Sometimes Laughter Is A Serious Matter

Just stop for a minute and think about how many times a day something or someone makes you smile. Then think about  how long it has been since you really laughed.  From deep inside you; a laugh you simply could not contain.

Children laugh an average of 400 times a day.  An adult laughs 15 to 20 times a day.

When did we stop laughing? What happened that made us lose our ability to laugh?

For the most part, maturity is associated with severity. Laughter is considered to be a key trait in childhood. It causes us to unconsciously earmark laughter as childish behavior and create mental patterns that cause us to reject it.

In this way  , we fall into the trap of saying that adulthood equals seriousness.  Then we lose our sense of humor, laughter and our ability to be surprised.

The fear of not being serious or being unprofessional makes us hide our laughter.  This could not be more contrary to the truth. It’s one thing to take everything as a joke, but another thing to have a sense of humor.

Paradoxically, laughter is the language of the intelligent person.  Ultimately, the nature of humor is to break the boundaries between people. With humor, we can break through the moldy dogmatic society. It gives us a different perspective or a different way of looking at things. And when we have different views, then we can appreciate all the little things.

Laughter like medicine

Laughter can help one see oneself from a distance and not take oneself so seriously. Laughter downplays the situation  and lets us see things from a different point of view.

Imagine this: if we get too close to it, then we can not enjoy it as a whole. We only see part of it. The same thing happens with problems. With laughter we can see “the great whole” from all sides. 

Save your sense of humor! Be sincere! A sincere sense of humor is one’s best chance at dealing with emotions.  Laughs of the long faces and the snobbish people. Laugh at your stupidities, your insecurities; laugh at your jealousy. There are probably sad faces. There is enough drama, adversity and pity.

Laugh at your clumsiness, your mistakes. Laughter releases and takes the weight off the shoulders.  It lets you fly. Have a laugh that is contagious. You will release stress and negativity. Smile right and left.  And smile even more to people who look at you with a serious facial expression. See if it spreads to them.

Go out and find an intelligent person you can laugh with, like two fools. The best relationships are built on a sense of humor.  Laughter gives us a sense of immediacy and cohesion with the other person. And there is nothing more fun than laughing with a friend about something only you understand. Even with the risk of looking stupid in front of others.

Appreciate those who make you laugh.  And it’s even better if you laugh hysterically. It does more for you than any sedative or happiness pill can do.

To get through life, we all need a sense of humor.  Remember that  sometimes laughter is the most serious thing.