A Valuable Emotion – September 12, 1982
Good emotions are the best prescription for good health that we know of. Emotions can work miracles. There are many examples of individuals who seem to get well, not because of any treatment by their physicians, but because of the effects of their own positive emotions—happiness and the enthusiasm that comes with it, humor with its ability to relieve worry.
Humor can be an asset of the greatest magnitude. It is the ability to see the lighter side of things and to smile at ourselves and our troubles. It can help us contend with adversity and bring greater joy to living. Yes, a sense of humor is one of our most valuable emotions. In fact, many psychologists and psychiatrists are encouraging their patients to develop a sense of the ridiculous as an antidote for emotional distress.
Unfortunately, too many people don’t know how to cultivate this ability. It is more than telling each other to “look on the light side,” or “laugh it off.” And we’re not suggesting the kind of humor that comes from jokes and comic routines. Such things are often contrived and superficial, and probably not very therapeutic.
The extent to which our sense of humor can help us maintain our well-being is the extent to which it moves beyond jokes, beyond wit, beyond laughter itself. It is and must constitute a frame of mind, a point-of-view, a deep-going, far-reaching attitude about life.
When we operate with a sense of humor, we look at ourselves with a wider perspective, and we develop an appreciation of the ironies on which our lives are built. We see our own predicaments and our own adversities in the broad beam of the floodlight, rather than the narrow beam of the spotlight. And that makes each predicament a little less serious.
Developing a sense of humor will not eliminate the problem, but it will help us overcome the negative effect on our own physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Certainly, we all want good emotions so we can live freely and positively, so we can have the energy to do what we want and to enjoy it. And learning to develop a healthy, proper sense of humor is one of the aspects of emotional balance which will make our lives richer and more enjoyable.
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September 12, 1982
Broadcast Number 2,769