i Laugh
Therefore i Am
CONTRIBUTE
by blaine greteman
TO THE
COMMON GOOD
VOLUNTEER TO HELP YOUR
FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS,
L
aughter predates the development follow utterly banal comments, like,
of language. Almost all mammals “See you later” or “I think I’m done.” As
AND ESPECIALLY ACTIVE DUTY
do it, and it’s one of the first things Provine and others observe, “The essen-
MILITARY FAMILIES AND
babies learn. tial ingredient for laughter is not a joke,
VETERANS WHO LIVE AND
“One of the unique characteristics but another person,” making laughter
of mammals is that we play,” advises primarily a social lubricant.
WORK IN THE TRIANGLE.
Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor Laughter is 30 times more likely to
at the University of California, Berkeley, occur in group situations than on solitary THE W ELLNESS FOR W ARRIORS
and author of Born to Be Good: The occasions, and Provine’s research re- TRIANGLE M EETUP GROUP
Science of a Meaningful Life. Nearly all veals tantalizing insights into the way it
IS A CITIZEN/CIVIC DRIVEN
social mammals tickle one another, and structures our daily interactions: Speak-
ORGANIZATION OF BUSINESSES,
emit pleased, laugh-like pants, chirps or ers laugh more than listeners; women
EDUCATORS, WELLNESS
grunts when tumbling about in playful laugh more than men; laughter punctu-
PROFESSIONALS, CIVILIANS
situations. He explains that, “As you get ates our phrases, but doesn’t interrupt
AND MILITARY FAMILIES
more complicated in the mammalian them; and laughter is contagious.
WORKING TOGETHER TO
structure, you have a greater vocabulary During an episode of laughter,
of play, including laughter.” we can signal appreciation and under-
“SERVE THOSE WHO SERVE .”
When apes play, they roughhouse, standing of others. Perhaps more impor-
W E CO-SPONSOR AND HOST
tickle and laugh. Chimpanzees pant tantly, says Provine, we share a mental
WELLNESS EVENTS , WORKSHOPS
with delight in response to pratfalls. and acoustic space.
AND FUNDRAISERS.
Robert Provine, a neuroscientist at the “Laughter puts us into side-by-side
University of Maryland, in Baltimore, existence in this playful realm,” says GO ONLINE AND GOOGLE
who is studying laughter for insights Keltner. “It signals a shared understand-
“W ELLNESS FOR W ARRIORS
into the biology of social behavior, ing of the world, so it’s foundational
TRIANGLE M EETUP”
maintains that laughter is a kind of to interdependence and intimacy and
AND CLICK ON
evolutionary link between all mam- like-mindedness.” In short, laughter is
“GRATEFUL AMERICANS ”
mals. He remarks, “If you tickle a rat, it the glue that holds people together, a
TO BECOME A MEMBER AND
laughs; we just can’t hear it.” (Listen in bridge between our self and others.
SEE OUR CALENDAR OF EVENTS.
at
OdeMagazine.com/laughingrats.) On “Our relationships,” concludes
the other hand, no matter how much Keltner, “are only as good as our histo-
JOIN TODAY AND HELP US MAKE A
you tickle a lizard, it won’t guffaw, ries of laughter together.”
DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
chuckle or purr.
Among Provine’s more startling Blaine Greteman is a freelance writer
PROCEEDS FROM W ORKSHOP EVENTS
findings is the fact that only 10 to 15 and professor of English at the Univer-
BENEFIT THE USO- NC
percent of laughter follows a humor- sity of Iowa. Connect at
ous statement or situation. Most laughs
Blaine-Greteman@UIowa.edu.
natural awakenings February 2010 51
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