Because, millions of us are facing changed lifestyles due to COVID-19, we want to provide a brief diversion through humor. Yesterday, we looked at cartoons for a stay-at-home life. Now, we discuss the value of laughter for a stay-at-home life.
Defining Laughter
Before considering its value, what exactly is laughter? According to Wikipedia:
“Laughter is a physical reaction in humans. Usually, it consists of rhythmical, often audible contractions of the diaphragm. As well as other parts of the respiratory system. It occurs when we respond to certain external or internal stimuli. Laughter arises from such activities as tickling. Or from humorous stories or thoughts. Most commonly, laughter represents a visual expression of a number of positive emotional states. Including joy, mirth, happiness, relief, etc. On some occasions, however, occurs from contrary emotional states. These include embarrassment, apology, or confusion such as nervous laughter. Age, gender, education, language, and culture all indicate whether a person will experience laughter in a given situation. Sometimes, laughter is contagious. Then, the laughter of one person itself provoke laughter from others as a positive feedback”
“In one study, two humor researchers asked 80 people to keep a daily laughter record. And they found people laughed an average of 18 times per day. However, their study also found a wide range. With some people laughing as many as 89 times per day. While others laughed as few as 0 times per day.”
The Value of Laughter for a Stay-at-Home Life
To illustrate the value of laughter, we turn to Laughter Online University. Here, we highlight the first 10 of the 120 laughter quotes that it cites:
- [Humanity] has unquestionably one really effective weapon — laughter. Power, money, persuasion, supplication, persecution — these can lift at a colossal humbug — push it a little — weaken it a little, century by century; but only laughter can blow it to rags and atoms at a blast. Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand. — Mark Twain
- A good laugh heals a lot of hurts. — Madeleine L’Engle
- A good laugh is a mighty good thing, a rather too scarce a good thing. — Herman Melville
- A good laugh is sunshine in the house. — William Thackeray
- A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. — Phyllis Diller
- A smile starts on the lips, a grin spreads to the eyes, a chuckle comes from the belly; but a good laugh bursts forth from the soul, overflows, and bubbles all around. — Carolyn Birmingham
- A well-balanced person is one who finds both sides of an issue laughable. — Herbert Procknow
- Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand. — Mark Twain
- Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine. — Lord Byron
- Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator. But among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh. — W. H. Auden
Funny Jokes [We hope.]
As we said in our prior post, humor is in the eyes and ears of the beholder. Do you find these jokes funny? Do you find any to be groaners? 🙂
The jokes are extracted from Reader’s Digest s Top 50 Funniest:
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He’s not breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls 911. “I think my friend is dead!” he yells. “What can I do?” The operator says, “Calm down. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There’s a silence, then a shot. Back on the phone, the guy says, “OK, now what?”
“Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?” – George Carlin
A poodle and a collie are walking together when the poodle suddenly unloads on his friend. “My life is a mess,” he says. “My owner is mean, my girlfriend ran away with a schnauzer, and I’m as jittery as a cat.” “Why don’t you go see a psychiatrist?” suggests the collie. “I can’t,” says the poodle. “I’m not allowed on the couch.”
A skeleton walks into a bar. The bartender says, “What’ll you have?” The skeleton says, “Gimme a beer and a mop.”
The village blacksmith finally found an apprentice willing to work hard for long hours. The blacksmith instructed the boy, “When I take the shoe out of the fire, I’ll lay it on the anvil; and when I nod my head, you hit it with this hammer.” The apprentice did just as he was told. Now he’s the village blacksmith.
A mother asks her young sons what they want for breakfast. The first little boy says, “I’ll have some @#$%^& pancakes.” The mother angrily sends him to his room for cursing. She glares at the other little boy and asks, “What do you want for breakfast?!” The second boy says, “Well, I sure don’t want the @#$%^& pancakes!”
Want more? Click the image below to access Reader’s Digest’s light bulb joke page.
