The Science of Laughter

No one has a true-blue manual on attraction, especially one completely grounded in science. And the honest truth is there really shouldn’t be one.

However, there’s some evidence that has found that laughter may open up a whole new world of attraction.

And we’re not talking about someone who is just plain “funny.” Yes, comedians know how to conjure up a guffaw or two with ease. But the basic science of laughter is way more basic than that of a joke.

In fact, a study published in Psychology Today revealed almost the complete opposite: laughter is not a response, but a form of communication.

Comedians Actually Laugh Nearly 50% More Than Their Audiences During Stand-Up

This is a remarkable finding. The study found that a comedian’s laughter was more to encourage the correct response from the audience. It wasn’t about the joke or the wisecrack. It was about the way it was presented and the fact that the speaker found it just as funny. Hence this important fact:

Laughter is contagious.

However, the next result was even more surprising:

80-90% of Laughter in the Study Did Not Result From Actual Jokes

Of over 1,000 comments made in a conversation between a speaker and an audience, most of the comments that elicited a giggle were pretty plain statements such as, “Where have you been?” or “It was nice meeting you, too!”

Even some of the most humorous comments you’d expect to hear in stand-up or a conversation at a bar, like “You don’t have to drink, just buy us drinks!” or “Was that before or after I took my clothes off??” hardly measured the weight of the ordinary comments in a conversation. In other words, it’s not the joke that’s funny. It’s the person that’s funny.

This Was Confirmed Even More By the Metric That Laughter Occurred 30 Times More Frequently in Actual Social Situations

This means we’re less likely to laugh while alone. We might even say that it’s darn near impossible. It would take watching something extremely infectious to activate that emotion, that synapse responsible for affective expression.

This simply means that laughter truly is a social function designed to communicate a number of things to bring about the ultimate life/love hack many might already know:

When People Break Into Laughter, Look Around: Those Who Instinctively Look at YOU Actually WANT to Be Close to You

Perhaps even intimate—either emotionally, physically, or both. They’re drawn to you.

Laughter allows us to open up ourselves in a way we normally wouldn’t in other situations. It’s the key to attraction. When people laugh, it’s a sign of communication, it’s infectious, and it permeates the air subconsciously.

That means no one can be made to laugh. Or commanded to laugh. Go ahead and try it! Ask someone to just laugh. It wouldn’t happen. Although we’re willing to bet they’d actually laugh over the fact that they think they “can’t laugh on command,” which would open up a whole new discussion on the theory of laughter!

Laughter is spontaneous. It can’t be forced. A sign of playfulness—especially in group settings—along with an obvious positive tone is more than enough to induce laughter at potentially nothing at all.

When Connecting With People on an Emotional Level You Don’t Need to Try to Be Funny

The great thing is you can just be yourself. Be you. And don’t make people laugh. Just laugh. Laugh at life. Laugh with people…. Smile. A lot. But most of all: do that with everyone around you.

Remember, true laughter thrives in social settings, when you’re having fun and conversing. That energy infuses the air and surrounds everyone, and who knows, you might meet the eyes of someone attracted to you. And it doesn’t matter what you’re laughing at. All that matters is that you’re being exactly who you are.