Laughing is sometimes not as good as we think

Our ancestors often have the phrase 'a smile with ten tonic scales' , in fact laughing has many benefits not only mentally but also physically improving. However, according to a recent scientific study, the truth is not so, if laughing too much can be harmful to your health.

It's not really good if you laugh fakely, laugh even when you're feeling bored. When someone tries to smile just because they think it would be better, or when they want to hide their true feelings, the result is the exact opposite. So it can be said, a good or bad smile is completely dependent on the motivation behind it.

Associate Professor Anirban Mukhopadhyay at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology said: 'Usually people smile when they feel happy, smiles are a reflection of joy. But sometimes people laugh to fool themselves, they think that will motivate them to overcome sadness or the like, or sometimes they don't want others to see their feelings. '

In this study, Mukhopadhyay and his colleagues conducted two experiments. In the first trial, 108 people were invited to participate in an investigation. They were asked to laugh as much as they could without any external impact, participants also had to answer the questionnaire about how satisfied they were with their lives.

In the second experiment, the researchers picked 63 people in it and showed them funny pictures. Participants are asked to smile if they actually see the images as funny, in this test they are not forced to laugh.

The scientists then analyzed the results of the two tests. They conclude that those who do not often smile have negative reactions and feel unhappy when they are forced to smile, while those who often laugh are happier when they join the two tests. .

Mukhopadhyay said: ' Smiles are because they have a cheerful personality, they often laugh at interesting things that happen in life, so the smile works well for them. Meanwhile, those who do not often smile are due to their personality, so a smile for them is just an effort to feel happier. But in fact it brings negative feelings. '

Research by Professor Anirban Mukhopadhyay has been published in the journal Social Psychology.