A Short Note On Laughter
A wise man once said, "Laughter is the best medicine..." or was it money? Oh well.
Hey you,
Last night, I saw a tweet that got me thinking — a very simple tweet: “I love laughing.” The first thing that occurred to me when I saw it (outside of how relatable it was) is what a bizarre human reaction laughter actually is. Think about it. Laughter is actually quite weird and this includes everything from the sound that escapes your mouth to the way your face changes during an extreme fit of laughter.
I love laughing and the idea of laughter, so I try do it a lot. In fact, I do everything I can to find things that are likely to make me laugh (I spent a sheer amount of time today googling “hilarious Instagram accounts”) — which is interesting because laughter is involuntary. We laugh based on how our brain processes stuff. I rewatch Friends just to laugh at jokes I've heard a billion times. For me, it’s so freeing, so life giving and a way to deliberately lose control, in a world where I have close to zero control.
I didn't realise how much I laughed until I started spending more time with my partner. We're constantly laughing — laughing about silly things on the internet, about the mistakes we make, the fights we have, etc. I’m actually a fun(ny) person once you get to know me properly (if these letter haven’t convinced you about it yet.) I’m certainly the funny one in the relationship.
There's evidence that laughter is completely healthy: it decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Perhaps for some of these reasons, a lot of people, including Nigerians, make light of very serious issues by joking about them — for the laughter that accompanies said jokes. PSA: There are certain jokes that will never be funny. An example? Rape jokes are inappropriate and will never be tolerated in this house. Okay?
Or this one about Lagos Traffic:
In Lagos, you’ll be in traffic for 3 hours, only to reach front and see what’s causing traffic is garden egg.
— @iamsupervillian
Or this one about being kidnapped:
Kidnappers hand me phone to speak to parents.
Mum: Hello.
Me: Mummy?
Mum: Why didn't you wash your plates before you left this morning?— @ikillcuriousity
Or that time Jollz almost collected some people’s school fees:
My friends and I could quite easily have acquired sugar daddies while in Lagos but we did not want to spend your school fees
— (@Jollz)
There's so much we can benefit from letting go and making time for laughter right now. Be deliberate about the content you consume by reducing (or unsubscribing to) broody or panic inducing movies, shows, articles, etc. and making time for laughter as much as you can every day. If anything, the effects of laughing will make you calm and help you forget everything that's triggering you or wrong with your life in that moment.
Related to this short note to you is this guide on how to laugh at yourself. Why can't you tickle yourself? Question that kept me up as a 6-year-old answered here.
Pro-tip: As a bonus, you should try to make someone laugh regularly. While we most definitely do not owe people a duty to be joyful, times like these show us how much we need each other. It's as simple as sharing that hilarious meme or skit you would've kept to yourself.
PSA: Don't forget the happy thought. All you need is happy thoughts.