Many present-day writers use acronyms or emojis to express sentiments of amusement, humor, and laughter.

Emojis' close association with writing suggests that genuine laughter is yet another form of communication.

If true, it restricts the number of theoretical approaches suited to explain laughter’s origin and purpose.

Laughter theorists have long separated themselves into one of two camps. Members of the first maintain the primal or primary function of laughter is one of communication. That is, it evolved to convey an important (albeit nonverbal) message to others in our immediate vicinity, similar to screaming or moaning. This view is codified in various explanations, including Superiority Theory (laughter asserts superiority), Play Theory (it signals a desire to play, or view things non-seriously), and the Mutual Vulnerability Theory (wherein laughter reminds others of shared limitations).

Those in the second camp insist laughter’s purpose is fundamentally physiological. It either dissipates built-up emotional tension, as suggested in Tension Relief Theory, or serves as a pleasant reward for having solved some incongruity, as described in both Incongruity and Benign Violation theories.

Amusement in written form

As a representative of the first camp (and originator of the Mutual Vulnerability Theory), I’ve been debating colleagues within the second faction for nearly two decades now.

Unfortunately, it was........

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