otoh

Why do we laugh? I know there has been some scientific research on this question. If I get ambitious, I’ll research a bit and post some links. But here’s a guess: We laugh because we cry.

I see a lot of support for what I would call Taoist philosophy. Life requires balance of opposites. Day/night, light/dark, male/female, happy/sad, yang/yin. As we evolved and formed more complex social relationships, we were able to develop more complex emotional extremes.

I don’t know exactly where to draw the lines of complexity or sentience. I can’t imagine an insect laughing or crying. But I have seen my dogs play just for fun. They may not be able to laugh, but they certainly seem to have the capacity for joy and sorrow. Presumably then, there is a continuum of complexity with a corresponding continuum of emotion.

Why did we develop these emotions? Well, that is another question for another day.