It is an amazing thing to watch people laugh, the way it sort of takes them over. Sometimes they really do struggle with it . . . so I wonder what it is and where it comes from, and I wonder what it expends out of your system, so that you have to do it till you're done, like crying in a way, I suppose, except that laughter is much more easily spent.
In the quoted passage from Marilynne Robinson's "Gilead," the author reflects on the profound nature of laughter and its effect on individuals. She notes how laughter can sometimes take control of a person, making it a powerful experience. This phenomenon raises questions about the origins of laughter and the emotional release it provides, similar to the act of crying.
Robinson draws a parallel between laughter and crying, suggesting that both are...
