Norman Lear: Laughter is the Secret to My Longevity

Legendary writer and producer Norman Lear has always believed in the power of laughter, both in his work and his own life. The iconic characters and TV shows he created redefined comedy in the 1970s by raising social awareness, while at the same time making us laugh. He showed us that humor with humanity can connect us.

93 years of life has taught Norman that laughter might be the secret to his longevity.

"You write that when we laugh together, we are one. How does laughter elevate the human experience?" Oprah says.

"I believe my longevity has depended a great deal on the amount of laughter I've had in my life," Norman says. "You know, I love thinking about this. I could cry thinking about this. You stand behind an audience, as I did time and again when Archie Bunker was at his funniest, let's say. When an audience laughs together, every seat's, you know, side by side, they tend to come up and out of their chairs a little and down and then back up again."

In the above video, Norman explains why he believes there may be no greater unifying spiritual expression than when we laugh together.