Body
Language Expert Patti Wood, Author of SNAP Making the Most of First Impressions
Body Language and Charisma.
What does
someone's laugh tell us about them?
Laughter is
a form of nonverbal communication. It combines the different body language
associated with laughter, such as smiles, open mouths, teeth showing, head
back, body bent back, and paralanguage that includes the vocalizations of
laughter. Research shows that the more confident and uninhibited you are, the
more spontaneous and powerful your laugh is.
Here are my
more specific findings on how your laugh reflects your DISC personality. (See
below this for my research background.)
C - The
Corrector/Analyzer/Get it Right personality - Their laugh tends to be more
subdued, may come a beat late, and is more likely to be brief, quiet, and even
silent. They are more likely to laugh with their mouth shut or with only a
small opening and may even laugh with their mouth closed and their lips going
down at the corner. But their eyes sparkle if you are witty.
I -
Influencers/Get Appreciated personality - Their laugh comes quickly, sometimes
even before the funny incident is complete. They are likelier to smile with
their whole face, mouth opening wide, and upper teeth showing. The smile goes
up at the corners, the cheeks go up, and the eyes crinkle with laugh lines at
the corners. They laugh the loudest and longest. They are the least inhibited
by their laughter and may move the most parts of their body to laugh, and they
may laugh the loudest. Their laughs tend to be the most infectious, and they
love getting other people to join in the laughter. They are not inhibited, so
they are not afraid to be the first to laugh or the only person laughing.
D -
Drivers/Get it Done personality. When they do laugh, it comes on immediately.
It's loud, then it is gone. When I do smile, it is larger than most people.
They are confident and assertive laughers. But they will not laugh when it's
not that funny to them.
S -
Sociable/Get Along personality. It may come on more slowly when they laugh, but
it is small, steady, and stable. They are the most likely to laugh politely to
ease tension. Their smile and my mouth go up at the corners, but not too far.
I have
researched nonverbal behavior and DISC personality—several of my projects were
part of my positions as a National Spokesperson for different companies. For
example, when I was the national spokesperson for Benadryl, they sponsored my
research on how the way you sneeze reflects your DISC personality. When I was
the National Spokesperson for The Natural Dentist tooth products, they
sponsored my research on how smiles reflect your DISC Personality.
-- Are there
differences in how laughter from women and men is perceived?
In general,
women are more likely to be "Social" laughers. They use their laugh
to ease tensions and smooth social interactions. In stress or danger, the range
of responses is Freeze, Flight, Fall, Faint, or Friend/Fawn. Women and less
powerful/high-placed individuals are more likely to use the Friend/Fawn stress
response to stress and danger and give a small laugh and or tight smile. For
example, a man may be in a group of people and tell a dirty joke about a woman.
The women in the group may feel hurt or mad, but they may smile and laugh
socially under stress, especially when they have a less powerful position in
the group hierarchy.
Malignant
Narcissists often have a strange artificial laugh that comes a beat or two late
and does not fully affect the face. This means that typically, the facial
muscles go up and are buoyant when someone laughs, and the eyes light up and
look warm to the viewer. But a Malignant Narcissist may fake laugh to look
social ale or may give what I call a mean laugh where the face expression looks
odd and doesn't light up the eyes, and the mouth may go into a sneer with one
side up and one side down. Their brains are wired differently. The pleasure
centers may light up when causing other pain or discomfort.
Trump does
not have a full, open laugh. It's small and has a sort of exultation of breath.
He tends to have a sneer that lingers on his face after he laughs or says
something he thinks is funny.
Harris can
give full, loud, open laughter that affects her full face and body. It is
sometimes a very uninhibited and spontaneous laugh that shows full engagement
and enjoyment. Some people look at and hear that laughter and think it's not
CORRECT or Presidential. And if someone follows and or believes in conservative/outdated
gender norms, it would break the "rule" that women should be more
quiet and submissive. A big laugh under those old rules would indicate that she
is powerful and high on the social hierarchy.
What does it
mean if someone doesn't seem to ever laugh, as is seemingly the case with
Donald Trump?
People laugh
when they get the joke, enjoy the other person or people when they are joyful, intelligent,
and clever, and when they are up to date on the latest cultural idioms, so they
understand the callbacks. If you don't get the joke and don't laugh too, be
sociable and need to be the most powerful person in the room and think laughing
at other people's humor puts you in a one-down position you don't laugh. I am
NOT saying any of these things are true of Trump. I am saying this is what the
research on laughter shows as motivations.
The research on smiling and laughing shows both physical and psychological benefits. Laughter can also bond you with others and increase the pleasure of social interaction. I love seeing how someone lifts with "UP" body language when they laugh fully.
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Phrases What Does Someone's Laugh Say About Them. Why Trump Hate Harris's
Laugh, Gender Differences In Laughter
