Laughter is a powerful method to bring people closer together. One of the things I learned in my time in the Marines was that when we laughed together, we were able to give our best to each other. The bonds that we had lasts to this day.
Even the training we went through had less of affect from any pain when we laughed as a unit. In fact, the pain went into nothingness. This was found in a 2011 study by Dunbar, et. al. In their study one’s pain threshold rose when social laughter was engaged.
We know that a main hormone released during laughter are endorphins. This natural pain reliever also may lead to more social bonding.
A 2017 study by Kurtz and Algoe shows that shared laughter “promotes global relationship well-being.” Even when negative emotions are in place, laughter is a catalyst to help each person move towards a positive state of mind and lessen the impact of the negatives.
This was true during both my time in the Marines and as a LAPD Police Officer some 40 years ago. Laughter trumped any alcoholic beverage or drug to help me cope. Yes, I did have those natural endorphins flowing through my body that were even more effective than opiates.
Laughter can help people to open up more where they otherwise might not have. In a 2015 study (Gray, et. al), it showed that interpersonal relationships are enhanced when all laugh together. Even when one person is closed initially, laughter helped to open up that person. Might this be a key to better dates?
Further in the Gray study, people were also willing to discuss personal information more often after all engaged in laughter. I wonder if laughter also increased trust between individuals. It would seem so.
Whenever you’re with a group of people and if there is tension, break it by helping others to laugh. Find a point where can introduce something, such as a joke, to start the laughing rolling. This also works in the professional environment too. Just laugh more and the world will laugh with you.
References:
Dunbar, R.I.M., et. al. (2011) Social laughter is correlated with an elevated pain threshold. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Biological Sciences. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1373
Gray, A.W., Parkinson, B. & Dunbar, R.I. Hum Nat (2015) 26: 28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-015-9225-8
Kurtz, L.E. & Algoe, S.B. J Nonverbal Behav (2017) 41: 45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-016-0245-9
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