TOM HANKS

Being funny is a great way to make friends. But not everyone is funny. At least, not everyone is funny all the time. Not everyone has that personality. And that’s okay. You don’t have to be funny to have conversations and build great relationships. There’s room (and need) for serious people in th...

Laughter is a form of social bonding because it is contagious and allows us to show that we are non-threatening.

We laugh when we see or hear something funny. We laugh to show that we are being silly.

Sandstrom says in her experience, she would describe the stages of having a conversation with a stranger as follows:

First, they look at you as if asking, “Do I know you?” Then there’s recognition they don’t know you.

Then it’s, “Wait, are you a weirdo?”

The...