# Laughter critical mass point

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughter-critical-mass-point/643584>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 10, 2012, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughter-critical-mass-point/643584 "2012-12-10T09:47:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughter-critical-mass-point/643584/1 "2012-12-10T09:47:58Z")

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Every now and then I’ll watch or hear something that’s so funny I’ll laugh until I cry, for several good solid minutes. (At the moment, I think the Stephen Colbert “cracks up” videos are hysterical).

But then, for a few hours or a couple days afterwards, I find it hard to laugh at things that are funny, as if my brain needs to reset itself after my bout of hysterical laughter.

Is this a rather common phenomenon? And what’s the scientific reason for it?

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughter-critical-mass-point/643584/2 "2012-12-10T14:33:33Z")

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It’s because you’re one weird dude.

Your post is my cite. 😛

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**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughter-critical-mass-point/643584/3 "2012-12-12T02:01:42Z")

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Awesome. Ignorance successfully fought. 😛

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**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughter-critical-mass-point/643584/4 "2014-06-19T20:24:02Z")

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Saw this one still hadn’t been answered, so here’s a bump. Any reason some people experience a laughter “refractory period”? Perhaps the brain becomes momentarily more tolerant of endorphins or… something?

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**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughter-critical-mass-point/643584/5 "2014-06-19T21:05:26Z")

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I’ve never experienced this. Anecdotally it seems most people become more receptive to laughter the more they laugh, after the ice is broken. To the point you might laugh at really dumb things that wouldn’t have warranted a chuckle earlier.

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**Author:** ![Fishtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ed655f/32.png) [@Fishtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fishtar)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughter-critical-mass-point/643584/6 "2014-06-19T21:16:51Z")

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> [@ekedolphin](#):
>
> Saw this one still hadn’t been answered, so here’s a bump. Any reason some people experience a laughter “refractory period”? Perhaps the brain becomes momentarily more tolerant of endorphins or… something?

As South Park put it - blowing your funny fuse.

Melanocortin depletion?

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**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughter-critical-mass-point/643584/7 "2014-06-19T21:22:50Z")

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My wife is the opposite. She cries until she laughs, realizing how absurd it is for her to be crying in the first place.

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**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laughter-critical-mass-point/643584/8 "2014-06-19T21:39:28Z")

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> [@ekedolphin](#):
>
> Every now and then I’ll watch or hear something that’s so funny I’ll laugh until I cry,

_Turn around, every now and then I fall apart; And I need you now, tonight…_

I think perhaps the scientific term is “a total eclipse of the heart”?