I’m a big fan of laughter. It’s a universal human trait. I use it in my personal life and in my coaching. But I’m curious: Why do we laugh? It seems to be something uniquely human.
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That’s what I thought until I learned that 65 different species of animals have their own sort of laughter. It turns out that laughter helps us to understand what’s happening when we play. It’s a sign that we aren’t intending to do the other harm. Animals laugh by chuckling, panting, clicking, whistling, and whining.
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Cats don’t appear to laugh. Purring is not considered a form of laughing, just a form of happiness. Rats on the other hand giggle when tickled, but only in the ultrasonic squeaking range. I promise you I will never, ever get close enough to tickle a rat.
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Dogs laugh. They use a rhythmic panting sound. Most laughing animals are mammals, but there are birds who fit the laughing criteria, whatever that is. It’s still unknown whether animals develop a sense of humor. I see a PhD thesis on this coming up for someone.
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Laughter is all about connecting and bonding. It’s a call to play. We people are more complex in that we also laugh when we’re nervous, disgusted, fearful, and embarrassed. Sometimes we laugh when we tell others about the oh-so-not-funny horrors we’ve worked through in life. No wonder it’s so hard to figure out what people are feeling.
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Some types of play behavior look like fighting. So, animals laugh during play to keep interactions from escalating and becoming aggressive or harmful. That’s what researchers reported in the journal Bioacoustics. I’m not so sure this idea 100% applies to humans. There are disturbing and scary people who laugh when they’re escalating the aggression.
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Sometimes we laugh at another’s misfortune like slipping on a banana peel. We humans are so complex! Here’s something that didn’t surprise me. Playful laughter was totally absent in studies of fish, amphibians, and reptiles. There’s some question whether play exists at all in those groups. It’s the being cold-blooded I bet.
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So next time you dissolve into laughter you might think about why. Are you bonding, connecting, or just experiencing a mysterious very human trait we share with a part of the animal world?
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Maybe I’ll look into why we humans find things funny. Stay tuned! PS: Laughter is powerful, especially when you’re trying something new. That’s why I use laughter in coaching. If you’re going to do something scary like change, you need to be able to laugh. Come visit me here Work with me to learn more or book a session. I’d love to have you as one of my subscribers! Learn more here Subscribe!
