Why do we laugh when someone slips or falls?
By smints8985
@smints8985 (1594)
United States
June 7, 2007 12:17am CST
If I try to analyze it, it isn't funny at all. The person who slips could possibly be hurt, but then how come when we see people either personally or in the television slip and fall, we get this funny feeling that makes us laugh or smile?
Slipping is not funny, but the act itself of slipping is.
Have you ever witnessed someone slip or fall maybe due to wet surfaces?
Did everybody else laugh? Or how did they react?
How about you? How or what is your initial reaction when you witness someone slip?
Back in elementary I was running late for our flag ceremony and I was hurrying down the quadrangle, there were two steps down and I slipped. There were lots of people, but for some reason nobody seemed to notice, they were all looking at another direction, so I hurriedly stood up and went to position.
Deep iniside I was embarrased but at the same time I get this urge to laugh at myself for being so clumsy.
3 people like this
8 responses
@FSCAries (881)
• United States
15 Jun 07
I think the laugh is usually a gut reaction, but I don't necessarily think people think it's funny if someone gets hurt. I usually am the first one to laugh at myself out of embarrassment, but I don't think peole generally mean any malice by it.
1 person likes this
@smints8985 (1594)
• United States
21 Jun 07
Well yeah it could be because of the gut reaction but not all people can understand that it is a natural reaction, therefore laughing at them initially though helping them later on might still hurt their feelings and add to the embarrasment.
@jencai (3412)
• Philippines
8 Jun 07
I guess it's the natural feeling from human like us. We tend to laugh or smile when we see someone slipped on the floor or fall from somewhere else. Maybe because it's not normal to see those things happen to some people. I have seen alot of it many times before and even smiled at them too. Sometimes I don't let people see my reaction towards the incident. I'm afraid they would get mad at me somehow, lol!
1 person likes this
@smints8985 (1594)
• United States
9 Jun 07
Yeah, sometimes it comes as a natural reaction for us but then when we are in the position where people laugh we can't help but feel offended. We forget the fact that it comes as a natural reaction for us humans.
@jbrooks0127 (2324)
• United States
16 Jun 07
Television....the movies.....and many other forms of entertainment have make us become jaded. Somehow we have come to believe that if that person fell and was hurt seriously we would never have seen it so somehow it is okay to laugh because after all it may have been staged.
There is nothing funny about anything where a person could be hurt. Most of us would want to help if we saw that happen in person. But once we knew they were not hurt the relieved feeling we have then turns to humor.
@smints8985 (1594)
• United States
21 Jun 07
Well yes I have to agree that there is a weird link between pain and humor, probably brought about by what you said, the media.
@ackars (1942)
• India
20 Jun 07
I used to when I was in my school.But after one incident I stopped doing that.I slipped once like that in front of my whole class when I was in my 1st year in college and everyone in the class started laughing.It hurted me lots and I understood how much others will be feeling sad when I does it to them on their fall...Then never till now I did the same.
@smints8985 (1594)
• United States
21 Jun 07
Oh yes, we never know how it feels to be laughed at unless we are put in that situation ourselves.
@daveisdavid (878)
• Singapore
7 Jun 07
It depends how the person slip. If it is funny, I will laugh. If I'm the one who slip, I will laugh at myself in embarassment shall there be someone to witness my fall.
@smints8985 (1594)
• United States
7 Jun 07
hahah!
yeah, we tend to resort to laughing at ourselves when embarrased. Isn't it?
@dalhousiesteve (568)
• Canada
7 Jun 07
i think it is a natural reaction for us to laugh,but it also when we fall we get upset when they laugh at us
@smints8985 (1594)
• United States
7 Jun 07
Therefore we are not practicing the golden rule.. heehee
@smints8985 (1594)
• United States
7 Jun 07
Yeah if it was an elderly I would rush to help.
But if not, I don't know but sometimes it just feels funny.
I'm bad. ahah
