While people tend to chuckle at the things we findfunny, laughter is much more intricate than that. We giggle to form social connections, mask emotions when we feel nervous, relieve tension, appear polite, and so on. Even the things we find funny can sometimes be very specific and strange, which the ‘StrangeAndFunny’ subreddit is the perfect proof of.We atBored Pandacompiled a whole list of comedic andweirdposts from this community to show just how odd people’s humor can get. To find them, all you have to do is scroll down!While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out a conversation withCat Googe, laughter yogi and empowerment coach, and Sara Kay, laughter and happiness coach and founder ofSerious Laughter, as well as Kara Sherman, laughter yoga ambassador and founder ofLaughter Yoga Together, who kindly agreed to tell us more about laughter.This post may includeaffiliate links.
While people tend to chuckle at the things we findfunny, laughter is much more intricate than that. We giggle to form social connections, mask emotions when we feel nervous, relieve tension, appear polite, and so on. Even the things we find funny can sometimes be very specific and strange, which the ‘StrangeAndFunny’ subreddit is the perfect proof of.
We atBored Pandacompiled a whole list of comedic andweirdposts from this community to show just how odd people’s humor can get. To find them, all you have to do is scroll down!
While you’re at it, don’t forget to check out a conversation withCat Googe, laughter yogi and empowerment coach, and Sara Kay, laughter and happiness coach and founder ofSerious Laughter, as well as Kara Sherman, laughter yoga ambassador and founder ofLaughter Yoga Together, who kindly agreed to tell us more about laughter.
This post may includeaffiliate links.
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The reasons why welaughor our specific sense of humor aren’t the only things that are fascinating or a bit strange about laughter—a nonverbal emotional expression that almost every person is capable of.The sound we make while giggling is also quite an interesting phenomenon. Something we might not have realized is that there are many types of laughter, as we all laugh differently, from the snicker to the heehaw.
The reasons why welaughor our specific sense of humor aren’t the only things that are fascinating or a bit strange about laughter—a nonverbal emotional expression that almost every person is capable of.
The sound we make while giggling is also quite an interesting phenomenon. Something we might not have realized is that there are many types of laughter, as we all laugh differently, from the snicker to the heehaw.
The sound itself is made with the help of our limbic system (structures in our brain), larynx, lungs, and respiratory muscles. They work together to produce the noise we know as laughter.It’s quite a primitive way of making a sound since there’s no real movement of the tongue, jaw, or lips. All the action is happening in the ribcage—each wheeze, squeeze, gasp, or snort is simply muscles in the chest squeezing high-pressure air from our ribcage.
The sound itself is made with the help of our limbic system (structures in our brain), larynx, lungs, and respiratory muscles. They work together to produce the noise we know as laughter.
It’s quite a primitive way of making a sound since there’s no real movement of the tongue, jaw, or lips. All the action is happening in the ribcage—each wheeze, squeeze, gasp, or snort is simply muscles in the chest squeezing high-pressure air from our ribcage.
Not only is there a variation in laughs in different people, but one person can also have quite a few types of chuckles. Our happy giggles differ from our nervous ones and the sound becomes different when we are alone vs. when we’re with other people.“There are many varieties of laughter,” confirms Kara Sherman, laughter yoga ambassador and founder ofLaughter Yoga Together. “Obviously, it can be a physiological response that expresses joy. But it can also result from feeling embarrassed or confused. And of course, people often laugh at the expense of others. Laughter is such a nuanced reaction with so many meanings. And we all laugh for different reasons,” she explained.
Not only is there a variation in laughs in different people, but one person can also have quite a few types of chuckles. Our happy giggles differ from our nervous ones and the sound becomes different when we are alone vs. when we’re with other people.
“There are many varieties of laughter,” confirms Kara Sherman, laughter yoga ambassador and founder ofLaughter Yoga Together. “Obviously, it can be a physiological response that expresses joy. But it can also result from feeling embarrassed or confused. And of course, people often laugh at the expense of others. Laughter is such a nuanced reaction with so many meanings. And we all laugh for different reasons,” she explained.
“I think we can often be guilty of holding back our laughter because we’ve been conditioned to laugh for a certain amount of time that feels appropriate or in response to a specific situation,” saysCat Googe, laughter yogi and empowerment coach.
“But once they’ve moved past these self-imposed limitations and are in flow with the session, the inhibitions fade, the self-judgment is left behind, and natural, unfiltered laughter starts to flow.”
“Here’s what genuine laughter looks like to the outsider—a relaxed face with crinkling around the eyes, a wide mouth with upturned sides, and sounds of laughter as hearty positive emotion flowing out! Eye contact is a significant component of genuine laughter, and the sparkling look in the eyes is very common (did you know that eyes naturally moisten when we laugh?),” tells Sara Kay, laughter and happiness coach and founder ofSerious Laughter.
“That’s what makes Laughter Yoga such an incredible exercise,” adds Sherman. “With Laughter Yoga, we laugh intentionally and unconditionally. This activates the benefits and stress-relieving power of laughter without the emotional weight that can sometimes come with it. After a Laughter Yoga session, you feel uplifted, energized, and filled with joy.”
There are a few other theories that try to describe why we find things funny. However, ultimately, humor is subjective and there’s no one way to explain why we can laugh at bizarre jokes or strange photos we see online for hours on end. What we were able to find out is that laughter is very beneficial to our health.
So take in all of these strange photos on the list and don’t think too much about why theweirdimages are so amusing!
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Greta Jaruševičiūtė
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