When Laughter Becomes a Flaw

There are certain incidents in life that compel us to pause and reflect. They force us to observe human behavior and emotions around us more closely—to ask, what is really going on? Recently, I encountered a few such incidents centered around laughter and light-hearted moments—simple events, where strangers smiled or laughed in unfamiliar situations.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Nothing worth discussing, perhaps. These incidents were small, yet they revealed a new perspective. The reason? The spontaneous laughter and cheerful attitude of strangers evoked surprisingly uneasy reactions. People appeared bewildered—even offended—by someone smiling at them or speaking with a cheerful tone. Perhaps their minds became suspicious: What’s wrong here? What’s the catch? Is there some scam behind that smile? Why would a stranger be smiling for no reason? This isn’t normal. It’s incomprehensible. On the other hand, if someone approached them with a stern face and harsh tone, that would seem perfectly normal.

The Changing Definition of Real Emotions

This prompted deep thought. After much reflection, I concluded: laughter and smiles are no longer considered natural, positive emotions. They’ve come to be seen as signs of madness, foolishness, or superficiality. In contrast, real emotions now seem to be anger, stress, seriousness, and distortion. Look around you—observe faces, read body language—and you’ll see this everywhere.

Even within our homes, laughter has become rare. Is there still space for humor and light-heartedness? Try to remember: when was the last time your family—your spouse, children—laughed together, loudly and freely? Chances are, you won’t recall. When was the last time you sat together for some harmless joking and banter? Even straining your memory won’t help. Forget your family for a moment—just look at yourself. How much do you laugh? How often do you crack jokes? And more importantly, how much are you able to tolerate them?

Laughter Missing from Our Spaces

Take a walk around your neighborhood. Do you hear the sound of laughter from any flat or house? You may hear arguments, quarrels, and clashes—but laughter is missing. Look at your workplace. Is there any room left for humor? People barely speak to one another anymore—let alone laugh. Everyone seems immersed in machinery, their expressions devoid of joy. Smiles have lost their way.

Take a journey. Be it on a bus or a train, you’ll hear plenty of noise and chaos, but not laughter or hearty chuckles. Go to a park. You might find a few people doing laughter exercises—laughing mechanically. There, laughter is no longer joy; it’s medicine.

The Science Behind Laughter

A Vanderbilt University study states that 10 to 15 minutes of laughter a day can burn about 40 calories. Laughter reduces the stress hormone cortisol, relieving mental pressure. It increases the count of immune cells and antibodies that fight infection. It improves blood vessel function and circulation, thus reducing the risk of heart disease. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins and dopamine, the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals, improving mood. It brings people closer, enhances understanding, and strengthens social bonds. Research has found that seeing someone laugh triggers our brain to prepare for laughter too, making us laugh. The scientific study of laughter and its effects is called gelotology.

Laughter as Medicine, Not Habit

Yet, instead of becoming a habit, laughter has become a prescribed medication, taken artificially. Medicines are taken only when one has no choice. Where is spontaneous, voluntary laughter anymore? Comedy shows on TV and YouTube now come with pre-recorded machine laughter. There’s laughter with tears—but no water in the eyes. There’s forced, plastic laughter—on the lips, not in the heart.

The Death of Comic Culture

How far we’ve come. No one sells joke books in buses or trains anymore. In fact, such books hardly exist today. Are there any new humorists or satirists whose names you recall? Most names will be from the past.

In gatherings with friends or family, there’s no space left for jokes or punchlines. Do people even remember them? Words like lightheartedness and banter are slowly disappearing from dictionaries too.

April Fool’s Day comes and goes. It’s now a mere formality—most have forgotten it entirely. Even children don’t know what it is anymore. But remember when it used to be an event? There was joy even in playful foolishness. Now, even that one day is lost.

Fading Humor in Festivals and Films

Even Holi, the festival of colors, has changed. There was a time when “Holi Titles” were a tradition—created with much secrecy and wit, often unveiled dramatically. These mock titles had a sting that tickled, not hurt. The person writing the titles would assign the sharpest one to themselves. Now, nobody knows or accepts such traditions. Many don’t even know what “titles” are. And perhaps that’s better—today such things might result in lawsuits or even violence.

There was a time when films ran on the strength of comedians. Great actors would pale in comparison to legends like Mehmood. Today, comedy films are gone, and so are comedians. Making people laugh is now seen as a loss-making business—one that few dare to take up.

The Tragic Comedy of Modern Life

The truth is, laughter, humor, and light-heartedness are becoming extinct emotions. In an era where people have become indifferent to even meeting each other, who has the time or space for jokes? When relationships are always on the brink of breaking, how can one even think of fun? Tension is written on every face. Smiles have become mechanical, commercial. Jokes are taken too seriously. Laughter has become a tool for sarcasm and ridicule.

Perhaps our lives themselves have become a comedy—or perhaps we’ve wrapped ourselves in such a tragic comedy that there’s no room left for another. But why? Is it the obsession with money, the decay of relationships, social violence, pollution, pandemics, vaccines, illness, social breakdown? Maybe it’s all of it.

A Wake-Up Call for the Soul

The real tragedy is this: no one is even paying attention to the loss of laughter, forgotten jokes, and missing comedy. They’ve become unnecessary. But what do you think? Do you miss them? If not, then take a look inside your heart—and search for what’s been lost. And think—why has smiling and laughing now come to be seen as a flaw?

(The writer is a journalist.)