Laughter is a reaction to something that makes you happy or funny.
Laughter is a gesture , accompanied by a sound , that a person makes when reacting to a funny stimulus or one that produces happiness . Laughter generally includes movements of the mouth and various regions of the face.
For example: "This comedian always makes me laugh, that's why every time I can I go to see him in the theater" , "The mother's laughter when listening to the child's unusual proposal was heard throughout the neighborhood" , "They don't seem serious to me" the proposals of the opposition deputies: what's more, they make me laugh because they are so absurd .
The intensity of laughter
Laughter can have different intensities. When it is a slight grimace of the face, without sound, it is called a smile . The smile can be a gesture of courtesy or a sign of affirmation. Although both terms have very different definitions, it is not uncommon to find them in the wrong context, since many people use them interchangeably.
Instead, the concept of laughter usually refers to a spontaneous and involuntary reaction . A person can laugh when watching a funny movie or hearing a joke , to name two possibilities. If the laughter is very intense and includes loud sounds, it is usually defined as laughter .
It is common for laughter to be considered a form of innate communication that human beings begin to develop at four months of age. Laughter, in this sense, is part of people's basic language .
Laughter can have different intensities.
A mockery or a social commitment
Laughter can also be provoked voluntarily. A person may use a fake laugh to make himself look good to another person or as a joke . Needless to say, when someone perceives an attitude of this type, it is normal for them to appreciate it at all, especially when it is a custom or a response to a story that was legitimately intended to cause amusement .
It is not pleasant to feel that people around us laugh out of commitment at our funny comments, as this can mask their lack of desire to be with us; In theory, when someone's company is pleasant to us, our reactions are spontaneous and we do not feel pressure to show ourselves in a certain way .
Laughter in each individual and culture
On the other hand, it is interesting to mention that not all people feel the same need to laugh ; If we take a group large enough to allow for variety, the normal thing is that we can clearly distinguish between those individuals who really enjoy laughter and pursue it by all means, those who laugh only when they hear something very funny and who seem not to have learned to express themselves in this way, no matter what situation or story is presented in front of them.
Furthermore, laughter is largely linked to culture: in Japan , for example, the jokes that some television programs play on their victims as a hidden camera considerably transcend what can be taken as funny in certain Western countries, where they would be branded as assaults or violations of privacy .
A kind of therapy
Currently, causing laughter is also considered a mechanism called laughter therapy , a technique or strategy that seeks to benefit the person on a mental and emotional level.
It is important to note that laughter therapy should not be taken as a therapy in a strict sense, since it is not enough to cure diseases if it is not combined with other treatments . Generally, groups of several patients are put together, so that the contagion of laughter helps to intensify the effects of each session. After natural disasters, for example, UNICEF relies on laughter therapy to resuscitate children.