Painful..But True!

As a comic I can't help but question laughter.

I know how to make people laugh, sometimes, but I have found the funniest things in life aren't really very funny.

The TV Show about "real" people running into walls and hitting themselves in the groin with golf clubs was the #1 rated show in Canada for 4 YEARS!

It's painful but here is what I think laughter is about.

The heart of laughter is...your pain. Notice I said yours not mine! Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein...) has a quote on comedy that goes like this:

"Tragedy is when I slip on a banana peel and fall, comedy is when you fall down an elevator shaft to your death." Funny stuff.

And he is of course right. The human response to anthers pain is often laughter. Not (I believe) because we rejoice in others misfortunes, but because we are trying to help the person deal with the pain.

The only evidence I have for this belief is research...which is so scientific. I read it once don't make me read it again! Research shows:

Laughter is contagious. Laughter is linked to the release of endorphins. Endorphins reduce pain. Laughter creates an empathy with each other. We survive because others care about us (and we care about others)

If you put these together you can't help but make the connection. When you laugh at another persons problems (note the difference between laughing at a problem compared to laughing at a person) you help them with physical pain relief and emotional support.

Try this for yourself. The next time someone you love is in pain, count the number of times you laugh. Ok so maybe that's not the best example...especially if you're married.

By Derek Wilken