There’s an age-old saying that laughter is contagious.
A viral video was making rounds last 2021 proving this idea and we have to say, it made for a pretty convincing argument.
In an unspecified commuter train, people were just coming home from work. And if you’re someone who uses public transportation daily, this stretch of the routine journey can range from being quiet to being stressful. That is until a stranger with a big smile boards the train.
The video starts with a man standing by the door.
He seems to be engaged in a phone conversation and just like everyone else in the car, he was minding his own business.
Then, the man started giggling. Then the giggling turned to cackling. Whooping laughter filled the street and the people around him started doing something remarkable.
As the man drowned the car with hearty laughter, the commuters began smiling.
They turned to each other, as if curious about what could make this man laugh this lively.
Some also seem to find amusement in his joy, while others kept a small smile on their lips as they carried on reading from their books, their phone, or watching trees zip past the windows.
They’re not even part of the conversation. They don’t even know what was going on. All they know is that they need to return the positive energy that the man was giving them.
But why can’t they help but join in the fun?
Studies were done to find out why laughter is contagious. Sophie Scott, a neuroscientist at the University College London ran an experiment to find out why to respond to laughter.
In their study, they found out that our brains involuntarily reciprocate different kinds of sounds that affect us psychologically. Negative sounds like screams and cries elicit less reaction while positive sounds like triumphant cheers and laughter make other people smile.
They also theorized that laughter predates language. Early human ancestors may have laughed together in groups before they could speak, thus our contagious reaction to laughing.
Laughter also thrives when we are around other people.
Think about this: Have you ever found yourself laughing more while you’re watching TV alone or when you’re with friends and at the cinema?
Robert Provine, a researcher, pointed out that we are more likely to laugh together than by ourselves. Whether it’s a primal instinct or an involuntary reaction, we can all agree that it opens us up to each other.
Much like in the video, the commuters started out being absorbed in their own devices.
Then, before they knew it, they are smiling at each other, laughing with each other, and sharing a magical moment with people they’d never met before.
So if you feel like laughing, be loud. You’ll never know how many will smile with you and you can never tell how long they’ll bring the laughter with them.
Watch how a man made an entire train burst into contagious laughter.
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