The Edge of Normality: How to Stop Laughing for No Reason

Imagine that you find yourself in a situation that is not at all funny or even sad, and your lips themselves treacherously stretch into a smile or a completely inappropriate desire to laugh appears. Here they are shouting at you, and you can hardly restrain an uninvited laugh. Or you're told some hard news and you can barely stop yourself from bursting out laughing.

Of course, all this is not real laughter. A person in such circumstances is not at all happy, but the situation still turns out to be as awkward as possible and even offensive for the rest of its participants.

If this has happened in your life, then we hasten to share the good news: everything is fine with you. This is a fairly common reaction and is most often called What Causes Nervous Laughter? / Healthline with nervous laughter. Let's figure out why it occurs and how to deal with it.

What's wrong with laughing all the time?

If a person cries or laughs, this is an emotional reaction or psychological defense. It is sometimes difficult for the psyche to cope with difficult experiences, and laughter in this case is a protective and enclosing mechanism. But they laugh not only to protect themselves and overcome a terrible situation.

Among the reasons for laughter are tickling, the desire to get closer or to stand out with one’s own advantage, as well as a funny situation. Sometimes they laugh with hysterical or life-affirming laughter. Laughter often appears when someone else has failed.

It is difficult for people who are tormented by increased laughter. They laugh when they shouldn't, often making them feel awkward and damaging their relationships. Some people smile when they listen to criticism addressed to them, others laugh nervously when they receive sad news, while others get offended because of such incomprehensible laughter. Veselchakov are often misunderstood, considered irresponsible, narrow-minded and infantile people. And a tired and embittered person, mistaking a cheerful laugh for ridicule, may even rush into a fight.

It has been proven that dosed laughter heals mental trauma that cannot be changed. Laughing is recommended to relieve tension, while losing feelings of grief, fear, sadness, joy, sympathy and love. Laughter makes a person indifferent, empty and psychologically exhausted.

Why do you feel the urge to laugh at the wrong moment?

S. Milgram was one of the first to notice nervous laughter. Behavioral Study of Obedience / The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology attention psychologist Stanley Milgram. This was in the sixties. At Yale University, Milgram studied how far people can go if they blindly trust authorities. He suggested that some participants in the experiment give a shock to others (in fact, the scientist’s assistants). There was no discharge itself, but the dummy participants diligently portrayed how unpleasant it was for them. But the “tormentors” laughed at the same time. It sounds ominous, of course, but Milgram concluded that it was not out of malice, and people can laugh when they find themselves in extremely uncomfortable situations.

Later, neurologist and psychologist Vileyanur Ramachandran came up with VS Ramachandran. A brief tour of human consciousness: From impostor poodles to purple numbers the hypothesis that laughter was originally a kind of indicator that showed a person that everything is fine, there is nothing to be afraid of, you can relax. And, accordingly, nervous smiles and giggles in inappropriate conditions are something like a psychological defense: I laugh, therefore nothing bad happens. Also, according to Ramachandran, laughter helps to switch and distract from strong negative experiences.

Approximately the same conclusions were made by OR Aragón, MS Clark, RL Dyer, JA Bargh. Dimorphous Expressions of Positive Emotion: Displays of Both Care and Aggression in Response to Cute Stimuli / Psychological Science authors of a small study conducted in 2015 at the same Yale University. They studied illogical emotional reactions, such as the desire to forcefully pinch a baby or laugh in a stressful situation, and concluded that any strong emotion “overloads” us and we want to restore balance, to relieve tension.

Why do you want to laugh when it's inappropriate?

Sometimes among people you know, there are those who, during a story, laugh out of place for no reason, causing bewilderment. Some people do not want to look shy or overly tense by venting the problem through inappropriate laughter. Being around such a person creates an uncomfortable feeling of being ridiculed. In fact, the “fun guy” is afraid that he will be ridiculed, underestimated and not accepted. Starting to laugh, he seizes the initiative. By laughing at others, this type shows his own insecurity, trying to put the interlocutor on the same level as himself.

Other causes of inappropriate laughter and smiling:

• desire to repress, loss of faith;
• overcome fear;
• assessment of appearance given to an interlocutor, passer-by, colleague with an expression of sympathy;
• memories of pleasant moments from life.

When determining the reasons for an inappropriate smile, ko6e4karu advises listening to your own feelings and emotions at this moment. For example, this could be a test of shame and restraint, resentment or embarrassment, sadness or grief, fun or revenge. This is how the habit of hiding sincerity, compassion and ridiculing others developed. In other cases, laughter expresses deep sadness or melancholy. In general, it is impossible to learn to be more serious and control yourself, even if it is very funny.

Why should we laugh

It is clear that life without humor becomes gloomy and contributes to stress, and stress can cause almost any disease. But most of us don’t even realize that the phrase about the healing properties of laughter has very real scientific evidence. Recently, scientists are increasingly finding evidence that people whose lives lack healthy humor are more likely than cheerful people to suffer from chronic diseases.

Content:

• Why should we laugh
• What happens to the body when we laugh
• How does laughter affect a person?
• What is laughter therapy

Scientists believe that laughter, especially spontaneous laughter, can not only improve mood, but also prevent a variety of ailments. In addition, during laughter, the body produces substances that create an analgesic effect.

Sincere laughter restores a positive emotional state and also helps to establish a connection between people. Some researchers even believe that the main function of laughter is to bring people together.

Nervous laughter

It happens that the situation is completely unfunny or sad, but the person smiles or starts laughing. This laughter cannot be called real - the result is an awkward and joyless situation, sometimes even offensive to others. This kind of laughter is called nervous and is considered a common reaction.

People often laugh nervously when they are under extreme stress or when there is a build-up of emotional pain and tension - especially when crying is not an option.

Neurotic laughter is the one that appears during a story in places where there is no reason to laugh. The narrator laughs out of place, and his laughter does not sound in accordance with the narrative. The listening person thinks that the interlocutor is making fun of him, and then the situation becomes tense.

The basis of nervous laughter:

• fear of ridicule;
• relieving internal tension if a difficult or stressful situation awaits;
• replacement for tears during pain;
• a habit carried over from childhood.

Indeed, neurotic laughter is the consequences of raising a child in a family where it was forbidden to show weakness, be sad and cry. For violating the ban, the daughter, and more often the son, was punished. Therefore, an adult raised in this way also fulfills the orders of his parents, restraining strong feelings.

Causes of involuntary laughter

How to stop laughing for no reason? Psychoanalysis can open the door to the control center of our emotions.

Why, out of all the variety of sensory manifestations, does the psyche choose one in all situations? Maybe others were once banned?

Who needs such a roaring cow?

Don't be a gray mouse - go, make friends, have fun, be interesting!

Leave your tears to yourself, who needs to look at your sour face?

Someone at the age of five was not allowed to cry out the pain of the death of his beloved hamster. Instead, they laughed at children's sincere feelings of loss. And then they devalued their first school love: “Have you fallen in love, ha ha ha?”

And now he is already an adult, taught only to laugh in any situation. Showing sincerity and compassion is awkward.

At school it was a shame to be an excellent student - serious and purposeful. “Make a simpler face, professor of sour cabbage soup.” In order not to become a whipping boy, to blend in with the crowd, it is safer to laugh through anguish, grimace, and mock others.

“...After the training I became kinder. And she was kind, but all this was hidden under the mask of grins and ostentatious rudeness. Probably out of fear that kindness could be considered weakness. Such protection. Nobody protected me, and I began to protect myself. Like this. As best I could. It was overgrown with a crust as thick as a walnut shell and there it hid its fragile and soft nature.

Now there is no need for it, because in kindness, openness and compassion, on the contrary, one feels great strength, not weakness...”

Ksenia R., accountant, St. Petersburg Read the full text of the result

We go to the circus to laugh maliciously at the clumsy clown. He fell, hit himself, sobs - and the audience laughs. A generation of children grew up hearing “Well, just wait!” or "Tom and Jerry".

Today, viral videos of people getting into trouble - jumping unsuccessfully, hitting their head on a pool, etc. - have millions of views.

Constant stimulation of evil joy does not allow the development of good joy. People grow up passionately wanting to be happy, but their feelings are limited by superficial perceptions. There is no depth, no mind-blowing love. Life is bland.

Sometimes nervous laughter is a sign of extreme stress. Tension and mental pain have a certain threshold. In order not to die, the body tries to reduce the intensity of passions by impulsively laughing or crying.

Let's say shedding tears is unacceptable. Then the only way is to laugh.

“When communicating with my dad, I often joked, as if I was defending myself from his heavy sarcasm and mockery.”

Tickling is a favorite show of affection in many families. A universal tool to stop whims, tears, and distract attention. Reflexive empty laughter, like an imitation of happiness and fun.

Laughter is of animal origin. Chimpanzees laugh dully when tickled, and orangutans grunt in a peculiar way. Scientists were able to hear the ultrasonic giggles of rats. Light tickling is believed to help children develop. But sometimes it borders on sadism. Catch him, wrap him in a blanket, scratch his heels until exhaustion, until he laughs uncontrollably. The baby is on the verge of tears, and the father seems to be experiencing pleasure, voluptuously adjusting the intensity and duration.

After this, you begin to laugh in advance yourself, just so as not to be subjected to an unpleasant execution again.

How to prevent inappropriate laughter

It’s difficult for a person who is unable to hold back a giggle or smile during a serious event. Psychologists recommend that you first analyze inappropriate laughter. Remember the common cause of reactions, and what they are associated with: sad events, conflicts, or situations for which you are still ashamed.

Why a person often laughs for no reason, and what to do to distract himself:

• tune in, calming yourself down, take a walk to release tension, do breathing exercises and think through the course of the scenario;
• frequent communication to learn how to manage emotions and select appropriate reactions: conflict and sadness, in order to be less likely to be exposed to stress;
• seeking advice from a psychotherapist to exclude the influence of the disease;
• presentation of a frightening and terrible action as a bright and clear picture;
• think about everyday boring things;
• occupy your hands with something meaningless: twirling a strand of hair on your finger, straightening a scarf or tie, straightening your jacket;
• try to go out to breathe, drink water, and put your thoughts in order.

Having understood the reasons, it will not be difficult to understand how to permanently suppress laughter at the wrong moment, and think through preliminary preparations.

Laughter is wonderful if everyone is having fun, not just one person.

Why is laughter bad?

Laughter is not as harmless for relationships as it might seem at first glance.

What kind of reaction do desperate merrymakers sometimes face?

Resentment

Not everyone is ready to listen to jokes about themselves. Even grins or incomprehensible “hee-hee” can provoke a serious offense in the interlocutor. It may seem to him that they are laughing at him, they want to humiliate him, or demonstrate superiority.

Or a person finds himself in an awkward situation, he is ashamed, hurt - and instead of support he received a slap in the face with a malicious cackle.

“...I have always been a “pocket” jester and a clown in any company. My cruel jokes amused everyone who was not the object of them. Mostly he angrily and caustically ridiculed people’s shortcomings: excess weight, bald heads, glasses. Yes, anything - there was always something to complain about. And I can’t count how many people I’ve offended, brought to tears and complexes. The girls were afraid to go into the smoking room if they knew I was there.

Later I found out that my friends had already begun to get together and spend time without me, since it was becoming more and more difficult to bear the constantly neighing something...”

Oleg V., vocal teacher, Ufa Read full text of the result

Incorrect assessment by the interlocutor

People say: “Laughter without a reason is a sign of a fool.” It happens that laughs to connect words are perceived as a sign of narrow-mindedness and immaturity.

You try to tell a joke and halfway through you start laughing. Or during an exam you burst into hysterical laughter, for which you are asked to leave the room. In a responsible situation, nervous giggles prevent you from showing yourself as adequate and responsible. People around you don't take it seriously and get irritated. You get upset, but you don’t know how to contain your laughter.

Undesirable development of the situation

For an inappropriate smile, as they say, it doesn’t take long to get caught. An angry, tired person is more likely to think that a fellow traveler is laughing at him, rather than just remembering a funny incident.

In general, in our society, a person smiling on the street seems strange and suspicious. Is everything okay with his head?

Depreciation

The nature of humor is a paradox, often with sexual overtones. Confusion, a mistake that contradicts established perceptions.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the world exploded with laughter when Charlie Chaplin kicked police officers in the area below the back. After this, law enforcement officers lost their weight in the eyes of the average person. Modern stand-up shows have ridiculed the length and breadth of family and love. True male friendship now raises suspicions: “Are they the same orientation?”

Humor from the waist down has permeated marital relationships. Respect is destroyed by constant teasing of each other. She laughs at him and ends up devaluing masculinity. Once, twice, three times - everything is fine, but then it hits a nerve - and he loses his attraction to her irrevocably. She, in turn, loses her feminine attractiveness due to her husband’s sarcasm.

Inability to solve the problem

Laughter relieves tension, that is, kills feelings: fear, sadness, grief, as well as love, sympathy, joy. I laughed a lot, and then I felt empty, indifferent, exhausted, as if I was carrying bags.

Laughter is used to treat psychotraumas in measured doses: what cannot be changed, but lies on the heart as a heavy burden, resentment, phobia, can be ridiculed.

The realization of the absurdity of the fear of the dark caused Evgenia K. to laugh liberatingly. She looked at the situation with different eyes, many years of horror burst like a soap bubble:

“...I couldn’t sleep at all. I had a large hammer under my pillow. I placed a saucepan under each window at night, and a tin bucket on a small stool near the door. If a bandit comes in and bumps into the buckets and pans, it will all rattle and I will wake up. (You should hear my laughter now when I write about this!)..."

Read the full text of the result

But solving a current problem with ridicule means losing precious focus on the result and emotional fervor. Because it will be devalued, the matter will not move forward.

Lifehacks on how to stop laughing quickly

To solve the question of how to quickly stop laughing and smiling for no reason, you can try using disguise or choose a method from the proposed options. Some try to distract the laughter by pinching their own skin or licking their lips. Others count to 100 and back. Still others hide unnecessary laughter by pretending to cough or try to swallow a stuck lump. Some people like to practice self-hypnosis. My friend always has sudden fits of laughter at people for every reason.

Other popular tips from around the world on how to control your laughter and smile:

• get distracted by foreign objects;
• think about the seriousness of the moment;
• remember a sad and depressing event that brings tears to your eyes or tragic events from the latest news;
• if you feel constrained and uncomfortable, you are allowed to talk despite the interlocutor;
• imagine a horror movie or a car accident to produce the fear hormone (adrenaline);
• at a collective session with a psychotherapist or at a lecture, say an apology, take a break, or leave the session;
• if laughter is close and difficult to contain, pronounce sentences about the ability to contain laughter or control the situation, but without the particle “not”;
• don't pay attention to other people laughing.

Sometimes deep breathing, biting the tip of your tongue, or twisting your finger to shake yourself out of the laughter helps.

How to stop constantly and forever laughing at everything, at stupid things, for every reason?

The most important thing is to understand what kind of stupid things make you laugh. Scientists have found that it is specific situations that cause a smile. How to stop constantly and forever laughing at everything, at stupid things, for every reason?

• Perhaps laughter is caused by a certain person, his communication style, or his appearance.
• In this case, you should have less contact with him until you learn to restrain yourself.
• In general, removing yourself from a situation that makes you laugh is the best solution.
• It is important not to participate in what is happening, but only to be a witness.
• Look from the other side at what is happening.

Advice: If you just can't get rid of nervous laughter on your own and it's becoming a real problem, try seeing a therapist.

The doctor will be able to figure out why you are laughing and influence it.

I constantly laugh at stupid things - what to do?

First of all, it’s worth figuring out what things are considered stupid and funny. Most often they laugh at specific situations, with or without reason. For some people, the clothes and behavior of a certain person cause laughter. It is recommended to meet with this type less often until the ability to restrain yourself appears. Psychotherapists advise avoiding confusing situations and not taking part in them, taking the role of a witness.

If we talk about stupidity, it is associated with weakness of mental abilities or ignorance of what is associated with professions other than his own. By laughing at this, a person exhibits an attitude of satire by ridiculing and humiliating others. Cute ways of humiliation include practical jokes or hoaxes, then laughing at the stupidity shown.

Actually, stupidity is considered a relative concept, because no one recognizes himself as a fool by transferring this concept to another.

In order not to laugh at stupidity, you should refrain from blaming your interlocutor and pointing out the mistake he made. At the same time, do not forget that every person is capable of making mistakes. The main thing is not to block the escape route. When meeting an ignorant person, there is no need to waste your own energy bringing new arguments. Trying to find the rightness, you will have to study the area of ​​​​the dispute.

People often hide self-doubt behind laughter.

How to stop laughing in class as a schoolchild or student

Often in schools, colleges and even universities, young people laugh uncontrollably during classes. The reason for the cheerful laughter is a prank or prank of a classmate. Some tell funny jokes or incidents.

Tips on how to quickly stop laughing during class and what to do if your child constantly laughs loudly and a lot at stupid jokes in class:

1. do not get distracted while the teacher is telling a new topic or explaining homework;
2. quietly apply a method to calm the nervous system to stop a fit of laughter;
3. When doing independent work, think about solving tasks;
4. sit in the back desk and find a sad dramatic movie on your phone;
5. take a sharp breath and try not to exhale as long as possible;
6. to avoid laughing, cover your mouth with your fingers and look at an object located behind the interlocutor; the hand is removed after the fit of laughter has passed;
7. Auto-training techniques will help with saying “I will be able to hold back my laughter”, “I can control the state of my own emotions.”

Some students find it helpful to pick up accidentally scattered notebooks or find a dropped pen.

Diseases that cause constant laughter

Laughter for no reason is often associated with an illness, indicating a mental disorder, genetic predisposition, or damage to the brain. The laughter of a sick person is easily confused with normal laughter, but is distinguished by accompanying symptoms and lack of joy.

Common manifestations of unhealthy laughter include:

• protruded tongue;
• visual impairment;
• disturbed sleep;
• trembling of hands and feet;
• the appearance of seizures;
• affectivity in behavior;
• involuntary coughing attacks with blinking.

Hebephrenic schizophrenia is manifested by foolishness, laughter, and a tendency to tell strange obscene and inappropriate jokes. Aggression and angry agitation often appear. The disease appears during puberty.

Symptoms of Tourette's syndrome include smacking, winking, involuntary opening of the mouth, and neck craning in children. Kids avoid crowds, they are insecure and often become depressed. The disease is marked by uncontrolled movements and vocal tics. A sick child swears loudly, uses obscene words or repeats what he hears, grimaces and laughs for no reason.

With Angelman syndrome, a genetic disease, the child also constantly laughs or smiles happily for no reason. Such children are called Parsleys or happy, trusting and good-natured dolls. These children with poor coordination have difficulty speaking. They often have epileptic seizures, and they do not develop, remaining permanently in childhood.

To stop involuntary laughter, sometimes 10-15 minutes are enough, but in some cases it will take as little as 1 hour. To do this, you need to learn to manage your emotions.

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What diseases can constant laughter indicate?

Constant laughter may indicate the presence of illness.
If a person often experiences unreasonable laughter, it is advisable to check his health, as doctors are sure that he may have health problems. What diseases can constant laughter indicate? This may be a symptom of one of the following conditions:

• Hyperthyroidism
• Graves' disease
• Pseudobulbar syndrome

Less commonly, laughter may indicate Angelman syndrome . This is a rare chromosomal disorder that affects the nervous system. Patients may laugh due to strong stimulation of the parts of the brain responsible for joy.

There is also Tourette's syndrome . It is a neurobiological disorder that can cause tics and vocal outbursts. Typically, people suffering from this syndrome do not need treatment, but only if laughter does not interfere with school or work. Many medications and therapies can help minimize symptoms.

Laughter can also be disturbing to those who use alcohol or drugs . Such people are not always able to control their nervous system. The latter gives signals that cause laughter.

In addition, causeless laughter may appear if a person suffers from the following conditions:

• Fear
• Anxiety
• Anxiety
• Stress

In such cases, it is advisable for a person to get rid of the source of the problem or take a sedative.