Laughter Is A Serious Business Part 1

Jokes have the power to grab our attention and focus our mind. Laughter can snap us out of melancholy, put things back into perspective, and provide the momentum to make the best of life.
B'miyut s'chok literally means "minimize laughter." Understand the dynamics and use laughter wisely. Laughter is a double-edged sword. When used improperly -- e.g. insulting others or causing light-headedness -- laughter can be destructive.
We need to define our terms. Why do we laugh?
Laughter is when the unexpected occurs. A toddler puts on her father's big shoes -- and we laugh. The president forgets his lines in a speech -- and we laugh. When two contrary elements are juxtaposed, the sudden surprise catches us off guard. And the more unexpected, the funnier it is.
Laughter is an integral part of emotional health. You don't have to watch TV to release tension. You just need to know a good joke, or have the comical sense to see absurdity in daily life and ... bang! You're smiling and can parlay that positive energy into movement, growth, and power for something meaningful you need to do.
Having a sense of humor is a sign of maturity, because it demonstrates a sense of proportion about what's truly important.
Growing and maturing is a process of learning to see all of life's issues in context. It is human nature to lose focus and get emotionally wrapped up in our day-to-day concerns. We can laugh in everyday life when we recognize the absurdity of a skewed perspective. Someone who breaks a shoelace may think his world is falling apart -- until he meets someone without a leg.
Children don't have this sense of proportion. They cry over trivial matters, and bear grudges over little things. An adult who does the same thing is acting childish. "Somebody stepped on my shadow, or somebody insulted me." It is out of proportion.
Try mocking your hang-ups and idiosyncrasies. When it is clear how ridiculous and ludicrous our situation is, the joke is on us.
"Laugh at your problems" does not mean ignore them; that would be irresponsible. Of course you have to deal with the source of your depression. But while you're stuck in it, trying to analyze the reason makes you even more depressed! If you can laugh at yourself for making too much out of something trivial, then you've achieved a necessary distance from your problems. That in turn will give you energy and perspective to deal with the more serious underlying cause.
Each day should be fresh. Don't come with preconceived notions. Laughter helps clear the air. So break out of it and have a laugh. Enjoy life. Don't pity yourself.
Laughter is a subconscious release of tension. Laughter gets rid of gloom, aggravation, depression, worry -- all forms of tension.
So use laughter consciously to break tension in yourself and others. In today's world, everyone is worried about the economy, nuclear missiles, taxes, corporate downsizing. These worries have made us so uptight that many people walk around like time bombs, ready to explode.
Laugh to release steam and uplift yourself. You don't realize how much tension you walk around with every day until you've had a good laugh to release that tension.
When speaking to someone who is tense, smile and tell a joke. Did it ever happen that you are in a terrible argument with a friend, with bad feelings and bad vibes, when all of a sudden you start laughing? Something struck you as ridiculous. All the bad feelings disappeared and you saw how absurd the whole fight was.
So use it consciously. To dispel anger during the middle of an argument, just start laughing. It will put everyone at ease. It is a powerful little gadget, this laughter.
Or if you're nervous about taking a test, laugh about it and say: "So what if I fail. Maybe I'll break the world record for the lowest score!" That sort of joking will relax you and make you more likely to pass the test.
Even just feigning laughter can lift your spirits and relax you. Get yourself a favorite joke that will work at all times and laugh. Remind yourself of that joke and you will start laughing. Laughing when you don't feel like it can itself be funny!