What Value Does Laughter Hold?

Imagine having a job dedicated to exploring humor and laughter. It raises the question: does one need to be serious or light-hearted to engage in such a pursuit?

Research indicates that humor and laughter offer significant psychological and physiological advantages. There's nothing better than boosting both your mental and physical health. Did you know that humor can elevate your mood, alleviate stress, depression, and anxiety, while also enhancing your learning capabilities?

Long ago, King Solomon wisely remarked: > “A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing.” Proverbs 17:22a AMP

Clearly, happiness and laughter are closely linked.

Now, let’s delve into various aspects of life to uncover humor, gain insights, and perhaps share a laugh!

Politics and Governance

The more serious the topic, the greater the opportunity for humor, particularly when it concerns politics.

The current political landscape is so absurd that it’s hard not to find it funny. Who are the individuals we’ve elected into power? Oh right, it was us!

Can anything be truer about politics than: > “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.” — Groucho Marx

Why does Groucho’s statement resonate? Because it holds a kernel of truth.

Politics can negatively impact our lives, leaving us with little choice but to laugh—otherwise, it might drive us to madness!

Over a century ago, a famous author commented on Congress: > “Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.” — Mark Twain

Another notable figure from the last century stated something more relevant now than ever: > “Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.” — Will Rogers

And who could forget the words of a president? > “Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.” — Ronald Reagan

Writers and Their Craft

Now that we've addressed the serious nature of politics, let's focus on a profession populated by more amateurs than any other—writing.

In today's world, writing and publishing has never been more accessible. It’s estimated that nearly one million books and over 600 million blogs are released each year! That’s a vast number of individuals putting pen to paper. Surely, amidst all this activity, humor is bound to emerge.

Some of us follow the philosophy of Kingsley Amis: > “If you can’t annoy somebody, there’s little point in writing.”

Most writers share similar sentiments about critics, as expressed by Christopher Hampton: > “Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamppost how it feels about dogs.”

Do you sometimes worry about your overuse of contractions? > “Did you hear about the pregnant woman who went into labor and started shouting, ‘Couldn’t! Wouldn’t! Shouldn’t! Didn’t! Can’t!’? She was having contractions.” — Unknown

And drafts? They always seem to be a topic of humor: > “I am a writer. If I seem cold, it’s because I am surrounded by drafts.” — Unknown

Ever felt like this about your writing progress? > “I’m writing a book. I’ve got the page numbers done.” — Steven Wright

Or experienced this universal truth? > “It takes an awful lot of time to not write a book.” — Douglas Adams

One lesson every writer learns is: > “The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.” — Mary Heaton Vorse

And let's not forget the deadlines: > “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” — Douglas Adams

Finally, for the multitude of freelancers: > “The dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he’s given the freedom to starve anywhere.” — S. J. Perelman

Grammar Humor

Aren’t you relieved that the old rule against ending sentences with prepositions is outdated? Perhaps Winston Churchill had a hand in changing that: > “From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.”

Many words in English are overused, particularly those pesky adverbs. Offenders include words like actually, basically, currently, and very. > “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” — Stephen King

An adverb that we often overuse is “very.” To manage its use, consider this advice: > “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very,’ your editor will delete it, and the writing will be just as it should be.” — Mark Twain

And let’s not forget: > “Frankly, I wonder who Frank was, and why he has an adverb all to himself.” — Jodi Picoult

It can be exasperating when people confuse your with you’re, there with their, or to with too. Balancing the urge to correct grammar with maintaining friendships can be tricky.

A few quick one-liners to ponder: - Double negatives are a big no-no. - The passive voice should be avoided. - Synonym rolls: just like grammar used to make. - What dinosaur knows the most words? The thesaurus. - How do you comfort a grammar snob? “There, their, they’re.”

Truth in Humor

> “Humor is the whole truth.” — Frigyes Karinthy

There are moments when truth is the best source of humor. As Dick Cark noted, “Humor is always based on a modicum of truth.” A famous Irish poet also remarked: > “The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple.” — Oscar Wilde

Fashion serves as a prime example, constantly changing and difficult to keep up with: > “Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.” — Oscar Wilde

A noted comedian and social observer once said: > “Here’s all you have to know about men and women: women are crazy, men are stupid. And the main reason women are crazy is that men are stupid.” — George Carlin

Need more evidence? > “I have always noticed that people will never laugh at anything that is not based on truth.” — Will Rogers

Final Thoughts

How can you infuse humor into your day? It’s likely more accessible than you think. Open your eyes, and humor can be found everywhere!

If you have a smart speaker like Alexa, ask it for a joke of the day. They might be cheesy, but they can lift your spirits.

Another option is simply to search “joke” or “joke of the day” online, where you'll find ample material to spark a laugh.

Additionally, many humor pieces penned by talented authors are available on Medium.com. Just search for humor in the app to discover a wealth of stories and articles.

Lastly, YouTube is a treasure trove of funny videos, from stand-up routines to pranks and amusing animal clips.

If you can inject just one laugh into your day, you’ll enhance both your health and mood. Why not share a laugh with someone close to you? They will surely appreciate it.

Give it a try; you might just enjoy it!

For a quick chuckle, check out this classic video: Try It You’ll Like It (1972).

May you uncover much humor in life and frequently reap the benefits of laughter!