Why do you laugh in my general direction?

[jammieg]

Why do people laugh?
There are lots of kinds of comedy and not everyone laughs to the same joke
so does that mean that what makes people laugh may reveal particular differences among people?
Have you ever watched a comedy and tried not to laugh and take everything seriously? What happened?

 

[THANOS]

I can laugh at just about anything if i decide it's funny.

 

[Dissident Dan]

80% of comedy is smashing expectations. Different people have different expectations.

 

[jammieg]

That's a good point Dan, I agree that it's mostly expectation or anticipation and in some part the unexpected or the anticipation of the unexpected of various types, but why is it so medicinal...I somewhere read that it eleviates stress and has health benefits...the odd thing is when I try not to laugh and take all the jokes seriously and literally I start making other people laugh later on and I don't feel better after watching comedy shows, it seems strange to me like there is a vaste wealth of understanding just below the surface of humor that eludes me. I've also heard that the best commedians are deeply miserable behind the smile and it's in part the ability of making others laugh that gives them some happiness. It's also strange to me that some of the funniest things are the taking of a deadly serious topic and making light of it as if the act of showing it in a different light should cause the brain to create more opiate type chemicals, so would the taking of a not so deadly serious topic and showing it in a deadly serious light make the brain create less pleasure chemicals? What part of the brain deals with expecations? And if things are so given to perspective then what should happen to a person if they get caught up in taking things too seriously for a long time? Or in treating everything too lightly for a long time? Which is more important? Isn't the more important way the better way...
Some of the comedy today might be offensive to people but maybe that's because they don't want to see some issue lightly, like satanism or such, I think it's because it's not supposed to be a pleasurable thought, it's supposed to make one feel a sense of seriousness and motive to strive against evil, to laugh at such things would give pleasure but take away from that perception and motivation to fight against satan so that for someone to attempt to take away from a deep and built up sense and target for evil would be perceived as a threat but would feel good to relax a bit after all people might forget to let up a bit from the battles with the forces of evil to rest from time to time and enjoy life.

 

[tabloid]

well laughing isn't just good for your health but also makes life more enjoyable.at times i just have a funny feeling abt smthing and i laugh,or think about smthing and makes me laugh like hell thing is,at times an idea comes in,just like that funny feeling;if you laugh near me ill probably start asking you what your laughing at but mostly you can't express it in words so you just say "never mind"

 

[BoulderHead]

Why do you laugh in my general direction?

Laughing is not what I do in your general direction!

 

[0TheSwerve0]

I laughed at the title of this thread.