We Can All Use Some Humor

I recently stumbled upon a funny online article titled, “It’s Not Entertaining. It’s Having People Over,” by Alison Roman. It was about changing the concept of entertaining guests to frame it simply as having people over, and it made me pause. I was not expecting to laugh or learn a lesson about humor as I read the article, but it was probably one of the funniest and most thought-provoking pieces of writing I have read in awhile.

Roman probes at her audience with this following excerpt from her article. “This is not about living an aspirational life; it’s about living an attainable one. You know, the one that comes with not really having enough time to braise a whole pot of short ribs before people arrive (but you try anyway), accidentally burned cakes (just cut those parts off), and not enough chairs to seat everyone at once (sit on the floor?). It’s the life we live, it’s little bit messy, it’s nothing fancy — I’m sure you wouldn’t want it any other way” (Roman, 2019).

This excerpt highlights a core and prevalent human trait: imperfection. As humans, no one is perfect, and yet it is so easy to forget that. Rather, it is all too easy to take things too personally, too seriously, and too catastrophically. However, it is okay if everything does not turn out perfectly. Taking ourselves too seriously can cause stress to pile high in our minds, when alternatively, we can be lighthearted about our shortcomings. Worrying can be a mood-killer, whereas making the best of the circumstance can shift the atmosphere of a room.

College, and today’s culture in general, has a way of making us feel that if we do not end up in a financially competitive position in our lives, then we must be doing something wrong. I would like to refute that stance and bring us back to what life can be on its own.

Do you remember laughing and playing with other kids as a child? I hope that you do. There is no reason for us to be robbed of that same humor and silliness that kids experience. We know that life can be difficult, and requires hard work, but it is also meant to be enjoyed. Hard times may come, but they do not last forever.

To add some more “food” for thought, humor can be a substantial factor of attraction and mate selection. Within the study, “Effect of Humor on Interpersonal Attraction and Mate Selection”, results indicated that targets with a good sense of humor received significantly higher ratings of attractiveness and suitability than targets with an average or no sense of humor. Although correlation does not imply that funniness causes attraction to increase, it does provide an interesting take on the effect of humor (McGee and Shelvin, 2010).

Many of us may feel so much pressure at school or in different activities that we can forget to spend time with family and friends, but those moments with loved ones are opportunities to connect and unwind. Humor is a quality in life that adds a bit of relief when we are consumed by stress or stuck in the mundane. Humor can be the spark that takes us, “from living to existing.” The best part is that humor does not have to take long. We can all take a moment to look up a funny video, share something funny, or have a laugh with a friend.

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