to laugh.