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Shtercus t1_jac2pkd wrote

pack/tribe behaviour, for a couple main reasons:

  1. showing that we enjoy something, or feel safe, and advertising that fact to the other pack members around us (as opposed to a warning or panic noise for example)

  2. belonging to the group - showing that we fit in to the rest of our group and aren't an outsider (consider "that humourless bastard" who never quite fits in, or the "has no idea what just happened but is laughing anyway" people)

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GalFisk t1_jac5qr7 wrote

Also, it's showing that we don't take whatever it is seriously. It can be a part of playing and joking, but also a part of distancing ourselves from something or someone.

As for why it sounds the way it does, that's probably just a small trait that randomly got amplified and entrenched by evolution, just like smiling when happy or crying when emotional. Body language isn't nearly as changeable as language, but it still deviates quite rapidly when species differentiate. Just look at how differently dogs and cats use their tails, or how apes show their teeth in very different situations than humans.

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A_Meal_of_Pain t1_jacd30j wrote

Also playing a part is the fact that it is often rude to fully express your emotions so we figure out ways to at least partially hide them.

If your boss does something stupid and you are in the back of the room, you probably don't want to laugh out loud and draw attention to yourself, but a little chuckle that the people around you can see might be an appropriate compromise that you instinctively settle on.

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