Humor acts to relieve fear. Dr. William F. Fry, Jr.
One of the best antidotes for fear is humor. A good laugh always tends to lighten the environment; takes one’s mind of the worries even if it is for a few minutes and above all helps us see life in a lighter vein. The wonder of humor is that it is unique to the human race and there are varieties of humor that one can appreciate. Good clean humor is often contrasted by crass humor, there could be slapstick humor that is contrasted by the more restrained tongue in cheek variety. There could be play with puns, a twist in the tale type humor, sarcsism a dangerous type of humor and simple jokes that play on images and vivid distortions of real life.
It takes a lot of courage to be able to see the lighter side of life when life poses life threatening challenges. What we really fail to appreciate is the reality that the good times and the bad times are both just temporary and that soon it will pass too. In fact, whatever our problems, once we have the right attitude to see things in a positive way, we would soon see the bright side of life. This means we can even joke about catastrophe and death without the fear or guilt. The wonder of life is in the reality that even a pauper can see the humorous moments in life and laugh forgetting all his/ her worries and cares. It shines in the gags of a comedian when taking on the glum business of death and it peaks when a person on death bed can wipe away the tears of his/ her loved ones with a witty one liner.
There is a danger in humor too. Humor when misunderstood could create a big wedge in a wonderful relationship. In fact, a joke gone too far and too wrong can create a wedge in the deepest of friendships and unless both parties sober down and pardon one another and clear the air, humor can actually trigger fear of more misunderstandings. Sarcasm is an extremely dangerous type of humor. If not handled carefully it can hurt deeply and create wedge that could be near impossible to patch up again. The problem with sarcsism is that it cuts through sharply and deeply because the joke is on an individual and the world a laughs loudly and heartily at the poor individuals expense.
Your life is really enriched if you have a sense of humor and can lighten the air around no matter what the situation. If not, the next best thing is to ensure you have at least one good friend with a good sense of humor who will their wit and repartee, never let the bitterness of the moment or the misery of the occasion overwhelm those present. Actually if one were to study the acronym FEAR, the irony of it won’t be lost on us for it reads False Evidence Appearing Real….can things get funnier than that?
Remember: “A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It’s jolted by every pebble on the road.” Henry Ward Beecher
Try this:
- Pick up some of the good humorous books and enjoy the laughs. If you like animals and love humor do try the book My Family and other Animals by Gerard Durell. You can also try any of the books by James Herriot like All Creatures Great and Small etc. You can also try some of Mark Twain’s books or some of the P.G.Woodhouse books. You have to find your own brand of humor and the books that fit into it.
- The Readers Digest is a wonderful source for a wide variety of humor. You can pick up any copy old or new and enjoy the wonderful humor that is clean, entertaining and often very real life.
This post is courtesy www.actspot.com
You are also invited to visit our WEEKLY Inspirational and Motivational Blog www.poweract.blogspot.com
