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Why can't I tickle myself?

Pardon Chanie Kirschner if she bursts into laughter for no apparent reason. She means no harm.

By Chanie KirschnerFri, Jan 21 2011 at 10:37 AM EST
 12

Q: Why is it that I can tickle my kids, can tickle my husband, but I can’t tickle myself? I thought about this after a tickle fight with my 5-year-old, who bursts into uncontrollable giggles after I tickle her, but is stone-faced when she tries to tickle herself. She often tries to make herself laugh by tickling herself, but can’t. Why is this?
 
A: Interesting question. I myself used to be so incredibly ticklish, I would start laughing even before someone tickled me. Just the very thought of being tickled would do it. But as I got older (and the fun got sucked out of me, I guess), I grew less and less ticklish — and I’ve often wondered why that is. Before I ponder the answer to my query, though, the polite thing to do would be to answer yours, no?
 
There are two types of tickling, named in 1897 by the psychologist G. Stanley Hall. There is knismesis (a light tickle that does not induce laughter) and gargalesis (the heavy tickling that does induce laughter). You can reproduce knismesis by yourself but not gargalesis ... but why?
 
First we need to understand why we laugh so much when other people tickle us. You know those people who laugh uncontrollably in somber, serious situations? Like in a job interview, or when they’re fighting with you, or maybe at a funeral, for instance? I have firsthand experience with such people because (ahem) I am one of them. No, seriously. I was once getting yelled at in high school by the assistant principal and was so nervous that I started laughing, so uncontrollably in fact, that I hid my head in hands and pretended I was crying. The assistant principal immediately started apologizing, which made me laugh even harder. It was a mess. Needless to say, I get caught in many a sticky situation because of it — the kinds of situations that are funny only way after they’re over.
 
So why is it that we laugh when we’re tickled? Simply put, because of the unexpectedness of it. The cerebellum, the part of our brain that monitors our movements, can detect the difference between expected sensations (scratching an itch, for instance) and unexpected sensations (a bug landing on your ear). Because of this difference, we can’t predict where someone will tickle us or how we will feel when they do, so it makes us panic. That panic is manifested through uncontrollable laughter — sort of a more acceptable “nervous laugh,” if you will. Interestingly, this “panic mode” is thought to have been an evolutionary protection against predators. (Though I’m not sure what laughing at the snake that has just brushed up your leg is going to do.)
 
I therefore can’t tickle myself because if I do, it is my brain telling my hand to make those bizarre tickling motions under my arm, and since we are not surprising ourselves with the action, we do not laugh. In order to induce a laugh, there must be an element of surprise involved.
 
And though tickling induces laughter, it may not be the best way to get a good laugh. In fact, there are rumors of “relentless tickling” being used in ancient times (and even today, amongst some quarreling siblings) as a means of torture. That’s right, people — tickling as torture. In my opinion, if you’re looking to get a good laugh, all you really need to do is spend a few minutes cruising YouTube’s funniest videos (during your lunch break, of course), particularly this one, a classic that always brings me to giggles. After watching it, I’ll bet you’ll be positively tickled.  
 
— Chanie
 
Got a question? Submit a question to Mother Nature and one of our many experts will track down the answer. Plus: Visit our advice archives to see if your question has already been tackled.
 
 
Photo: jencu/Flickr
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anonymous
julie 09/05/2011 10:34 AM

My daughter laughs when she sucks on a lemon ! Allways has. Isnt that weard?

anonymous
Jerome K. 01/23/2011 00:01 AM

I highly doubt you suffer from ptsd from tickling!

anonymous
Tuan Today 04:36 AM

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id= ***-for-tat-delusions

anonymous
Lynne 01/21/2011 22:23 PM

Actually, when I was a young adult I could tickle myself in the ribs and make myself laugh. 2 other friends could as well. Your sample appears off. :)

anonymous
Nice 01/21/2011 20:04 PM

Nice! I always wanted to know why I can't tickle myself

anonymous
pete hautman 01/21/2011 18:45 PM

I haven't tried it, but my guess is, NO.

anonymous
brian 01/21/2011 17:44 PM

I agree that tickling is torture. I too was "ruined" as a child with too much tickling and even the most light-hearted and well intentioned tickle attack from a loved one can put me in a very bad mood.

anonymous
me 01/21/2011 17:20 PM

ever so gently run your finger on the roof of your mouth - tickles, doesn't it?

anonymous
Anonymous 09/06/2011 18:13 PM

It itches, but it doesn't make me laugh.

anonymous
TimL 01/21/2011 17:06 PM

And yet on the flip side my nieces and nephews actively want to be tickled silly. But when they want it to stop you stop.. The problem is your tickling was forced and well... it ruined you.

anonymous
Joe Marfice 01/21/2011 14:46 PM

Your answer was pretty in sync with what we currently know about tickling, until you extrapolated:
> Interestingly, this “panic mode” is thought to have been an evolutionary protection against predators.

Actually, the panic mode that is thought to have been an evolutionary protection is knismesis (light tickling), and it was a protection from insects (fleas, ticks, mosquitoes), not predators (in the normal sense of the word).

Gargalesis (heavy, laugh-inducing tickling).... More

anonymous
DebinCO 01/21/2011 12:56 PM

When a cousin of mine used to tackle me and start tickling, I would be laughing hysterically (and not in a good way!) beyond the point of tears. I had to live with his mom and dad for three weeks one year and I was tickled every single day by that monster. To this day, if anyone even TRIES to tickle me, I completely shut down and start crying. It's awful. (And I'm 57 years old!) Unfortunately, even during the "act of love," if something my hubby is doing starts to feel like a tickle, that's it..... More

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