[Arthur suddenly laughs uproariously]
Gloria: What’s so funny now?
Arthur: Sometimes I just think funny things.
Arthur
1981
Played by Dudley Moore in the movie Arthur.
[Today I was reminded of this by co-worker Josh when he burst into laughter.
Barb does this too, perhaps even more frequently than Josh. And they, unlike Arthur, are not drunk when this happen.
They both spontaneously, without any apparent external input, burst into laughter.
I like that.—Joe]
I do this too. And use the exact same response. Fewer people ‘get it’ today. *sigh*
“I like that”.
My Ex did not.
She also thought it strange that I laughed at parts of movies that no one else in the theater laughed about.
A major reason she is the Ex.
Oh, and there are people now who consider telling oneself jokes and using funny voices is a sign of autism (The new scourge. In the Sixties it was “being a loner” In 30’s Soviet Union it was “forming individual opinions*).
*”The Forsaken: An American Tragedy in Stalin’s Russia”
by Tim Tzouliadis (I can’t even find my copy of the book right now).
That’s well and good, but one should not become addicted to constant internal dialog. I started noticing as a small child that our mother for example would regularly be so engaged, even to the point of silently mouthing words and gesticulating to someone or something not present. Often it was a heated argument of some kind. Imaginary friend or imaginary foe. That would be the opposite to the definition of a “clear mind” I believe. She never did get over it.
Also as a kid it became apparent that if I were sitting alone, not thinking or talking but rather taking in my surroundings, invariably someone would eventually notice and feel the urgent need to come over and interrupt my peace as though doing me a favor. I stuck out. It is as if not being actively engaged in the world means you need rescuing. In fact it is more often the other way around; the person who can’t be alone, or quiet, is the one in need of rescue, but that is something of a Catch 22 isn’t it?
By contrast, my twenties through forties were spent in constant thought. Those were not such peaceful or happy years, though I would sometimes burst out like that, apparently at random with no outside stimulation. It could be a laugh or a curse though.