Is laughter cultural?

[Vulgarian Visigoth]

Do people laugh differently according to geography, culture or social class or is laughter so instinctive that our trademark laugh is hardwired in our brains?

I can't avoid thinking of someone with a Woody Woodpecker laugh as a simpleton, but does our personality has anything to do with the way we laugh?

Have you noticed how people with annoying laughs laugh all the fucking time?

[MsD]

Is laughter cultural?

It's a very complex form of communication with a lot of powerplay involved.

There are differences (in how we use humour) between my siblings, although we share the same class, geographical etc. background and genes. Differences of gender and family position feed into it.

[Incandenza]

Is laughter cultural?

Roderick Spodes black shorts wrote: Have you noticed how people with annoying laughs laugh all the fucking time?

Exhibit 1: Pete Holmes

[johnr]

Is laughter cultural?

Roderick Spodes black shorts wrote: Do people laugh differently according to geography, culture or social class or is laughter so instinctive that our trademark laugh is hardwired in our brains?

I can't avoid thinking of someone with a Woody Woodpecker laugh as a simpleton, but does our personality has anything to do with the way we laugh?

Have you noticed how people with annoying laughs laugh all the fucking time?

I read this, then went to the pub up the road. And you're right, they do. We had to leave.

[treibeis]

Is laughter cultural?

The British laugh all the fucking time. Have a fight on a Saturday night and then laugh their fucking heads off. The wankers.

[MsD]

Is laughter cultural?

And the blokes are even worse.

[beak]

Is laughter cultural?

having a laugh is mint. being a miserable bastard nearly all the time, i value a good laugh as the cheapest and easiest way to make myself feel better. fantastic stuff. haha.

[danielmak]

Is laughter cultural?

I don't have anything productive to add about class and culture, but there is a great Radio Lab show about laughter. If you don't have the time or patience to do the full hour, skip ahead to 41 minutes and listen to the last story, which is about a laughter epidemic in Tanzania. It's a really interesting story. (And if you listen on the website, you don't need to scroll ahead because each story has it's own option to hear that story.)

I don't know how well Radio Lab is known outside the US but it has been one of the more popular shows on public radio by re-framing how people can talk about scientific issues/subjects.