Definitely don't think it is "children's movie talk". Absolutely everything in life revolves around and is comprised of energy - it affects absolutely everything! We are all receptive to the giving off as well as picking up of people's energies and this can be through direct contact as well as from great distances, because thoughts carry intention, which carries energy.

I am particularly susceptible to the energies of those around me and they often affect me quite profoundly. This can be both a positive and negative experience, but I have actually learned to fine tune this and am now able to differentiate between if what I am feeling is my own energy or is coming from somewhere / somebody else.

With regards to the negative aspects of it, I absolutely agree with you! I have been exposed to some pretty dark circles of people throughout my life and I can absolutely promise you that there are individuals out there who intentionally energetically feed off (most commonly) people who are more positive.

What if laughter along with light, love, joy, peace, goodness, and similar vibrations are actually more powerful energies?

They most certainly ARE! This is precisely why those who are filed with the opposite have the need to feed off the opposite.

It is a fascinating and incredibly complex topic.

Nice post :)