Friday – Funny Forever (please)
We all know how amazing it feels when we laugh out loud with others. I was listening to a podcast about humour. Apparently, at about age 23, we stop laughing. No, not stop completely, of course, that would be devastating! But still. I’m questioning this. What do you think?
Do you laugh as much (as loudly) and as often as when you were a little kid or teenager and young adult? I certainly remember laughing loudly and often when I was together with my friends in highschool and during the years afterwards.
Psychologists in the US who have been studying humour found that around the age of 23, which happens to be when lots of people start working professionally, people in general don’t laugh as often.
And apparently, people who make us laugh and have a good sense of humour, tend to be more trustworthy. When we laugh – like a real belly laugh – our body produces endorphins, the “feel good” chemicals. And when our body is producing endorphins, we are more likely to be relaxed and to learn better (and remember things better). That’s also why a good sense of humour is important at work, during studies or among colleagues.
We’re not all natural comedians though. Telling a good joke and the timing of it is not easy. Our youngest son, Lukas, is good at one liners. He just pops them out. Little funny comments that totally crack me up. And when they were little, all three of our boys were funny in their own ways. They loved making each other laugh. Most little kids are funny, right?
I guess some people just keep on being good at telling good jokes or telling funny stories even past age 23. My dad was like that. The wonderful thing was that he had stories that he would tell when he was a grandfather, that we had never heard before. Even some my mom had never heard. Was he making them up? I don’t think so. Where did all these fun stories come from? From his life experiences.
How am I going to get so many good stories? I think I need to get out in the world again and meet new people and collect new experiences. Real experiences, as opposed to online ones, stay with you much longer. Those are my favorite and the ones we can retell because we remember them well. Agree?
Be well sweet people, and may you have some good belly laughs this weekend!
