# What is the purpose of laughter?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-laughter/306850>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 4, 2005, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-laughter/306850 "2005-06-04T06:38:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-laughter/306850/1 "2005-06-04T06:38:20Z")

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What is the purpose of laughter - not humor, per se, but the physical act of laughter, the staccatto series of vocal shouts that is produced when someone is entertained?

Is there some function for this sound? What could possibly be the evolutionary reason to go “ha ha ha ha ha” or “ho ho ho” or “hehehehe” (a repetitive stream of vocal bursts) when you see something unexpected or hilarious? Is laughter just a reflexive response to something unexpected?

Consider tickling. When you’re tickled, it’s not like something funny is happening intellectually. All it is is someone touching you in an unexpected way - and it makes you _laugh???_ It’s the only instance I can think of where laughter - like screaming or crying - just kicks in instinctively without an intellectual stimulus.

What’s the straight dope on all this stuff? I’m really curious!

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**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-laughter/306850/2 "2005-06-05T15:25:53Z")

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We just had a thread on this. Try the search option.