Why Do We Laugh?

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Clarissa

June 21, 2012

Neurotypicals are, indeed, quite bizarre. They even interpret laughter as needed, first and foremost, to facilitate social interactions. Is there anything in their lives not aimed at being sociable? Anything they do just for fun, to enjoy themselves, to have a good time, without having any peer group to impress and another person to connect with at every single moment?

I laugh a lot. Dozens of little things make me howl with laughter every single day. But it could have never occurred to me to laugh in order to experience something called “in-groupness” (the ugly word is from the linked article, so don’t blame me) and to “fit in socially”, whatever that is supposed to mean.

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7 responses to “Why Do We Laugh?”

musteryou

June 21, 2012

My laughter is nearly always inappropriate, because I’m rerunning scenarios through my head and laughing about them. Sometimes I wake up laughing. I don’t use laughter in my speech with other people here. What is there to laugh about? I use humor, but it’s so dry you could crack your head on it. I use laughter with my job, because it seems to flow quite easily.

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Anonymous

June 21, 2012

From smiling to showing teeth (in animals, mainly) mimic’s main use is for communication. In animals too. You don’t need to laugh to tell yourself you’re happy, you already know it. I read once a research, which found that (neurotypical) people laugh more in groups than alone.

And for mechanism to work it doesn’t have to occur to you. On the contrary, a sign of natural mechanism is that it doesn’t occur. F.e. animals have sex without it occuring to them its’ most important use is reproduction (and pair bonding activity). People usually don’t think in a detached way either. 🙂

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  June 21, 2012
  
  I might be mistaken but I have a feeling this comment has a whiff of evo psycho to it. 🙂
  
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Angel Fractured

June 21, 2012

Well, I have observed that people tend not to laugh if no one else is. If they laugh and see that no one else is joining in, they abruptly stop because they don’t want to stand out as acting inappropriately.

But what about people who laugh uncontrollably, more than is socially appropriate? That wouldn’t fit.

Plus, I tend to laugh more by myself than when I’m around others. But there’s a possibility I’m not neurotypical.

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  June 21, 2012
  
  “But what about people who laugh uncontrollably, more than is socially appropriate? That wouldn’t fit.”
  
  – That’s me! 🙂
  
  “Plus, I tend to laugh more by myself than when I’m around others. But there’s a possibility I’m not neurotypical.”
  
  – Welcome to the club! 🙂
  
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the twisted spinster

June 21, 2012

I laugh by myself too. I guess I’m trying to socialize with my cat? It hasn’t worked so far: she just stares and me and then leaves the room.

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1. bloggerclarissa
  
  June 21, 2012
  
  I guess the cat is the real autistic. 🙂
  
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