Somebody tells a joke. Everybody chuckles. Suddenly, it gets contagious. Before you know it, everybody is laughing. Some people are laughing at the joke. Others are laughing at the people laughing at the joke. Still some more are laughing at the fact that everyone around is now laughing and enjoying themselves over something trivial and minor.

It’s a familiar scene for most everybody, and you can surely imagine being a part of it, as you have no doubt experienced this scene many times in your own life. But have you ever stepped aside and wondered what it is that really makes us laugh in the first place? There are a few things going on here, not the least of which is our sense of community and communal outcomes:

Laughing brings us together

First and foremost, we are a social and communal bunch. You must understand that we, as humans, are completely and totally social when it comes to our upbringing and interactions. We want to enjoy each other’s company, and we want to laugh. Our bodies and minds are almost looking for excuses just so we can laugh, and just so we can be with our friends and family in a way that will leave us happy and enjoyable for the rest of the day.

Let out your emotional response!

Laughing lets out your emotions, and letting out your emotions is a good thing. After all, there’s nothing worse than keeping everything inside and refusing to let out what you feel and how you act when it comes to getting the most out of your life and lifestyle. For that reason alone, laughing is a critical part of us letting out our emotions and being more open to each other. As we open up, too, we find we let our guard down and we become more in tune with what each other needs and wants, as we create and foster a better sense of community over time.

Happiness triggers hormones and endorphins

Scientifically speaking, when we get happy, we smile and laugh. When we smile and laugh, we trigger emotions in our body that create and promote the release of good hormones and endorphins. In other words, it feels good to laugh, and it feels good for us to get the most out of our life and lifestyle in this manner, from a scientific perspective. Laughing can quite literally improve and promote our good health, and releases good hormones and endorphins that we can use to vastly improve our quality of life over time, as well.

All in all, laughing matters. Sure, it causes us to have fun, and is often the result of us having too much fun, but it also matters for our body and for our overall health. We laugh because we are social creatures, and because, well, science tells us that’s a legitimate response! We laugh after being conditioned for centuries by both good and bad jokes. But most importantly, we laugh because we care about each other, and we like to see the good in the human race.

If you’re looking for some laughter yourself then our collection of funny pics is sure to make you chuckle. There are thousands to enjoy on our home page so why not take a gander?