benefits. It releases stress, fosters bonding and friendship, and makes all participants feel good about life, elevating them, albeit temporarily, into a world of good humour. Laughter is a universal language of well-being for all — if we are all laughing with each other and not at someone's expense.
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There is another use of laughter in that it can effectively transform a confrontation into amicability. When faced with a problem, we often get so engrossed that we miss the big picture. It is possible to see a point of humour in the overall context and sublimate hostility into mirth.
To give you an example, I saw the other day, two drivers were angling for only one remaining parking slot, and tempers were fraying. When one changed tack and said to the other, 'You go ahead, but after you're done, help me move that 'No Parking' banner stand before that other empty slot, to that far corner,' high fives and guffaws followed!
But the most profound therapeutic value of laughter is derived when you laugh at yourself. This happens when you can see your own idiosyncrasies, your foibles, your pettiness in clear perspective, and have a good laugh at yourself. This laughter cleanses your soul and makes way for constructive emotional rejuvenation. It is true that, for most of us, taking a good, honest look at