The physiological effects of the mechanical and mental processes
involved in laughing are not generally understood and appreciated. The
"laugh cure" is a reality, for it is a remedy of very great value. Many
a man, placed in a trying situation, would have been saved from
tragical consequences if he could have found some means of arousing the
emotions expressed in a good hearty laugh.
Naturally there may be times in life when a laugh is utterly impossible,
or may seem so. Nevertheless the inclination to stimulate the emotions
associated with laughter and good humor should be encouraged at every
opportunity. There is no question that laughter has valuable
vitalizing qualities. It undoubtedly adds to one's stamina. It gives one
a hopeful spirit. It leads one to look upon the bright side of life.
When you can laugh, the sun is shining regardless of how many clouds
obscure the sky. No matter what other efforts you may be making to
build strength and vitality, do not allow the serious aide of life to
occupy you continuously.
Each day should have its laughing time, or its many laughing times. It
is barely possible, of course, that laughing, like any other
emotional expression, would become tiresome if overdone, but I am
inclined to doubt the possibility of harmful effect under any
circumstances. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," and the
relaxation and recuperation that go with laughing should be sought
with a certain amount of regularity. If you cannot find recreation
of this kind through any other source, then attend a "funny show." Go to
a theatre where merriment is supreme. On such occasions at least I
would avoid tragedies or dramas that are inclined too much toward the
sorrowful side of life. Personally, I have never had much use for plays
of this sort. There are slough serious experiences in life without
searching for recreation in the sorrows of others, which are, after
all, only the expression of the imagination of some brooding dramatist.
Some abnormal characters find pleasure in misery. I have heard some
women say that "they enjoyed a good cry so much," and that "crying
dramas were just grand." But I have been unable to discover anything
rational in such sentiments.
I may say, however, that in a sense there is a certain basis for this
sentiment under certain circumstances. For crying, like laughter, has
the physiological effect of producing a relaxation of tense nerves.
There is a fundamental basis for crying, but this applies only to
exceptional instances in which there is too much nervous tension. When
nerves are strained to the "breaking point," crying will bring about
a state of relaxation, and one will feel better. If there are times of
strain when laughter is utterly impossible, then crying might even be
beneficial. The effect on the breathing is very much the same in both
cases, and there is a curious similarity in the action of the
diaphragm and the mechanical character of the expulsion of the breath.
Looking tat a person from behind, one cannot tell whether he is laughing
or crying. Both produce relaxation of the nerves, both increase the
activity of the lungs, and both involve a form of gymnastics for the
diaphragm and entire breathing apparatus.
But, while crying offers relief from extreme tension or grief, it does
not justify crying for the so-called pleasure derived from it.
Laughter is a pleasure, in itself, as well as a symptom of merriment. It
is the expression of keen, bounding joy. It is an emotive
manifestation that stirs one's whole nature and vitalizes every part of
the body. There is a sound, physiological basis for amusements that make
us laugh. Taking the world over, incalculable sums of money are spent
for amusements that make us laugh, and it is money well spent. It is a
sound and healthy instinct that leads the tired business man or the
tired laborer to seek for mirth-provoking recreations. Professional
"funny men" like John Bunny and Charles Chaplin undoubtedly add to
the health of the human race, and they add to the vitality of those
in whom they stimulate laughter. I feel sorry for anyone who has lost
the power to laugh freely and heartily. When a man has brooded so much
over the sorrows and miseries of life that he can no longer laugh,
his condition is indeed serious.
"Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep and you weep alone," is one
of the truest things that Ella Wheeler Wilcox ever said. For a laugh
that is spontaneous and heartfelt is truly contagious, and in your
little world, the circle of your friends, laughing brings a rich
reward in increasing your own happiness as well as theirs.
The bodily expression and mechanical efforts that go with happiness will
often induce the feelings and emotions associated therewith. To prove
the accuracy of this statement, some morning when you are feeling
especially gloomy and unpleasant, look into your mirror and go
through the process of trying to make yourself smile. Screw up your
features in such a manner as to force the required contractions of the
facial muscles. If you continue your efforts long enough you will
surely be rewarded by a real smile, and with the sense of good cheer
that a smile will bring. You will make the surprising discovery at it
is no longer an effort, for you will smile spontaneously.
To go even further try the laugh cure in the following manner. First of
all assume a laughing position, in order to laugh properly and to secure
the best results. Stand with feet far apart, and with the knees slightly
bent. Now bring the palms of both hands down and "slap" them vigorously
on the legs just above the knees, and then swing your bent arms
overhead, making a noise as nearly as possible like laughing. Yes, you
are quite right, it will sound very much like a cold stage laugh at
first, and you will have to force it, but as you go on with the
experiment it will gradually become more natural. Continue this long
enough and I defy anyone to differentiate the emotions aroused from
those associated with a real, spontaneous laugh.
In fact, if you have company while you are going through this process, I
will guarantee that they will soon be "guffawing" loudly and violently.
This experiment is an excellent one to thy on a company that is
especially dull and in need of something unusual to awaken the spirit
of good cheer.