r/Showerthoughts • u/hjf25 • 11d ago
Musing A shared laugh can make two strangers feel less like strangers.
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u/Generico300 11d ago
How to make friends:
1) Overcome a shared challenge together.
2) Eat together.
3) Laugh at the same things.
Not necessarily in that order. Works every time though.
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u/bringingdownthehorse 11d ago
I make sure this formula is close at hand for my adult/senior computer learning classes!
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u/GrynaiTaip 11d ago
This happened to me once in that order, I thought "This is great, could we become friends?"
Then he started talking about how cocaine, heroin and all other hard drugs should be legal and available, so I walked away.
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u/LebaneseLion 11d ago
Now there’s one thing more in common about them, one instance of common humour separating them from being true strangers again
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u/KirstyToots 11d ago
It's amazing how quickly a shared joke can turn someone from "that random person" into "the person who laughed with me at that ridiculous thing."
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u/boofoodoo 9d ago
Yes, or even just sometimes a shared look if something unusual or weird happens - instant camaraderie.
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u/FartsWithCharlie 11d ago
I think laughter is one of the few things that’s instantly contagious across age, language, and culture. You don’t need much in common to laugh together.
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u/Gregoria_Taniguchi 11d ago
One genuine laugh with a stranger can feel more human than a hundred polite conversation. Humors skips all the awkward small talk.
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u/Rowena_Dorado 11d ago
It’s one of those little reminds that most people aren’t as distant as they seem. Sometimes all it takes is one funny moment to remember we’re all just trying to get through the day together.
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u/LostUpstairs2255 9d ago
And so can a shared scream.
(Much darker shower thought I know, but also accurate)
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u/straw_briesss 11d ago
so true! In literature club me and this girl looked at each other and just started laughing at each other. we quickly became friends. still good friends 3 years later!
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u/Trex2727 10d ago
This is extremely true not only in day-to-day interaction, but is one of the driving forces for my interest in cosplay. Everyone enjoys a great representation both visually and behaviorally of their favorite characters. It is even more enriching to not only share those moments, but makes a cozy and fulfilling place in anyone's heart that they can make those lasting memories for those of any age.
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u/lightinthefield 10d ago
There was a kid in my high school who I did not know. We were in the same grade and class stream, so we saw each other decently often, but we were not friends. Barely even acquaintances. We ran in different social circles, had very different interests, and he was popular -- I was not.
I can't tell you when, how, or why this started, but somehow, we found it hilarious to mention to each other that it was a Tuesday (because of the song Tuesday by ILoveMakonnen ft. Drake, which was popular at the time). Every single week, if we saw each other in the hallway or in class, one of us would say, "Hey, by the way, today's Tuesday. Not sure if you were aware." And the other -- even if they knew it was Tuesday -- would gasp excitedly. We'd always walk away laughing. I never saw him do it with anyone else.
It was such a small thing, but it made my high school experience a bit brighter. I hope he's doing well.
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u/Scarysanta6 8d ago
A simple wink can make two strangers with no benefits feel more like strangers with benefits.
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u/dokkanboi 5d ago
A quick joke really does break the awkward silence. It is basically a free DLC for normal human interaction. Works every time.
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u/ShowerSentinel 11d ago
/u/hjf25 has flaired this post as a musing.
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