# Why do people laugh when tickled? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 12, 2001, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-laugh-when-tickled/68486 "2001-06-12T02:36:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2001, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-laugh-when-tickled/68486/1 "2001-06-12T02:36:35Z")
It doesn’t seem like a good reaction to unexpected touches in vulnerable places. Why helpless laughter, and not a trigger for some sort of fight/flight response? ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2001, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-laugh-when-tickled/68486/2 "2001-06-12T06:15:13Z")
**tickle** if no one laughed? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![G.Nome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c89c15/32.png) [@G.Nome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.Nome)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2001, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-laugh-when-tickled/68486/3 "2001-06-12T07:07:05Z")
It’s supposed to be a fact that you can’t tickle yourself. But I have always found that to be untrue. When I lick the roof of my mouth with my tongue, it feels like tickling. It doesn’t make me laugh, mind you, but it’s similar. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2001, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-laugh-when-tickled/68486/4 "2001-06-14T05:01:05Z")
I love this magazine. It’s got answers to everything. 🙂 [The Ten Fingers of Dr. H.](http://www.discover.com/archive/index.html) > [@](#): > > Darwin speculated that all tickling is social, and he noted the similarities between humorous laughter and ticklish laughter. For example, with both one must have a happy state of mind. Funny article all around. Suites the subject. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2001, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-laugh-when-tickled/68486/5 "2001-06-14T05:03:49Z")
Dang, that link didn’t work. Just type tickle in the keyword place. It’s the last one on the second page. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2001, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-laugh-when-tickled/68486/6 "2001-06-14T08:26:23Z")
I’m sure I read an explanation here, but I’ll be damned if I can find it! It was along the lines of knowing that the attack on a sensitive area of the body was a mock attack, and so the reaction does involve the squirming (which you might associate with a real attack), but also the laughter to avoid the tension associated with a real attack. Rearrange those words into an elegant sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Aghris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecccb3/32.png) [@Aghris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aghris)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2001, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-laugh-when-tickled/68486/7 "2001-06-14T09:28:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GilaB \* > \*\*It doesn’t seem like a good reaction to unexpected touches in vulnerable places. Why helpless laughter, and not a trigger for some sort of fight/flight response? \*\* Well, if someone only _looks_ at my side or feet, he’s sure to get an instant kick in the nuts. I don’t laugh at all, the instant reaction to tickly touching is an elbow swung backwards. ---
**Author:** ![bagkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ab992/32.png) [@bagkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bagkitty)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2001, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-laugh-when-tickled/68486/8 "2001-06-15T02:56:57Z")
MPSIMS: in Mongolia (Ghengis Khan era) there was a prohibition against spilling the blood of members of the royal family. A consequence of this was that members of the royal family could and were executed by being tickled to death. Apparently, the diaphram would eventually spasm and the individual would suffocate. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-laugh-when-tickled/68486/9 "2001-06-24T21:06:11Z")
See my recent post [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=1397522#post1397522) . ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-laugh-when-tickled/68486/10 "2001-06-24T21:12:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aghris \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by GilaB \* > > \*\*It doesn’t seem like a good reaction to unexpected touches in vulnerable places. Why helpless laughter, and not a trigger for some sort of fight/flight response? \*\* > > Well, if someone only _looks_ at my side or feet, he’s sure to get an instant kick in the nuts. I don’t laugh at all, the instant reaction to tickly touching is an elbow swung backwards. \*\* Must suck to be your doctor.