Others' Laughter Is My Best Medicine

If I couldn't make people laugh, I would stop laughing altogether.When I was younger, I learned how to tell "Why'd the _____ cross the road" jokes. They didn't make sense to me. Many still don't make sense to me. But at the ripe age of 6 years old, I told those jokes anyway. 

Why?

I Love to Make People Laugh

There was a man named Rob at our church who absolutely loved jokes. Every week, I'd have a new joke prepared for him. He'd seek me out and ask me what this week's joke was, and I was always ready with a new one.Thing is, I rarely understood the jokes myself. But it didn't matter. It was all worth it if I could repeat them to someone who would appreciate it.Today, I've evolved my sense of humor. I tend to favor relevant puns and witty remarks over knock-knock jokes and narratives. I am always finding ways to insert this wit into daily conversations rather than telling jokes outright. To this day, I still like to make people laugh. 

But Why?

There's a reason I continue to make puns and attempt to spur on giggles from family, friends, etc. What's my reason?To start, I should mention that I love to laugh, myself. I enjoy movies best when good storylines incorporate humor. I enjoy spending time with friends because the camaraderie that results from the various personalities makes me laugh.I'm not the only person who likes to laugh. In fact, I know few people who hate laughing.The Tonight Show and AFV have been on TV for a long time and it is because they do one simple thing: Make people laugh. I've found that laughter is one of the simplest yet best ways to give to others. After all, I enjoy it. Why not pass that feeling along? 

Laughing is Learning

Fun fact, there are benefits to laughing aside from the giggles. What are they? Let's get into the science.Sometimes we laugh at normal sentences like, "How was your day?". This is because laughter can be a normal part of communication. But I won't be focusing on that. I'm about to tell you what goes on in the brain when we laugh at humor.Laughing at jokes often comes as a result of learning a new way to associate things. For example, when I tell you my brand new pun."My pony's throat hurts. Guess it's a little horse (hoarse)."Your brain is made up of neurons and synapses. Every time something new happens, a neuron in your brain fires off, linking to another neuron by crossing a synapse. Every time this happens, it gets easier and easier for those neurons to connect because they've been exercised, and can cross the synapse better.Throughout the course of your life, your brain has been trained that when someone says "horse", the neuron for that word connects to the neuron for what a horse looks like, which connects to all other things you associate with horses.

Puns break the rules

When I use my words in a way that isn't normal, it forces your neurons to go in a direction they weren't intending to. This sudden new way to connect excites your brain because it is learning and strengthening new synapses. This releases dopamine in the brain, makes us feel good, and normally results in a laugh.

"Unexpected associations and surprise generate a laughter reflex in our brains, which in turn produces a cognitive reward by stimulating the release of substances like dopamine." Encyclopedia Britannica Blog

So just remember, every time you tell someone a joke, you're helping their brain grow. 

But What About Professionalism?

One could argue that there is a time and a place for humor. That it shouldn't be present in work environments or in more serious situations.While making a pun with grieving people at a funeral would be a grave error (sorry, not sorry), I think there's more room for humor than we allow.I was recently on the phone with a client, talking about his project. Multiple times in the call, I attempted to show energy and excitement for the project, but Mr. No-Sense-Of-Humor sounded bored. It was as if he was ready to be done with the call.Without energy, professional work quickly becomes dull. The fast food industry is portrayed as the most boring job on the planet. Not so with the right energy. I worked at Chick-Fil-A for a full year, and the only parts I didn't enjoy were working with the quiet, almost sullen team members.I've written about Sam, the greatest team leader before, but I'll do it again. Sam was always ready to make jokes, be friendly, and share a smile. He was either the most outgoing extrovert I've ever met or a person with a deep concerted effort to insert energy into the workplace. It was always a great day at Chick-Fil-A when Sam was working, and it was because he smiled and laughed with us every time he clocked in. 

Why is it so important?

In the long run, why does this even matter? Is making people laugh a grand goal or a waste of time?Doing your best to encourage positive attitudes will help you and those around you. Human beings are meant for community, to work together and help each other.I've found myself in a depressed state for what seemed like no reason many times. Each time was during the summer when I was doing nothing but binge watching Netflix and being lazy.We are meant to work, to serve, and to invest in others. Taking the initiative to crack a pun, or even just a smile goes a long way. I recently read that even when people forget how you acted and what you did, the one thing they won't forget is how you made them feel.Make others feel great. Make people laugh.