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An average adult tends to laugh fifteen times per day approximately; in contrast, an average child laughs three hundred to five hundred a day (Sherman, 2014). Ignoring the significant benefits that laughter causes in our lives, we dismiss the times we laugh. Those benefits have been studied since 1979 when Norman Causin, a pioneer in this field, wrote ‘‘Anatomy of an Illness’’ a book where he narrates his experience about how he used humor (laughter) and a positive attitude to relieve his own pain from his medical condition. He expressed, ‘‘I was greatly elated by the discovery that there is a physiologic basis for the ancient theory that laughter is good medicine’’ (Causin, 1979, p. 44). Causin’s theories just were the starting point of intensive …show more content…
However, many successful leaders such as Barack Obama, president of the United States, and celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith point that by using laughter in their daily life they have reached their personal goal since it is considered a social skill through which we can be happy and spread happiness. While she was explaining what she thinks success is, Oprah Winfrey said, ‘‘Every day brings a chance to live free of regret and with as much joy, fun, and laughter as you can stand.’’(--) If you know how to laugh correctly, you can make people think you are trustworthy and you look more attractive as well. Competence and attractiveness are two aspects leads by laughter and humor as well as increasing togetherness and pleasing social contact which reduce conflictive relationships. This means that laughter will improve our social support.(--) it leads to widen our social circles which is a necessary skill to succeed. In this regard, laughter is not only a behavioral expression (see introduction) or a way to life, but also a social competence which contains interpersonal aspects. (--) No doubts that laugh is the key to
As the story continues and McMurphy’s influence over the patients strengthens, the reader sees other occasions where the laughter is healing. With McMurphy’s big, boisterous laugh dominating the ward, the patients begin to laugh themselves. Their laughs sound awkward at first- forced, simulated- but nevertheless they are laughing and whether the patients, or Bromden realize it, this phony laugh does begin to heal them.
This book is about so many things, it is hard to stay on one topic for any length of time. In order to focus on the laugh and laughing as a healing agent, I would like to look towards other influential writers and thinkers to tie together laughing and healing. First, let’s see what laughter is according to Meriam Webster: laughter- n. a cause of merriment. Using this simple definition, we can assume that laughter can come from any form of merriment or emotion like triumph, contempt, relief, and almost any other emotion there is. It is easy to picture in your head different underlying emotions in laughter; the sinister laughs of witches and ghosts, the insincere, fake laughs you hear after pointless, humorless attempts at jokes on the six o’clock news, to the silent laughs of mimes and clowns that fill the people around them with a happy feeling. These are all examples of what laughter is and how it is used. But why do we do it? What in nature created the laugh and made it so successful?
Various populations can benefit from the therapeutic use of humor, often it is used with either the exceptionally young or old populations, but the benefits of humor extend beyond age and gender limits. Commonly, it’s implemented in young populations with severe to mild physical or mental disabilities or with those experiencing serious and terminal illness (Saper, 1990). Humor is used as a method of coping with or coming to terms with life changing illnesses for both old an...
When one laughs, a public expression of feelings is being made. One’s guard is let down, and the act of laughing and the emotion that catalyzed it often appears to leave the immediate control of the laugher. Ironically, the more inappropriate the situation, the more full bodied and unstoppable one’s laughter can become. Both Minnie of “Dry September” and Nancy of “That Evening Sun” laugh at seemingly ill-timed occasions.
“Comic laughter comes out of our awareness of the act of living, an awareness that is distinctly human” (Longman 9). Comedy has been and will be a major part of our society in terms of entertainment, conversation and in many other aspects of our lives. It is something that is inevitable and allows us as humans to communicate. The journey that comedy has made throughout the years has not been an easy one, especially for women. You think about comedic characters in movies, plays and television today and immediately there are many women who come to mind.
Laughter is an essential human phenomenon. Smiling in response to pleasant physical conditions occurs in early development, usually in the first month of life. As a motor reflex, laughter is usually present by the time a child is 4 months old. By the age of eighteen months, a child smiles once every six minutes, and by four years of age, the rate increases to one smile every one and one-third minutes. The ratio of laughs to smiles increases from one laugh to every ten smiles as eighteen months to one every three smile at four years. The individual differences in the rate of both laughing and smiling become greater as the children grow older. (Stearns, 1972) The instinctual development of smiling and laughing occurs very early in life, suggesting a high level of importance.
Laughter can also, “increase the production of pain-killing endorphins, decreases the production of stress-related hormones, and enhances immunity”
3. Apte, Mahadev L. Humor and Laughter: An Anthropological Approach. Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP, 1985.
Never forget to laugh. "If you can laugh at it, you can survive it" (Cosby). Life is difficult for everyone. It is how people deal with these strives and struggle is what matters. Sometimes, the best way to get a break from the hardships of life is to simply laugh with friends and family. It’s a Balance process. Some people can be caught up in life’s problems and forget to laugh. Laughter is the mental medicine for life. Laughter supports the health of the body. Laughter can break up the quietness in a room. Laughter can change the room from black and white to a rainbow of colors. Laughter is a result of looking at something in a positive light. Is the glass half empty or half full? Whatever the circumstance, never underestimate the power of a good giggle. Never forget to laugh.
Depression is a serious mental illness that has many routes to treatment. Some of these include counseling, prescription medication, exercise, and proper sleeping and eating habits. Along with the use of any of those treatment methods, laughter can help lighten the mood of the person experiencing depression. Often, people who have been diagnosed with depression say that they experienced an unnaturally low mood and lost interest in things that used to bring joy and pleas...
Amber YANG-Eng 101-024-Paper #2-February 3, 2015 2 Smile just for a day How does laughter change the value of life? Many people today are having issues with their mental state. There are more depressed people than the happy people because they are struggling with their life. But there are many ways to prevent it. Research shows how laughter is the best medicine because it can brighten people’s mood, regulate health, and help one individual to gain hope for their future.
Those who use humor to its best advantage teach others by example. Instead of getting angry when something goes wrong, we should try to look for the humor in the situation. It eases tensions and keeps things in perspective. Humor can energize us when a task has become tedious. Humor can make even the worst of situations tolerable.
If there is one way to bring a smile to someone’s face, it is laughter. Funny jokes, comical stunts, sarcasm- Every person is different when it comes to what makes them laugh. Some find dry humor comical. Others think sarcasm or joke-filled ranting are the best. ‘Comedy’ is such a broad term, broad enough to allow everyone to find something they find comical. In fact, ‘comedy’ includes a specific type of drama, one where the protagonist is joyful and happy endings are expected. Comedy is like a drug; it allows you to escape reality. When we say the word ‘comedy’ in the present, we are generally referring to a type of performance which provides humor. However, in its broadest sense, comedy has only one purpose: comedy makes people smile and
Smiles are contagious, when someone smiles it creates a chain reaction and then others begin to smile or laugh and this makes people happy even for just a second. I continued to surround myself with kind and happy people that carried out caring actions and simply smiled.
To assess the benefits that laughter brings to the body, Berk did an experiment that allowed 14 volunteers to watch the 20-minute comedy. He at the same time checked the blood pressure and cholesterol levels before and after the movie in them. The results showed that: after the "advocacy laugh," blood pressure and cholesterol in those people have fallen. Later, he added a reverse experiment, when they see the sad movie, the result was completely unable to achieve on. This suggests that seemingly simple laughter helps you improve everyday health issues that you may not