eli5: Why do laughter and sobbing with grief appear to be so physically similar, even though they’re caused by such different emotions?

Question

eli5: Why do laughter and sobbing with grief appear to be so physically similar, even though they’re caused by such different emotions?

In: 23

Answer 1

It’s believed that the same area of the brain processes both pain and pleasure, and it’s likely to produce some of the same chemicals in the brain. So it is quite literally a response that is physically similar when we laugh and cry.