I disagree. While on the treadmill last night, I was hysterically laughing while watching Wipeout. Well, technically I wasn’t alone I suppose since there were 100s of people in the gym with me. As a group, they could have been laughing at me, but I don’t care because that show cracks me up.
I typically only laugh though when others have fallen through a trampoline, catapulted themselves on a large ball, that just made me laugh, gotten hit by a nutcracker’s enormous fist, or your name is tosh.o…so, I’m not the prime candidate for a “when a normal person laughs” study.
I was just thinking how refreshing it is to read a handwritten note. Sure, the handwriting is a bit more challenging to decipher, but the fact that he took the time to scratch down these notes makes me smile.
I agree in that I really like the hand written note. Can’t complain about the hand writing though for mine is WAY worse. My work eval even said I need some improvement in that area.
I laugh often in conversations not because I’m amused but because I’m trying to communicate I’m “with” the other person. It’s one of the things I do in an effort to let people know we’re connecting and I’m happy about it. I touch people on the arm in much the same way. And nod my head. And lean in.
Sometimes I laugh when I’m uncomfortable, nervous or even duplicitous. I am embarrassed to say I laugh when I disagree with someone but don’t want to say so. It’s pretty bad now I think about it. I’m trying to appear agreeable even when I disagree.
uh…you couldn’t have transcribed this for us…would have just taken a few minutes to type. Just kidding. But, really, his handwriting is kind of atrocious. Even so, I read it aloud (alone BTW) and it did make me laugh…out loud. Great post, even if you didn’t bother to type it.
I reasonate with the bonding part — I love it when a close friend makes a witty comment either in person, email or a text and it nearly slays me. Based on the report shared, I bet they laughed too when the wrote/sent it. To know and be known!
Very interesting. As one who has been starving most of my life of laughter, it brings light to it. Laughter also takes practice, even if your alone with nothing to laugh about. Then it comes more easily.
“Robert Provine of the University of Maryland has found that people are thirty percent more likely to laugh when they are with other people than when they are alone. When people are in bonding situations, laughter flows. Surprisingly, people who are speaking are 46 percent more likely to laugh during conversations than those who are listening. And they’re not exactly laughing at hilarious punchlines. Only 15 percent of the sentences that trigger laughter are funny in any way that is discernible. Instead, laughter seems to bubble up spontaneously amidst conversations when people feel themselves responding in parallel ways to the same emotionally positive circumstances.” – David Brooks, The Social Animal, page 42
I have loved your writing for several years, now. Refreshing, challenging and completely where I live. However, when you get going your penmanship gets complicated I did eventually figure it out, no worries. Incidentally, I find myself giggling at various situations, stories, and myself when I’m all by myself This is interesting stuff ^.
Seems like a timely message after yesterdays. All of us going through “stuff” could use a laugh!
On a side note: Looking forward to hearing you speak at Willow on Sunday. Haven’t been there in a while…bringing my kids and two other families with me.
I think this is the same shared emotion that CS Lewis was talking about when he said, Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought I was the only one.
It’s the glint in the eye, the sly smile, the laughter that binds us as friends.
I love this topic! I want to live to laugh. I put myself in situations where I can laugh. I like the part about, “When people are in bonding situations, laughter flows.”
As a matter of fact, if it came down to picking the guy who looks like Eduardo Verastegui or could make me laugh like Andy Garcia, I’d pick the funny guy. Any day!!!
A lot of times I laugh in conversation with someone because they think they’re being funny and it’s expected of me. I’m thinking, “This is not funny at all.” It’s not exactly a positive feeling, haha. (And I actually giggled as I wrote that and I am alone.) But maybe that’s the cynic or editor in me. I laugh when I’m alone a lot. I enjoy my own company?
I think it is joy that cannot be contained. Or shouldn’t be. Some wierd things give us joy, but that’s what is is. It’s like a sneeze of the soul. Don’t suppress it.
I taught high school for many years. I also make party games and I ran the high school game club. I have watched and analyzed a lot of people laughing and having fun together. (Wow, that sounds dull!)
I concluded that many times laughter is simply our way of saying, “I’m in with that.” We laugh to show we “get it”. We refuse to laugh when we don’t want to be in with it.
This calls to mind some great stuff by C.S. Lewis. I think the essay is The Inner Circle. Also, it relates to those great chapters in Searching for God Knows What about the lifeboat.
I’d be worried if I saw someone sitting by themselves laughing. Right away I get a picture of Criminal Minds; you know, the serial killer sitting by himself laughing to himself as he sharpens his tools.
Some people tend to laugh during tense situations. For example: If you were to jump out and scare someone, they would likely be scared.. and then laugh (or chuckle a little) once they realize there is no real danger. It’s not funny to them, but they may still laugh.
I thought that laughing, like contagious yawning, can be caused by mirror neurons in the brain, which is why if someone you’re with starts laughing, you have to laugh too, even if you don’t know what is so funny.
I disagree. While on the treadmill last night, I was hysterically laughing while watching Wipeout. Well, technically I wasn’t alone I suppose since there were 100s of people in the gym with me. As a group, they could have been laughing at me, but I don’t care because that show cracks me up.
I typically only laugh though when others have fallen through a trampoline, catapulted themselves on a large ball,
that just made me laugh, gotten hit by a nutcracker’s enormous fist, or your name is tosh.o…so, I’m not the prime candidate for a “when a normal person laughs” study.
this was hilarious. =D
don, i really like your blog but i find this hard to read
thanks.
*julian
I was just thinking how refreshing it is to read a handwritten note. Sure, the handwriting is a bit more challenging to decipher, but the fact that he took the time to scratch down these notes makes me smile.
I agree in that I really like the hand written note. Can’t complain about the hand writing though for mine is WAY worse. My work eval even said I need some improvement in that area.
I laugh often in conversations not because I’m amused but because I’m trying to communicate I’m “with” the other person. It’s one of the things I do in an effort to let people know we’re connecting and I’m happy about it. I touch people on the arm in much the same way. And nod my head. And lean in.
Sometimes I laugh when I’m uncomfortable, nervous or even duplicitous. I am embarrassed to say I laugh when I disagree with someone but don’t want to say so. It’s pretty bad now I think about it. I’m trying to appear agreeable even when I disagree.
That is really interesting. I know I have been in situations with people and we have no idea why we are laughing. “Well now ya know…”
I have to say I love the hand written posts! The last two have been amazingly profound thank you.
uh…you couldn’t have transcribed this for us…would have just taken a few minutes to type. Just kidding. But, really, his handwriting is kind of atrocious. Even so, I read it aloud (alone BTW) and it did make me laugh…out loud. Great post, even if you didn’t bother to type it.
I can’t read your writing!
Hope you’re well, regardless, Donald. You’re an inspiration. Keep doing what you do.
Love it! I feel that too when we get together with friends and family
I reasonate with the bonding part — I love it when a close friend makes a witty comment either in person, email or a text and it nearly slays me. Based on the report shared, I bet they laughed too when the wrote/sent it. To know and be known!
Very interesting. As one who has been starving most of my life of laughter, it brings light to it. Laughter also takes practice, even if your alone with nothing to laugh about. Then it comes more easily.
For the visually impaired:
“Robert Provine of the University of Maryland has found that people are thirty percent more likely to laugh when they are with other people than when they are alone. When people are in bonding situations, laughter flows. Surprisingly, people who are speaking are 46 percent more likely to laugh during conversations than those who are listening. And they’re not exactly laughing at hilarious punchlines. Only 15 percent of the sentences that trigger laughter are funny in any way that is discernible. Instead, laughter seems to bubble up spontaneously amidst conversations when people feel themselves responding in parallel ways to the same emotionally positive circumstances.” – David Brooks, The Social Animal, page 42
thank you, Johnny, that made me laugh!
LOVE IT
I have loved your writing for several years, now. Refreshing, challenging and completely where I live. However, when you get going your penmanship gets complicated
I did eventually figure it out, no worries. Incidentally, I find myself giggling at various situations, stories, and myself when I’m all by myself 
This is interesting stuff ^.
Seems like a timely message after yesterdays. All of us going through “stuff” could use a laugh!
On a side note: Looking forward to hearing you speak at Willow on Sunday. Haven’t been there in a while…bringing my kids and two other families with me.
I think this is the same shared emotion that CS Lewis was talking about when he said, Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought I was the only one.
It’s the glint in the eye, the sly smile, the laughter that binds us as friends.
I love this topic! I want to live to laugh. I put myself in situations where I can laugh. I like the part about, “When people are in bonding situations, laughter flows.”
As a matter of fact, if it came down to picking the guy who looks like Eduardo Verastegui or could make me laugh like Andy Garcia, I’d pick the funny guy. Any day!!!
Seeing as how I was just reading something that made me laugh out loud over and over again, while alone, I don’t know if I think this is true.
A lot of times I laugh in conversation with someone because they think they’re being funny and it’s expected of me. I’m thinking, “This is not funny at all.” It’s not exactly a positive feeling, haha. (And I actually giggled as I wrote that and I am alone.) But maybe that’s the cynic or editor in me. I laugh when I’m alone a lot. I enjoy my own company?
I think it is joy that cannot be contained. Or shouldn’t be. Some wierd things give us joy, but that’s what is is. It’s like a sneeze of the soul. Don’t suppress it.
I am laughing as I am reading this becasue I have my glasses on..nose to the computer and I still am having propbems!!
I don’t care what anyone says about your penmanship, I love it.
sometimes i’m lolbm lol by myself
I taught high school for many years. I also make party games and I ran the high school game club. I have watched and analyzed a lot of people laughing and having fun together. (Wow, that sounds dull!)
I concluded that many times laughter is simply our way of saying, “I’m in with that.” We laugh to show we “get it”. We refuse to laugh when we don’t want to be in with it.
This calls to mind some great stuff by C.S. Lewis. I think the essay is The Inner Circle. Also, it relates to those great chapters in Searching for God Knows What about the lifeboat.
I laugh out loud when I’m by myself. I love to laugh. Joy is a fruit of the spirit and laughter is just inner joy spilling out.
Your penmanship, however, is not a laughing matter.
My roommate laughs at tv by herself and it’s eerie. I like the handwritten.
I’d be worried if I saw someone sitting by themselves laughing. Right away I get a picture of Criminal Minds; you know, the serial killer sitting by himself laughing to himself as he sharpens his tools.
Some people tend to laugh during tense situations. For example: If you were to jump out and scare someone, they would likely be scared.. and then laugh (or chuckle a little) once they realize there is no real danger. It’s not funny to them, but they may still laugh.
I too love your penmanship…”en molde” as they say in spanish.
I thought that laughing, like contagious yawning, can be caused by mirror neurons in the brain, which is why if someone you’re with starts laughing, you have to laugh too, even if you don’t know what is so funny.
PS
Fun.
I’ve been enjoying the handwritten posts as well.