You know from just about every presentation you've watched or every concert you've attended that applause is a good indicator of an audience's enjoyment of a particular event. But why do we all feel obliged to slap our meat hooks together in order to show approval? It's certainly not law, and nobody is pointing a gun at your face.
Clapping is a very interesting body practice, as it is one we rarely give thought to. Since we were drooling pudgy babies, our parents influenced our docile bodies by applauding at everything they thought was impressive, which in turn taught us how to physically appreciate pleasing performances. How is it that we came to clap our hands, instead of pounding our chest for instance? Or maybe instead of making noise, we showed approval by remaining absolutely silent?
In addition to applause, we have been taught to adopt a certain body language at sporting events and other entertainment performances. We raise our hands, swing our arms, and jump about, surely giving outsiders ample evidence to prove our insanity if we were standing alone. As it has become common practice to go nuts at social events, those who do not participate in the actions of the crowd are often seen as sticks in the mud. Therefore, the intelligible body is one that follows the bodily practices of the surrounding individuals. Perhaps in the future we may all snap our fingers after a good play?
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