Laugh And Live

LAUGH AND LIVE
Shall we talk about laughter today? It is one of the greatest gifts the Creator endowed humanity with. All other living organisms might be seen often exhibiting a good number of emotions equally possessed and exhibited by man but for laughter. The rat and chimp are the only animals recognized to share this dear gift with man.

For centuries now, a lot of studies and research have been conducted into discovering and appreciating this dear gift of laughter. Of such was one made by psychologist Jack Panksepp in the 1990s, who discovered the ability of rats to laugh. The rat is seen laughing when tickled. As such, those rats that laugh the most are those that are playing in groups often. This studies was a build up to propounding theories explaining what makes us laugh as humans. Your answer to that might be ‘joke’ I know. But hey, don’t forget those answers you were confident about often made you naughty. Cast your mind to basic school and you’ll recall that. Don’t laugh much!

Robert Provine, a psychologist from the University of Maryland discovered that we actually laugh most when talking to our friends. It is enthralling to know that within these conversations we are still not laughing at jokes but at statements and comments that might not be funny even. Laughter then, is a communication and not a reaction. We laugh with and to people who we love and are dear to us, it doesn’t even have to be a joke. Remember, when you laughed at everything your crush will say? Those were days of love and admiration.

Laughter sustains relationships. It brings health and wealth. Ultimately, laughter ministers life. How? Check my next post: SAVED BY LAUGHTER.

By Isaac Eli Asamoah