Have you ever heard such a funny proverb “laughter for no reason is a sign of foolishness”? What do you think it means?
After all, people very often pronounce it, almost without thinking about the meaning. But what if this is not a funny expression with meaning, but really a symptom of some kind of mental illness? Maybe the person about whom this proverb was told should make an appointment with a psychotherapist to check their well-being?
Want to know the truth about yourself and your loved ones? Then rather start reading the article. Discover the secrets that your psyche hides!
Joylessness is a character trait of Russian people?
Russian people really think that laughing for no reason is a sign of fooling around. And foreigners, observing the inhabitants of Russia, often note that Russian people are much more stingy with emotions expressing joy and happiness than representatives of other countries.
This statement may well be considered true. But he has his own nuances.
In order to understand whether Russian people really can not rejoice, we will conduct a comparative analysis between them and foreigners.
Russians are focused on their work
Since foreigners smile is considered a sign of good manners, when meeting, welcoming acquaintances and strangers in the store, in the service, when doing serious work, they must certainly smile. For Russians, such behavior is irresponsibility and frivolity in relation to their work or service. Therefore, for them, laughing for no reason is a sign of foolishness.
In addition, the Russian man is brought up so that loud laughter is creepy, he comes from dark forces, because only the devil and his minions laugh like that. The Orthodox man didn’t have to laugh like that. And for foreigners, on the contrary, a good, loud laugh distinguishes a person who is cheerful and positive.
Russians against “on-duty” smiles
It is quite natural for foreigners to smile when greeting a person. This is just an expression of politeness, which becomes more pronounced and strong as the smile expands. A Russian person believes that a smile should be a sincere expression of sympathy. And the constant that foreigners use is “on duty,” and she, on the contrary, is impolite.
Also, foreigners are used to smiling at strangers. This is a unique way of greeting, an opportunity to share your joy with someone else. But for Russian people such a smile is a bad manners. After all, they firmly believe that smiling should be exclusively familiar to people, and not everyone.
That is why foreigners, meeting an unfamiliar smiling man on their way, will certainly answer him with the same welcome gesture. A Russian person will consider such a “character” abnormal and, at best, just pass by. If a person walking towards a smiling person regards a smile as a mockery, the situation can reach its climax - assault.
When should you start to fear for your mental health?
Remember, children sometimes have fun with each other, showing their index finger and laughing at it. Then parents like to say: "Laughter for no reason is a sign of foolishness." But this laugh is quite natural, because the kids are so eager to attract the attention of adults.
If such a manifestation of joyful emotions has a reason, and it doesn’t matter whether others know about it or not, the laughter is quite normal, and the proverb discussed in this article is just a funny saying, designed to slightly curb, calm and shame the kids. But causeless laughter is a sign of a serious mental disorder. Want to know which one?
Laughing for no reason is not a sign of foolishness, but a disease?
In order to answer the question, you must first determine what kind of laughter is causeless.
To understand this, imagine the following picture: for example, your friend told you a funny joke, and you laugh at him in unison.
You have a reason for fun - this is a joke, but from the side of a person who does not know the situation it can easily seem that your laugh “for no reason” is a sign of fooling. After all, he has no idea about any joke, and therefore can in his own way interpret the ongoing action.
Another scenario: you stopped sleeping, but continue to feel awake and full of energy. You are confident in your abilities, a feeling of euphoria covers you, it seems that you are capable of anything. Any situation makes you happy, even if it can be fatal. And even on the edge of the abyss (both figuratively and literally) you do not care at all, you continue to laugh.
Have you read? Wow. Then answer now, which of the above situations looks more strange and abnormal?
Symptom of bipolar disorder
Unreasonable laughter is a symptom of a serious mental illness. When people begin to show positive emotions, laugh in inappropriate situations, others should think about whether to stay away from such. And close people of this person need to insist that he consult a doctor.
Indeed, unreasonable and uncontrolled laughter is the first alarming sign that does not portend anything good. Bipolar disorder of the psyche is dangerous both for the patient and for people around him. Because during periods of exacerbation, called mania, the patient becomes too impulsive, is not responsible for his actions and actions, and therefore can cause harm not only to himself, but also to his family.
I have a conversation with myself
So, you already know that the inappropriate and unreasonable manifestation of positive emotions is a sign of a mental disorder. While friendly laughter in the company of friends, acquaintances or relatives is quite normal and is not considered a sign of fooling.
But then another question arises, which the following situation will help to formulate: you walk along the street, listen to music on the radio. Then the entertainment program began, and suddenly the radio host said a phrase that made you laugh. You smiled. A person passing by noticed this and found you abnormal because you are walking and smiling at yourself. And it seemed strange to him.
Is such laughter a sign of mental illness?
"Laughing for no reason is a sign of foolishness." Value
A similar statement is used only in Russia; it is not translated into other languages because foreigners simply do not understand it.
A similar experiment has already been carried out, and here is what came of it. Once, a German student who came to study at a well-known Russian university, a teacher made a remark saying exactly that phrase. The young man spoke Russian quite well and understood the expression literally. And then he pestering his classmates why laughter for no reason is a sign of foolishness, and from which this conclusion follows.
Thus, this proverb is not a diagnosis, but only parting words, a decree to behave more restrained, observing the order and decency in the place where you are.
Laughter is a sign of a sense of humor
Yuri Nikulin argued that making a person cry is much easier than cheering, making him laugh. And indeed it is. Do not believe? And you remember how you watched with your friends, relatives, acquaintances some funny film.
Have you ever laughed, not because it was actually funny, but as if for a company, so as not to seem like a "black sheep" who did not understand the joke? Perhaps you did this unknowingly, or perhaps on purpose.
It so happened over the centuries, but a herd feeling is characteristic of man. And this is not an insult, but only a statement of fact. There is nothing shameful in this, because all people are a bit similar, they have common character traits, appearance, and therefore at some subconscious level they do not want to stand out from the crowd.
A cheerful, full of laughter is considered a sign of a good sense of humor, but only when others see a real reason for it. If you (albeit for a good reason) smile at yourself, you can easily be considered a little strange. Therefore, learn to control your emotions, observing the rules of decency.
Thus, laughter can be a sign of a dangerous mental disorder. But in this case, it should appear in an inappropriate place or situation. If laughter has a reason, albeit incomprehensible to other people, it does not cause concern and is considered quite normal.
Therefore, the meaning of the proverb “laughter without a reason is a sign of foolishness” should not be taken literally and frantically to run to a psychiatrist as soon as a similar remark was addressed to you. Perhaps people are just jealous of your sense of humor, that's all.