International Joke Day – a reminder to smile and enjoy life
- By Eugene Clark
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 1, 2015
Laughter is a business asset. People buy things and negotiate on favorable terms with people they like and a gift of making people laugh is one of the most important attribute successful business people, especially in sales, can possess.
Humor is an important part of culture. While different cultures and sub-cultures may have different notions of what is "funny," at another level humor is a universal language and there are universal motifs that are funny in all cultures. Humor has been the source of entertainment throughout history. Today humor is practiced in movies, plays, songs, television shows and radio. Humor has brought fame and fortune to those who have mastered its power.
Humor of course can be misused, for example to ridicule, to put down another, to be cruel. Sometimes humor can be "sick" and regarded as crude.
Humor can also be used for quite serious ends. Take for example the case of satire. As Peter De Vries wrote: "The satirist shoots to kill while the humorist brings his prey back alive and eventually releases him again for another chance."
Personally, when I think of humor, many special memories flood my mind. First is my Grandpa Roets who always made us laugh with a joke, wearing a silly hat, teasing and infecting us with his own laughter and joyous mood.
We also learn humor from our siblings. As the oldest of six children I have many "family" stories to tell of my younger brothers and sisters and all the silly/crazy things they did growing up.
International joke day is a day when we should paint our skies blue. Celebrate and thank all those who have brought joy into your life through the gift of humor. It is time to lighten up and not take ourselves quite so seriously. Watch a funny movie or TV show. Read a funny book, play with your children and grandchildren. Spend time with your friends, your pet – do anything that lightens your mood and brings some much needed laughter into your life. As William Arthur Ward wrote: "A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life."
Eugene Clark is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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