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Essay on Health benefits of humor and laughter
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Essay on Health benefits of humor and laughter
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Marlo Thomas, an American actress, once said, “You know, there’s endorphins in laughter, as there are endorphins in running in the park.” There are many health benefits of laughter some may be short term while others are long. There are some that help relieve stress and some that can improve a person’s immune system, blood-sugar levels, relaxation, and sleep. Is laughter really the best medicine? Laughing doesn’t just make you feel lighter; it actually changes your body physically, as well. Some of the short-term benefits of laughter are that: it “stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain”; it “activates and relieves your stress response”, and it “soothes tension” (“Stress Management”). The fact of so many Americans having problems with either their lungs or heart should jump out. If laughter could even remotely help, why are more doctors not employing this technique? The long-term benefits of laughter is that it “improves your immune system”, “relieves pain”, “increases personal satisfaction”, and “improves your mood” (“Stress Management”). If laughter is a “natural painkiller” (“Stress Management”) then why are so many people all over the world in pain? Why are people sick with incurable diseases? Not everyone that laughs are satisfied with their life, and not …show more content…
He was dying, and he knew it. He started every visit with a joke, cartoon, or funny story. “Scientists are investigating and proving what Randall knew intuitively: laughter decreases levels of stress, activates the immune system, relaxes muscles, increases pain thresholds, and exercises the heart and respiratory system” (Facente). Randall was a dying man. Dying men believe anything they can, but Randall believed whole-heartedly in “laughter being the best medicine”. Was it just a dying man’s last hope or is that actual facts to back up his
As the story continues and McMurphy’s influence over the patients strengthens, the reader sees other occasions where the laughter is healing. With McMurphy’s big, boisterous laugh dominating the ward, the patients begin to laugh themselves. Their laughs sound awkward at first- forced, simulated- but nevertheless they are laughing and whether the patients, or Bromden realize it, this phony laugh does begin to heal them.
When a society replaces medicine for laughter, people are going to have problems just as the patients did in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. McMurphy, along with today's society, believes that laughter truly is the best medicine, and one cannot live a normal, sane life without it.
“The practical disengagement of humor…helps explain the opposition between amusement and negative emotions.” (530) There are three effects of humor; irresponsibility, blocking compassion, and promoting prejudice. Humor can take away what we are/should be doing in life and sometimes there isn’t anything wrong with that. Sometimes when we hear a hateful thing we just laugh it off as if it was no big deal when it really was. “An
In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, humor is present in a very powerful form. Normally, insane people don’t have the capacity to laugh or find the humor in something as we "normal" people do. They live tragic existences, wandering day by day in the bland, depressing world of an asylum. They have forgotten how to live because they are under the authoritative rule of the head nurse, and under the behavioral influence of drug doses and bossy orderlies. The patients have no real existence of their own, and they are essentially lifeless. As the Lord works in mysterious ways, Randall MacMurphy is "sent" to heal the patients of the asylum. He shows them that to laugh is good, and laughing at yourself can sometimes be the best medicine. He is the comic healer who gives life to the otherwise hopeless patients of the asylum. MacMurphy seems to have an affinity for laughter. In essence, it is an escape for him- it makes him feel good, and most importantly, it radiates to his friends, and helps heal them.
Many people normally call the moment of satisfaction and joy happiness, but they cannot properly define what happiness is and how to pursue it. Happiness is not measureable. Happiness can be shared with others, but cannot trade. Once people are in a stage of being happy, they enjoy their work, achievements and even feel better than others; however, how are they sure that they experience happiness? Is crying an emotional expression of enjoying happiness? In the article “Ignorance of Bliss,” Steve Salerno, a freelance writer, discusses about the value of happiness and explains to people about the feeling of being happy. He interprets his arguments and provides examples to enhance his ethos, but his ideas are not sufficient enough to persuade
Laughter is an interesting topic. Mainly because of the lack of thought that goes with it as to why we laugh. In an article titled Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic by Henri Bergson, the theory behind why things are funny is explored. He mentions many different things in his article pertaining to the comic, however, there are a few that stand out more than others. He talks directly about the fact that things are only funny if they relate to humans. Then he touches on the idea that accidents are funnier than planned events. Finally, he speaks on laughter being directly related to social setting. The 1992 film Noises Off is a perfect demonstration of everything that Bergson writes about. Henri Bergson’s essay on laughter is perfectly supported by the film Noises Off.
In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, McMurphy often uses the power of laughter to overcome what is going on in the world around him. Laughter lightens the feeling in the book, and at times gives it a warmer feeling. It also helps develop, and shape the characters throughout the entire story.
Laughter is a therapeutic form. In the novel One flew over the cuckoo’s nest by Ken Kesey laughter represents freedom and an escape from nurse Ratched’s restrictions.
Let’s take a look at how we interact and form relationships. Happy people like being around other happy people. It’s safe to say it is natural to surround ourselves with the kind of people we want to be. Conversly, it is natural for us to retreat and isolate when our health is failing physically or emotionally. One’s social skills are telling of how healthy they are all around. Ideally a person has a nice balance of social time and personal time. We have a good idea who we are and are comfortable being ourselves in all situations. Get involved in your community and give back. Paying it forward is the best medicine next to laughter. Practice the golden rule and treat others as you want to be treated. Respect goes a long way. Know what you are okay with and set boundaries with people so you can develop healthy relationships. These relationships are built on trust, communication, and solving problems together. Maintain these relationships and keep your social support network close and you will live a happy life. Be sure to surround yourself with people who bring you up and encourage you to grow and be a better
Some clues for the physiological basis of laughter have come from people who suffered brain injuries, strokes or neurological diseases. C.B., a landscaper in Iowa, is one of them. Three years ago, at the age of 48, C.B. suffered a stroke. Fortunately, he recovered quite well and was expected to return to his normal life. However, since the stroke, C.B. and those around him, have been perplexed by certain changes in his behavior. Though he seems healthy, and doesn't suffer any pain, occasionally, for no noticeable reason, he bursts out into uncontrollable, wild laughter. In other cases, out of the blue, he is swept into tears in a similar attack.
It was expected that such a relationship would be weaker for those scoring high on coping humor. Results of the study supported the proposed hypothesis. According to the authors, coping humor had a buffering effect as it was an emotion-based coping strategy. The use of coping humor, when dealing with a stressful situation, lessened the impact of stressors on affective outcomes, hence, coping humor results in experiencing lesser negative emotions and more positive
Feeling down and depressed? Laugh all those troubles away. Laughter is a simple yet substantial way of putting that little spring back in the step. When people say “Laughter is the best medicine,” what are they referring to? Laughing acts as calorie burner, prevents heart disease or other illnesses, can increase learning abilities and focus, or even bring a more optimistic outlook on life.
The pioneering work of Dr. Barbara Fredrickson illustrated that when stressed people watched a film that left them feeling amused and content, that led to quicker recovery of heart function. She also noted that stressed subjects who smiled while watching a sad movie had a more rapid heart rate recovery. Her thesis is that positive emotions undo the effects of stress and, therefore, protect a person’s health.
Humor is the tendency to look at things from the mirthful or incongruous side. It is the quality that makes something laughable or amusing. Humor is the ability to perceive, enjoy, or express what is amusing or comical. It is the source of laughter and the catalyst of smiles. Humor is the spark that lights our eyes as well as the cause of tears that never grows old. Humor is a state of mind.
If there is one way to bring a smile to someone’s face, it is laughter. Funny jokes, comical stunts, sarcasm- Every person is different when it comes to what makes them laugh. Some find dry humor comical. Others think sarcasm or joke-filled ranting are the best. ‘Comedy’ is such a broad term, broad enough to allow everyone to find something they find comical. In fact, ‘comedy’ includes a specific type of drama, one where the protagonist is joyful and happy endings are expected. Comedy is like a drug; it allows you to escape reality. When we say the word ‘comedy’ in the present, we are generally referring to a type of performance which provides humor. However, in its broadest sense, comedy has only one purpose: comedy makes people smile and