How Often Do You Laugh?
While researching something at my job recently, another editor came across a statistic that got us thinking. It said that on average, people laugh 17 times a day. So here’s a question: Does that seem high or low to you? And here’s another question: How many times a day do you laugh?
Alexandra and I are both big laughers—sometimes with other people around, sometimes alone in our offices because someone on the other side of the country just said something really, really funny on gchat. In any case, I definitely consider us both people who are pretty easily entertained and promiscuous with a laugh—but I also know it’s possible that I think I laugh way more than I actually do. And so:
Starting tomorrow (or today if you’re an early bird), we’d like you to count how many times you laugh—obviously typing LOL, ha, or haha does not count unless you actually, you know, LOL—and then post it in the comments. We’ll tally up the results and divide by the total (math math math) and see if we laugh more or less than the average.
No big science here, and no makeup tips—just the basic truth that laughter is a great antidote to stress and sadness, and that literally every single person under the sun looks beautiful when they’re laughing.
So get counting! And happy laughing.
Wow, 17 sounds like a bunch. I haven’t laughed yet today so I’ll do my best to keep track!
MUCH more than 17 times a day. That sounds so low! I would’ve guessed I laugh more than the average person, but I didn’t realize how much more! I’d say I average 50-100 times per day…
Does smiling count?
It seems very low to me, but perhaps I think more happy thoughts than I actually express.
There are definitely times at work when I would laugh out loud, but it’s not appropriate! Like in a meeting I was in yesterday…
Anyway, I don’t have an exact count but the day is half way through and I’ve laughed a few times. I thought 17 sounded high but we’ll see! I think my laugh count will be higher on the days I don’t work and spend more time with my 10-year-old son.
Interesting! I think I am a big laugher,often laughing loudly at things no one else finds amusing. I just figure they just don’t get it. I will try to remember how many times I laugh tomorrow. And despite the “laugh lines” I hope I am above the average! (BTW, a segment on America’s Funniest Videos recently with men changing baby diapers had me laughing so hard I thought I was going to cry.)
So, yesterday after writing this I had a Skype call with my friend and I’m pretty sure I laughed more than 17 times in that conversation alone. Perhaps when I don’t talk to friends it’s much lower otherwise 17 is way below average!
17 is low! Although I did have a friend who started to regulate the number of times she laughed due to the “laugh lines” she started to detect… :)