A person’s laughing doesn’t always mean that he’s actually having fun. People can laugh for a variety of reasons. At times, laughter can be a defensive reaction to stress or a courtesy.
Laughing at a joke
Hearing a funny joke, people start laughing. The reason may be ridiculing someone else's stupidity, an ambiguous situation, an unusual coincidence, or a successful play on words.
An individual can be amused by someone's story, a situation taking place before his eyes, a scene in a film, an act in a play, or a chapter in a book.
Each person has his own concept of what can be considered funny and what is not. Someone has a very subtle sense of humor, while others give dirty jokes. One individual bursts into loud laughter even at the bearded anecdote, while the other is very difficult to make laugh.
Therefore, there are several genres of humor. People can laugh at tragicomedy, and at a joke below the belt, and at a pantomime, and at a funny song. Comedy actors strive to find their own style, and some of them successfully find their own audience.
Self-irony
Sometimes a person laughs not at other people, but at himself. Some are amused by their silly mistakes, slips of the tongue, naivety, or unluckiness. The ability to laugh at oneself is a property of a strong, self-sufficient, mature personality.
In addition, laughing at oneself indicates a high level of intelligence of the individual. But when constant self-irony goes beyond all limits, it becomes clear that this person has some problems with self-esteem and excessive self-criticism.
Laugh out of courtesy
Sometimes a person laughs when he is not at all funny. A polite smile or a fake giggle is the price of a bad storyteller who tries to please the audience. The people around him do not want to offend him and therefore pretend that they were amused to listen to an old anecdote or a flat joke.
Another situation is when a person wants to please someone and seeks to win someone's favor at any cost. Then he, too, is sometimes ready to laugh at unfunny jokes and praise last year's jokes.
Hysterical laughter
Sometimes the uncontrollable laughter of a person for no apparent reason indicates that not everything is in order with his nervous system.
Loud, attention-grabbing laughter in this case becomes both a distress signal and a person's defensive reaction.
In a stressful situation, an individual may begin to giggle at something that is not clear. This is also an indicator of loose nerves. A person who finds himself in such a situation should at least have a good rest.
Unhealthy laugh
Laughter for no reason can occur in a person under the influence of some drugs. Passion for alcoholic beverages, narcotic and toxic substances injure the nervous system, distort the perception of reality and have an effect on all human senses.
Therefore, a drunk or intoxicated individual can find many reasons for stupid laughter in a completely ridiculous situation and is unable to control his own emotions.
