Take our Positive Aging Test

Find a therapist specialized in aging concerns

People who laughed less were more likely to develop functional disabilities.

A strong sense of humor is associated with a longer lifespan, with benefits extending well into our 80s.

Humor can be a social connector, creating what researchers call "shared positive experiences."

Remember Sally Field in Steel Magnolias when she hands a stranger a piece of cake at a funeral and deadpans, "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion."

It's what one might define as a throwaway line, but it's one that stays with you simply because it captures something I believe is genuinely true: a sense of humor may be one of the most underrated tools in the aging toolkit.

Don't take my word for it, though. There is research to back me up.

A 15-year follow-up of Norway's Trøndelag Health Study found that sense of humor is significantly connected to lower mortality rates, with researchers describing it as a "health-protecting cognitive coping resource." Then there's the Mayo Clinic study of more than 14,000 older adults, where it was noted that people who laughed less were more likely to develop functional disabilities. A 2024 systematic review published in the National Institutes of Health's research archive also found that across 16 studies, humor was consistently associated with reduced psychological stress, improved well-being, and in some cases even a lower mortality risk.

Okay. So research has limits. Most of these studies show association, not causation, and the authors themselves admit more........

© Psychology Today