Today’s ongoing political news and the concern that little will ever change, means these political times are No Laughing Matter!
But a healthy dose of humor may be the prescription we need to cope with politics today. I am not suggesting that we laugh our way through war and political conflict, but learning to balance the bad news with laughter is a good idea.
Laughter can foster a positive and hopeful attitude. We are less likely to succumb to feelings of political depression and helplessness when thinking about the magnitude of the challenges that face the world. Humor gives us a sense of perspective and actually creates biochemical changes in our body that are good for us.
Here are a few other ways that scientific studies have shown that laughter helps us:
• Carefully controlled medical studies show that laughter stimulates the immune system and off-sets the destructive effects of stress.
• Belly laughs strengthen the stomach muscles and are an equivalent to an “an internal jogging” and is good for the cardiac muscles.
• A belly laugh empties our lungs of more air than it takes in resulting in a cleansing effect similar to deep breathing.
• Changing our mood from gloom to lightheartedness allows us to perceive and appreciate life’s complex paradoxes and provides moments of joy.
There is now evidence that people are more open to new thoughts and possibilities when they laugh together. What a helpful idea! Maybe our political leaders should require a morning joke before Congress opens for work each day---breaking the ice and changing the political ill-will that has frozen their ability to work together.
Norman Cousins brought the healing power of humor into public awareness in 1964. After being diagnosis with a crippling and extremely painful form of arthritis, Cousins decided to investigate the healing aspects of positive emotions and humor as a way to heal his arthritis.
In his hospital room, Cousins would watch 30 minutes of funny movies and discovered the laughter allowed him at least two hours of pain-free sleep. He took notes on his progress and within 6 months he was fully recovered. He detailed his experience in his 1979 best selling book, Anatomy of Illness.
Cousins did not deny the reality and seriousness of his illness. He intuitively knew that gloom and doom thinking would only make matters worse. By facing his condition with resolve and looking for new and breakthrough ways to heal himself, he was both a realist and an optimist.
Laughing in the face of adversity as the best way to triumph over it, is the theme of the 1999 best picture Life is Beautiful. The main character, Guido does the unthinkable---finds humor in the horror of the holocaust.
In this movie, Guido made millions of viewers laugh and cry at the same time. He discovered laughter as a way to shield his son from the dread of daily living inside a concentration camp.
Accepting the weightiness of our political challenges means we take a lesson from Norman Cousins and Guido and use wit and humor as a way to begin to heal our broken body politic. We do not explain away political realities---rather, we use laughter to lighten the load so we are able to persevere and see new possibilities in the midst of darkness.
Humor should never be aggressive, demeaning and sarcastic or it may not have healing affects. For many political pundits, it is tempting to use dark political humor in response to all that we don’t like. But caustic humor may be more damaging, since it adds to the cynicism and hopelessness.
Here are a few ideas to add humor to your life. These are basic things you can do to help you feel better, which is essential if we are going to lend our voices and actions to creating a more peaceful and collaborative system of politics. Try these suggestions:
• Watch more funny movies that make you laugh and watch less violence.
• Read funny books (my favorite is Wally Lamb’s I Know This Much Is True)
• Spend less time with serious, brooding people and more time with your funny friends.
• Attend a comedy show. My husband and I love live improvisational comedy shows.
• Purposefully look for the absurdity and humor in all situations. You might surprise yourself at how easily this new skill can develop.
Go ahead and watch the nightly news and follow the political blogs but also pop in a DVD that makes you laugh before you go to bed. No kidding! Stay informed with what is going on in the world but know that it is essential to balance the difficult news with the healing aspects of laughter.
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