Why do we laugh?
Just like sleeping is still a mystery in some ways, laughing is also a topic that gives scientists some serious headaches. It might be considered a social instrument, but it is not only humans, or primates, for that matter, that use laughter as a tool.
According to scientists, rats have also been found to laugh when tickled while dolphins make certain sounds when playing, that resemble laughter.
One theory as to why people laugh is that laugher encourages pro-social behavior and is a clear indication someone enjoys a certain activity, such as in the case of play-fighting. But while this interpretation seems to remain valid for animal species, when it comes to people, laughter has been given different uses, some not necessarily pro-social. For this reason, and many others, scientists can’t answer this apparently simple question: why do people laugh?
