# is laughter really the best medicine? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 17, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727 "2011-04-17T15:40:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![csr12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@csr12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/csr12)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/1 "2011-04-17T15:40:59Z")
and has anyone ever heard of or done laughter-yoga ? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/2 "2011-04-17T15:52:22Z")
Myself, I still swear by penicillin. ---
**Author:** ![Asympotically\_fat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Asympotically\_fat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asympotically_fat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/3 "2011-04-17T16:17:12Z")
Resolved: medicine is the best medicine. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/4 "2011-04-17T17:04:38Z")
Well there is perspective here, look at Youtube and the stupid accidents, they are funny except when they happen to me. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/5 "2011-04-17T17:23:52Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > Well there is perspective here, look at Youtube and the stupid accidents, they are funny except when they happen to me. "“Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die.”-Mel Brooks ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/6 "2011-04-18T06:29:13Z")
> [@csr12](#): > > and has anyone ever heard of or done laughter-yoga ? You mean Hasyayoga? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/7 "2011-04-18T09:03:15Z")
It’s great for your state of mind. It may not be as effective for a severed artery. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/8 "2011-04-18T13:29:17Z")
If the Reader’s Digest says it, it must be true. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/9 "2011-04-18T13:51:21Z")
> [@Dereknocue67](#): > > It may not be as effective for a severed artery. I don’t think you can get a pill for that, but “laughter is the best tourniquet” doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue either. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/10 "2011-04-18T17:19:05Z")
No one remembers the story of Norman Cousins, the long-time editor of the _Saturday Review_, diagnosed with a serious, progressive illness, who decided to see just how well laughter worked? Actually, it worked pretty damn well for him. And there actually have been [a few other studies.](http://www.rxlaughter.org/press22.htm#top) ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/11 "2011-04-20T08:55:41Z")
I think it’s pretty well established that the state of the patients mind can affect recovery. However, I doubt anyone with diabetes would say laughter is more effective than a shot of insulin. It’s a poetic saying, it’s not meant to be taken literally. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/12 "2011-04-20T11:51:51Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > … However, I doubt anyone with diabetes would say laughter is more effective than a shot of insulin… I disagree, I think they’re hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laughter-really-the-best-medicine/578727/13 "2011-04-20T13:10:05Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > If the Reader’s Digest says it, it must be true. _snerk!_ Ooh, my triglycerides just went down! Thanks, **BMalion**.