The word “humour” is derived from the Latin, which means “liquid or fluid or something related to moistness”. The word’s first appearance in the English language was in 1340, and since then, it has been widely used worldwide. Humour is also a comedy genre primarily associated with the English playwright Ben Johnson. The imbalance in humour is responsible for an individual’s four moods: sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, and melancholic. Currently, the word “humour” primarily points to a good temperament or state of mind, abolishing those ideas about it in the past. It is noble if someone can make other people laugh with their wit, commonly known as the sense of humour’.
A person with a good sense of Humor is likeable by others, and people love to have their company because they add value to their daily life routine by making them happy. It is an essential and healthy component in relationships as well. The relationship with Humor tends to last longer than those without it. When someone says, “You have a good sense of humor,” it is taken as a compliment. Therefore, it would not be wrong to consider humour the real spice of life.
A good sense of Humor can be a panacea to all diseases because, as the age-old proverb goes, a healthy mind lives in a healthy body. It acts as a protective armour against all the tensions and worries of day-to-day life and enables us to keep moving forward. It is a revitalising agent that adds new vigour to life by helping us escape odd situations. It makes us strong enough not to get upset at every misfortune and battle of life. But one should never forget that if a joke hurts the sentiments or feelings of another person, such as jokes about their personal lives, which they are not comfortable with, or about their relationships, these things never come under the domain of humour. Inappropriate laughter is a synonym for a psychiatric disorder called schizophrenia due to anxiety or stress. A good-humoured person is often admired by people and has a friendly spirit.
Humor adds adventure to life. A happy person is more unlikely to get sick compared to a person who is always gloomy or in a depressed state. Humor improves health. It is also a good habit that should be cultivated throughout life. A good-humored person ages gracefully. Instead of being bedridden, that person enjoys life to the fullest at this ripe age. If we keep on focusing on the dark side of life, we will never be able to see the beautiful side of life. The average life span of a human being is 70–80 years, which might seem a lot, but it is just a blink of an eye compared to the universe. Humor will add beautiful memories to life which we can cherish forever. Humor is the defining characteristic between an optimist and a pessimist. A humorous person always becomes the centre of attraction in formal meetings or informal parties. It also improves the self-confidence of an individual. A person with humour knows how to derive happiness from little things in life. He never wanders about like a loner having no one to talk to.
Humor is a unifying force. It has the incredible power to unite people of all faiths and religions and unite the world. It can liberate man from the prison of narrowness, break the artificial barrier and merge all miseries into happiness. Humor refines the character of a person. It is the characteristic of great men too. Mahatma Gandhi, Stephen Hawking, Swami Vivekananda, APJ Abdul Kalam, etc., among the most remarkable men of recent times, had unparalleled wit and humour. A good-humored person can laugh at a joke about himself. The Merchant of Venice, one of Shakespeare’s greatest works, had a lot of humour in it, making it enjoyable for the reader to read.
We understand the importance of the seriousness of life because if we are not serious about certain things in life, we will never be able to attain our goals. But if it increases beyond certain levels, it will become chronic and steal life’s true beauty. Short-tempered people will find it difficult to enjoy life as they get angry even when a small thing goes wrong. Humor and laughter can increase dopamine levels in the body, which causes a sense of euphoria. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for motor control, arousal, motivation, and reinforcement. A balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are responsible for the increase in dopamine and help the brain perform at its best. That is why Humor and laughter are like rewards to the brain, which keeps us motivated.
People have set up laughter clubs for people, especially the older generation, to introduce humour into their lives. The main motive of these clubs is to reduce stress and anxiety levels. Laughter also boosts our immune systems, which is essential during old age. It stimulates the lymphatic system. But these clubs have very little Humor in them. Humor helps us view life differently, neglecting all its flaws. It allows us to relax a bit in our busy day-to-day lives. Therefore, be humorous and spread humour.
