Being Funny Can Be a Literal Life-Saver
Humor helps us see the insignificance of our own circumstances.
“Humor is the great thing, the saving thing after all. The minute it crops up, all our hardnesses yield, all our irritations and resentments flit away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.” — Mark Twain
I’m tired of holding my breath, worried I might say or do something I consider humorous in front of others who may not be receptive. What if no one else gets the joke? Am I the only person who thinks a cat with an ingenious way to blow out a birthday candle is funny? I don’t think so. Seriously, how could anyone not laugh out loud at that video?
But back to the source of my discontent.
For much too long, I’ve been noticing a lot of people with sullen, emotionless faces roaming the planet. Merely existing in physical form, they wander about with droopy eyes, straight-laced lips, and a complete and total disinterest in what’s going on around them.
I began to wonder ... what would it take to break such a bleak state of mind, aside from free ice cream?
According to an article by Matt Davis in World Economic Forum, “Being funny is possibly one of the best things you can do for your health. You can almost think of a sense of humor as your mind’s immune system. People at risk for depression tend to fall into depressive episodes when exposed to some kind of negative stimuli, and afterwards, it becomes easier and easier for them to relapse into depression. However, reframing a negative event in a humorous light acts as a kind of emotional filter, preventing the negativity from triggering a depressive episode.”
In my opinion, the problem is obvious, though we may not want to admit it.
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