Finding Laughter: You Can Find Your Laughter But You Can’t Choose to be a Comedian (Day 17)

I’ve watched two instructional videos, Laughology and Why We Laugh: Funny Women.

Below is a summary of what I learned.

LAUGHOLOGY – Filmmaker Albert Nerenberg went on a world-wide quest to find his laughter.

Did you know that you can lose your laugh? Evidently 80-90% of the American adult population has done so. However, we all start laughing between 2-4 months. And you don’t have to be taught. All babies laugh, including blind, deaf, or sensory-challenged babies. Even though this is a universal characteristic, laughter is still a mystery.

Laughter is part of the universal, human vocabulary.

The laughter doctor – Madan Katana – stopped practicing as an MD because  he felt that laughter was more healing that traditional medicine. He says that stress in our modern life leads us to lose our laughter and this lack negatively impacts us physically, emotionally, and mentally.

A common myth in the late-mid 1500’s was that “Regular laughter irreparably damages your teeth,” (George Catlin).

Laughter is a social act, therefore it is hard to laugh by yourself. If you are good at laughing all by yourself, beware. It is associated with schizophrenia.

There is more than one way to laugh, probably 1000 ways.

How can you get yourself to laugh on a regular basis?

• Just laugh – fake or otherwise
• Make eye contact.
• Point at one another.
• Lay on the floor together.
• Get back-to-back.
• Give yourself permission to laugh

NOTE: Watch the whole movie to find out about holy laughter, laughter yoga, laughter epidemics, the man with a most contagious laugh, and about the people who laugh the most. It is a free watch on Amazon Prime.

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Why We Laugh: Funny Women – 5 comedians discuss comedy

Comedy is a lifestyle. It is making sharp observations about society. The essence of good comedy is truth-telling. Be yourself and tell them your truth.

Comedy comes from a place of tragedy. It is a coping mechanism [for those with a comic bent]. In fact the beaten down and the stomped upon make the best comics. Comedy is the most palatable way to get an intense point across.

Most of the comedians agreed that comedy is not something that can be taught. It is something you are born with. And you perfect it through practice.

Your Turn . . .  What was the most interesting thing you learned from this post? . . . Do you have anything to add?

Related Posts . . . 

• Finding Laughter: Instructional Videos
• Funny Halloween Movies 
• Funny Christmas Movies (day 24)

I am joining 100’s of others at #write31days to write every day in October 2015 on a single topic. My topic is 31 Days of Finding Laughter. I will spend time each day studying laughter to see if I can improve my laughter quotient.

Go here for the landing page which has all the posts in one spot.

Read, learn, and discover with me what this world of laughter is all about and is it all that it’s cracked up to be. And be sure to leave a comment. Talking together will make for a richer, interactive experience for all of us.