Nowadays, stand-up comedy shows are thriving on the internet and television. It is because people love to laugh. Laughter is medicine for the physical and emotional aspects of our lives. This Japanese proverb probably explains the significance of laughter: “Never open a shop if you are not qualified to laugh.”
Smiles and laughter are not strangers; they are one. A smile is a facial expression of happiness, while laughter is the same but with more enthusiasm. Both can be likened to thunder. When there is thunder, the first thing we experience is light, followed by sound. This process is the same in laughter; first, we see only the smile, then laughter. In other words, laughter is a continuation of a smile.
Laughter plays a significant role in friendship. There is also a saying, “Friendship begins with a smile.” I remember how I formed a friendship in the 12th grade through laughter. On the first day of class, one of my classmates shared a joke when introducing himself. I turned back, laughed, and it caught his attention. That’s how we began our friendship.
One can smile at everyone, but one can’t laugh with everyone because laughter revolves around dear ones. Often, a smile can be artificial, but laughter can never be so. Laughter builds a strong relationship with people; that’s why I am still in contact with my aforementioned friend. We still laugh until we feel like crying. So, laughter can also be defined as the expressed mode of unexpressed love.
Sch Sudarshan, SJ
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