Laughter Trivia All humans laugh, and laughter always involves a similar pattern of whooping noises. The sound of laughter is so common and familiar that it can be recognized if played backward on tape. Deaf people who have never heard a sound still make laughing noises [1]. The laughing noises produced by humans share many of the acoustic properties of speech, which is further evidence that laughter is hijacking the brain and body apparatus that we use for breathing and talking. Adults between the ages of 18 and 34 report laughing the most. In terms of quantity, there is no marked [...]

There are 5 ways to experience joy (in no particular order): Singing: Here are classic happy songs. Do you have your own go-to list of what motivates you? Have you ever explored karaoke songs online? Dancing: Things you can do at home. Playing & playfulness: I'm developing this topic later on in this lesson. Laughter: This is the primary focus on this lesson. Everything else: What brings you joy? Make a list and work on it. Laughing in public transportation. Avoid making eye contact with anybody around you to make it easier if you feel embarrassed, and find a socially acceptable way to do it [...]

Genuine vs. Fake Smiling Although it can be faked, it is believed that the Duchenne smile (named after the French researcher Guillaume Duchenne) is the only form of what one could call the "genuine” smile. It is achieved when you curl your upper lip inward and smile with your mouth as much as with your eyes. The "Pan American Smile,” on the other hand is the smile expressed to show politeness, for example by a flight attendant on the former airline with the same name. It only involves the muscles of the mouth and not the eyes. Try the following facial [...]

Spontaneous Laughter Spontaneous laughter is triggered by different favorable stimuli that can be external (e.g., humor, human interactions) or internal (e.g., positive emotions, pleasant thoughts). This is how most people see and understand laughter: If something happens then, I will laugh (or not). Although often associated, laughter and humor, however, are distinct events. You can experience humor (a stimulus) without laughter and laughter (a choice, an emotion, or a response) without humor. Humor requires high brain functions (right frontal cortex, medial ventral prefrontal cortex, the right and left posterior temporal regions, and possibly the cerebellum), which is why it varies considerably [...]

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