The Power of Laughter
I met up with friends for brunch and laughed so hard at what I heard. I won’t go into the details of the topic, but it was pretty amusing coming from an older woman with a great sense of humor.
Afterward, I invited a good friend to a reading of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. The narrator, Alex Donn, was exceptional. I was really engaged in the scenes until the second half, when all I could think about was a text her husband had sent earlier. “That’s for people who were not read to as children,” he said of the event.
Once we sat down after the intermission, I looked at my friend, and she looked at me, and we couldn’t help but laugh—quietly, of course. Thankfully, our fits of giggles did not disturb others.
Then, we joined other friends who were dining at a nearby restaurant. The conversation was so interesting that one of the husbands had tears rolling down his face. Because we had eaten a lot of dessert at the reading, we ordered some vegetable soup and a cup of rice. Then, I got the cheapest bill I had ever seen—a whopping $4.87. When I showed it to others, we all laughed, and my friend took a picture of it.
When I got home, someone whom I had not spoken to in a while called me with a political and moral rant. I let her talk and tried to redirect our conversation at times but failed. I was in a good frame of mind from all the giggles, and I wasn’t going to let that change.
That’s the power of laughter.
Although the world is filled with hate, pain, and suffering, I have to remind myself of this truth: Friends make life’s journey pretty enjoyable, and so does laughter. The following are some interesting facts on laughter.
Did you know…
· Laughing for 15 seconds adds 2 days to your life span.
Fifteen minutes of laughter equals the benefit of 2 hours of sleep.
One good belly laugh burns off 3 ½ calories.
· Laughter happens more often socially than as a result of humor.
People are 30 times more likely to engage in laughter if they are with other people than alone.
The one who has just spoken is the person laughing the most in conversation.
· Laughter is contagious.
People stay together longer in relationships when there’s laughter.
Strangers are considered more attractive if they laugh at our jokes.
· 13% of the population can have a phobia of laughter.
According to one study, people with a dark sense of humor tend to be more intelligent and emotionally adjusted than people who are easily offended.
Immunity can be improved through laughter.
Laughter improved the memory of adults in their 60s and 70s, according to research from Loma Linda University.
Nashville is a funny place. The longest stand-up comedy show, featuring various comedians, lasted 208 hours and 16 minutes.
About 10% of laughter came from a joke.
· Gelotology is the study of laughter.
People who laughed much lived longer than those who didn’t.
· A person laughs an estimated 15 to 20 times a day.
· Your genes might be the reason for your sense of humor.
· Rats laugh when they are playing.
How hilarious is this!
“I’m placing all my hope in scratch-off lottery tickets. THOSE are the keys to the luxurious future I deserve.” - Samantha Irby
Thanks for reading.
Elvira