Evening gents, it’s Max from The Young Gentleman’s Guide here! So today, we have yet another article inspired by a video from Prager University. In this video, entitled Love Needs Laughs, the famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) Russian comedian Yakov Smirnoff talks about how the biggest sign of happiness in any relationship is shared laughter. It’s a wonderful and rather heartwarming video that I highly recommend you check out. And with Smirnoff’s words in mind, I thought I would give you a few reasons why being able to make people laugh is such an important trait for any gentleman to have. So without any further delay, let’s check out the list!

1. It Helps People Stay Positive

There’s a reason one of the longest-running TV shows of all time is Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s South Park. While a lot of naysayers see it as just lowbrow, immature humor, the show, and more specifically Stone and Parker, have proven to be extremely clever and effective social satirists and commentators. And nowhere is that more apparent in the Season 5 episode “Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants.” The reason I mention this episode is because it clearly displays the importance of laughter in general. Most of what I’m about to say is actually credited to the popular YouTube film reviewer Nostalgia Critic, so I am not about to take credit for any of it. That being said, in the wake of 9/11 and the anthrax epidemic being sent through the mail in late 2001, the United States was in a state of abject fear. As a response to this, Matt Stone and Trey Parker released this South Park episode, making Osama bin Laden look like a completely pathetic tool. After this episode was released, the US’s spirits were collectively raised, as temporary as it may have been. The reason being that everyone just needed a good laugh at the entire situation. And that’s the power of laughter. It could be the most awful, distressful situation ever, like in the case of 9/11, being worried about the threat of terrorism. But if you’re able to find humor in that situation, and thus react to it, it can simply help lift people’s spirits and reduce the pain of the situation even just a little bit. And with so many dark things happening in our world today, being able to make people laugh seems more important now than ever. Also, in the case of 9/11, I think the Nostalgia Critic put it best: “Giuliani showed us we needed to be strong, Letterman showed us we needed to cry, South Park showed us we needed to laugh.”

2. It’s a great way to bond with people

People always say laughter is the best medicine, and there’s a lot of truth to that. Not only has laughter been proven to lower blood pressure and decrease stress hormones, but it can also just help people bond with each other. This can be especially helpful in a romantic situation. I’ve always said that one thing I always look for in a woman is someone who can laugh at me and make fun of me, but in a fun, loving way. I feel like that’s one of the most important things to do in any relationship, romantic or not. If you and your lady able to notice and, more importantly, laugh at each others’ flaws or missteps, it will only help both of you more clearly see what you both love about each other. Obviously, acknowledging what you love about each other will only strengthen your relationship, but it doesn’t just stop there. One point that Yakov Smirnoff makes in the PragerU video is that it’s not just laughter that strengthens a relationship, but shared laughter. If you and the people you care about can find laughter and enjoyment in similar things, that can strengthen your relationship with anybody, it could be a significant other, a friend, or a family member, because you find what you have in common. It would obviously be hard to bond with somebody you don’t have many things in common with, and of course, that can be the death of any relationship, especially a romantic one. And what we find funny and find enjoyment in is the clearest way of showing what we like and what we don’t like, and if someone we know also finds those things funny, that can be a sign of a great relationship. So if you’re spending time with someone and you aren’t laughing at or with each other, it may time to evaluate you’re relationship, especially if it’s romantic.

So there it is! I know this list wasn’t a very long one, but that’s really all I needed to get my point across. A man who can make people laugh can raise people’s spirits and foster many a strong friendship. To me, those are among the most important things a man should strive to accomplish in his life. Thank you all so much for reading today’s article! I know things with my schedule have been a little odd, but for those of you who read my updates article (link right here if you missed it), I should be back to a consistent schedule starting now. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for any content I have coming out on The Classy Libertarian In any case, I hope you enjoyed reading today’s article. Please be sure to share it, follow the blog, follow The Young Gentleman’s Guide on Facebook and Instagram, and support us on Patreon. And on that note, this is Max from The Young Gentleman’s Guide, and I’ll see you next time!

Resources

Prager University – Love Needs Laughs: https://youtu.be/4qfum5vc4Ew

StopDoingNothing:  stopdoingnothing.com/healthy-living/the-five-most-important-reasons-to-laugh/

Top 11 South Park Episodes – Nostalgia Critic: https://youtu.be/qyZacZPzOS8