The Science Behind Humor
"To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain and play with it." - Charlie Chaplin
Scientists have found that fetuses smile. We can smile even before we are born, before we relish our very first breath of fresh air.
It’s an undefined mystery what exactly makes something humorous. It has to do with contradiction, with an unexpected and nonsensical twist to things: idiocy, mockery, and incongruity are key.
Immanuel Kant’s (one of the most prominent philosophers of all time) Incongruity Resolution Theory on humor is a good one. Here’s what it says:
For something to be funny, it needs to defy our expectations of what is going to be said or happen.
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There are so many benefits to humour, laughter, and smiling. Here are six essential benefits to get you smiling all weekend and well, forever:
Emotional Benefits:
🤪 Mood booster: Smiling triggers the release of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins—natural feel-good chemicals that reduce stress and increase happiness.
😄 Reduces stress: Even a forced smile can lower your heart rate and help your body handle stress more efficiently. Fake it till you make it, never gets old!
😝 Increases resilience: Smiling can make you more optimistic and improve your ability to recover from negative emotions or setbacks.
Physical Health Benefits
👀 Strengthens the immune system: Positive emotions from smiling can increase immune function by producing white blood cells.
🤪 Lowers blood pressure: Smiling helps relax your body, which can lower blood pressure and improve heart health.
🥳 Relieves pain: The endorphins released when you smile act as natural painkillers.
Even when you don’t feel like it, smiling can “trick” your brain into feeling better. It’s a feedback loop sort of effect. Just the facial expression triggers parts of the brain that make you feel better.
