Laughter, n. An interior convulsion, producing a distortion of the features and accompanied by inarticulate noises. It is infectious and, though intermittent, incurable.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Laughter is described as a physical and uncontrollable reaction that spreads easily among people and cannot be permanently stopped.
- In plain terms
- Laughing is a funny physical reaction you can't cure.
- What can you take from it?
- Humor is a powerful, involuntary human trait.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes laughter truly contagious?
- Can laughter ever be harmful?
Another view
It reduces laughter to mere noise and distortion, ignoring its cognitive roots.
More from Ambrose Bierce
Land, n. A part of the earth's surface, considered as property. The theory that land is property subject to private ownership and control is the foundation of …
Permalink to quote #50 Learning, n. The kind of ignorance distinguishing the studious.
Permalink to quote #52 Kilt, n. A costume sometimes worn by Scotchmen [sic] in America and Americans in Scotland.
Permalink to quote #49
Related quotes
:the passion of laughter is nothing else but a sudden glory arising from sudden conception of some eminency in ourselves, by comparison with the infirmities of…
Thomas HobbesThomas Hobbes quote #3 1. Laughter is the Wild Body's song of triumph. 2. Laughter is the climax in the tragedy of seeing, hearing and smelling self-consciously. 3. Laughter is the b…
Wyndham LewisWyndham Lewis quote #1 Pour ce que rire est le propre de l'homme.
Francois RabelaisFrancois Rabelais quote #4