Why would someone laugh or giggle, in response to something serious or tragic?

Question

When in reality, it is the opposite to what they really feel.

Answer 1

Laughter is a stress reliever. People giggle when they're nervous or under pressure or stress. It can be involuntary.

Laughter releases chemicals in the brain that counteract the chemicals stress releases. A lot of stress-management therapy involves laughing for 10-20 minutes at a time.

Think about a time when you were upset and didn't know how to express yourself verbally. We laugh when we're mad, we laugh when we're happy. We laugh when something is funny, and sometimes we laugh when something is tragic.

I guess that doesn't totally answer your question, so I'm adding a link to a paper that was written about it, if you want to read more. :)

Answer 2

It depends on the person. Normally, it's because we are embarrassed, anxious or unsure how to react, so we laugh. However, reacting to something in the wrong way. e.g. giggling if you're told that someone has died can also a symptom of schizophrenia (the emotional/affective disorder part) and is therefore termed 'inappropriate effect', so be cautious, if someone appears to do this more than other people more often!

Answer 3

It all depends on the way how tragic news is being expressed and victim demography, including culture understanding of the incident.
Just watch reaction of TV interviews and newscasters, and knowingly that they are being watched by millions - how inconsiderate people can be.
For those who really sense the gratitude and giggles - then i guess it is just sense of insecuredness, and probably nervousness reaction towards incident.

Answer 4

Nervous reaction. relief that they were not directly affected,. Not to upset others. Always look on the bright side. Or just because they are pathetic and cannot express their real feelings which I suppose they feel they may not be able to control. Some people are just strange.

Answer 5

Sometimes the brain causes this reaction despite the way the person wishes to react as both laughing and crying are forms of hysteria. The brain knows to react in one way or the other and sometimes it gets it wrong. People can't help an hysterical reaction and therefore if they do react "inappropriately" it often causes embarrassment or other problems.

Just another silly bit of our silly human bodies!!

XxX

Answer 6

To cover how they really feel. It's a bad habit of mine. I don't like to let people know I'm sad or depressed. So instead, without really meaning it, I giggle or laugjh

Answer 7

personally- i have a sick sense of humour. I find other people's misfortunes quite hilarious... i can't help it. And i seriously don't feel bad for doing it while i'm laughing. But after a few minutes i'd feel bad for laughing and apologise if i thought i was out of order for doing it

Answer 8

When my father in law died I could not stop laughing. But I've gotto admit that I was having an Afghan at the time

Answer 9

I have done this.... because something hurt so badly that I laughed.... I am sure there were layers of thought I was unaware of ... I try to unearth the real reason at times, and then give it up because I am happier now...

Answer 10

nerves tend to be the reason, sometimes when we see something really atrocious we can't handle it so our bodies feel that if we laugh we can ignore it better and sometimes pretend it(the bad thing we heard or saw) never happened in the first place!