It is really good to be laughing and we often talk about laughing being contagious. Why is that? It has something to do with our ability to feel empathy for others and a little thing called mirror neurons. Right this article if you want to learn more about this topic.
Mirror neurons and laughing with others
In our brains, we each have a set of neurons which scientists have dobbed mirror neurons. These mirror neurons are the primary reason why we automatically want to laugh and smile, when we see other people smiling.
Have you ever found yourself laughing along at a comedy show, even though you do not actually find the joke that funny? That is most likely because everyone else is laughing and your mirror neurons were activated.
Maybe you felt these mirror neurons as well, when you have witnessed someone yawning and you suddenly get the immense urge to do the same? It is actually the same process that creates this urge to yawn, when you are seeing someone else do it. Maybe you are even getting the urge to do it right now?
These mirror neurons are key in terms of understanding our social nature and how humanity has developed. We are social creatures and we rely on each other to survive the brutality of life. Mirror neurons are a clever biological invention that immediately helps establish friendships and other positive relations.
Comedy is social gold
It is good to laugh with others, because when we laugh with others we automatically create a better relationship with these people. You have most likely felt it at various dinner parties or even on the playground, where you have made strangers and have had to communicate with them. It can feel awkward at first but the minute all of you laugh together, it is as if something breaks down between you all. A barrier you barely knew was there.
When we laugh with others, we automatically put down the barrier. We automatically start to relax and feel more comfortable. And deep friendships or romantic relations can spring from this ability to relax in each other’s company.
This is partly why comedians are seen as extra charismatic. Their unique ability to make people laugh and smile make them more likeable than the average human. Perhaps you should try to develop and build upon your own comedic skills? It will automatically make you seem more likeable.
