I accidentally read the funniest joke ever written. It changed my life.

This experience taught me everything I needed to know about dopamine.

Back in 2015, I was into comedy. I was a small town boy not afraid to offend a few ears to get some good laughs. And I definitely got laughs. I stole a few jokes, and had a few of my own, but I was spending a lot of time reading jokes. And during that time, I found the funniest joke ever written.

The thing is, the funniest joke ever written will make you laugh for hours. Maybe not at the same time, but it will linger with you forever. You will be able to think back to that very joke, and it will be funny. But every time you hear it, it will be just a little less funny.

When we laugh, we release endorphins, dopamine and oxytocin, which are all feel-good, reward and trust chemicals which act magically in your brain. Depending on what culture you’re in, clever jokes will make you laugh.

What makes a joke funny?

When you’re a kid, pretty much anything can make you laugh. A hand sticking up from behind a person’s head, a pacifier choo-choo train, just saying literal non-sense can make you crack up.