Laughter is one of humanity’s most peculiar and fascinating behaviors.

Studies reveal that people laugh approximately seven times every 10 minutes of conversation, yet we rarely laugh at what we might expect—jokes or humor.

Instead, laughter is deeply rooted in social interactions and serves as a way to forge and maintain connections with others!

The Social Nature of Laughter

Contrary to popular belief, laughter is not primarily triggered by humor. Instead, it occurs most frequently during social interactions. It acts as a social glue, helping people build and maintain relationships. This is why we are far more likely to laugh in groups than alone, even if something is equally funny.

Interestingly, laughter is universal. People from vastly different cultures can recognize laughter as laughter, even when produced by someone entirely unfamiliar. For example, research conducted with the Himba people of Namibia found that while other positive sounds, such as cheering, varied between cultures, laughter was universally understood.

A Primitive Expression

Laughter is fundamentally different from speech. MRI scans show that while speaking involves the coordinated movement of the tongue, jaw, soft palate, and lips, laughter relies solely on the ribcage. The sound of laughter comes from air being squeezed out of the lungs at high pressure, producing wheezes, snorts, and gasps—sounds far removed from the structured complexity of speech.

This simplicity ties laughter to an older part of the brain, one responsible for vocalizations in all mammals. Unlike speech, laughter is not controlled by the brain regions associated with language. This explains why someone who has lost the ability to speak due can still laugh or cry. These non-verbal emotional expressions are governed by a more primitive neural system.

Laughter Across Species

Humans are not the only animals that laugh. Other primates, such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, exhibit laughter-like sounds during playful activities like tickling. Remarkably, even rats have been observed to laugh when tickled, suggesting that laughter has deep evolutionary roots across the mammalian kingdom.

The common link between laughter in humans and animals is play. For mammals, laughter often signals that an interaction is lighthearted and non-threatening. This connection to play might explain why laughter evolved—it’s a way of indicating that a situation is fun and safe, reinforcing social bonds without conflict.

Laughter and Culture

While laughter itself is universal, the way people express other positive emotions varies widely across cultures. For instance, triumph may be expressed with cheers in the UK, while the Himba people use a song-like “ay-ay-ay” sound. This cultural diversity highlights the unique universality of laughter as a basic human expression.

The Roots of Laughter in Comedy

One theory suggests that comedy mimics the playful nature of laughter’s origins. In comedic situations, communication becomes playful, creating a safe space where humor thrives, and laughter becomes a shared experience.

A Lifelong Connection to Play

Laughter’s roots in play explain why it remains a significant part of life, even into adulthood. Mammals like otters, dogs, and humans continue to play throughout their lives, using laughter as a signal of joy and connection.

Whether through tickling, comedy, or social interaction, laughter is a testament to the fundamental importance of play and social bonds in the animal kingdom—including us.

In the end, laughter is more than just a response to humor—it’s a deeply social and primal expression that connects us to one another and our evolutionary past.

The science of laughter

Video by Business Insider