• Question: Why do we laugh when other people tickle us but not when we tickle our selves ?

    Asked by Resh@science to Hayley, Jimi on 18 Mar 2016. This question was also asked by Lily.
    • Photo: Jimi Wills

      Jimi Wills answered on 18 Mar 2016:

      Laughter is generally associated with either:

      1) some kind of (pleasant?) surprise
      2) infectious laughing

      tickling is the first one… you laugh because you brain is getting strange signals that kind of surprise it. But if you try to tickle your self, it’s not a surprise any more. You brain knows exactly what to expect.

      jokes are also the first one… the punch line is normally some kind of surprise… and if you already know the joke, or you’re the one telling it, it’s not quite as funny

      but if a whole room full of people are laughing, it’s difficult not to join in (unless they are laughing at your expense!)

    • Photo: Hayley Moulding

      Hayley Moulding answered on 18 Mar 2016:

      Great question! Tickling is dependent on anticipation! So when you tickle yourself, you already know you are going to do it! You can even try and trick yourself but your brain knows that you are still going to tickle yourself. Laughing is a natural reaction and is also similar to panic. Is something is crawling on your, you feel a small sensation and it can cause panic. When someone tickles you, a human evolution response is to laugh, which is kind of because we don’t really understand the sensation.

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