don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Where lives the man that has not tried
How mirth can unto folly glide,
And folly into sin!

~Sir Walter Scott, The Bridal of Triermain (1813)

We are familiar with the applications and benefits of humor in a medical context, for personal well-being and even for improving productivity at the workplace. But, might there be adverse side effects, which lead us into temptation if not peril, such as gliding into folly, followed by sin? If so, why isn't someone warning the American public about this? Is humor beyond moderation hazardous to your health?

Personally, I think that humor, mirth, and even belly laughs are worth any risks of adverse side effects. Laugh and be well, said Matthew Green (The Spleen) in the 17th century, and I think he was on to something.

Yes, any adverse side effects of humor, mirth, and belly laughs are worth risking for the pleasures and benefits of the experience. Happily, there really are no documented adverse effects from belly laughs that I'm aware of or want to hear about, but if there were I'm sure I'd ignore them!

OK, I can brainstorm a few risks, but these examples do not greatly concern me. Still, all illustrate theoretically possible problems, in a far-fetched sort of way:

• Someone's sense of humor is twisted and weird, off-key and unappreciated to the point where her too-frequent attempts at humor are just plain annoying and humor starts to lose its appeal with those affected.
  
  
• Someone is so enamored of the humor business that he devotes himself to becoming a comedian or comedy writer, but lacks either the requisite talent or the good fortune to make a go of this career choice (opportunities are limited!) and, after a time, ends up in a highly unamusing situation, namely, homeless and destitute.
  
  
• Crafty politicians, lawyers and used car salespersons who employ a dazzling armamentarium of humor so effectively that they manage to bamboozle, hornswoggle and otherwise charm voters, juries and buyers, respectively, leading all to make foolish decisions.

In addition to the above examples, there are surely times when belly laughs might be inappropriate, such as at solemn events like weddings, walking a tightrope between tall buildings, landing an F-14 Tomcat on an aircraft carrier, assisting in delicate surgical operations, (and most operations qualify as delicate, particularly to the patient) or other challenging activities that are best managed with concentration and a steady hand.

Have you ever laughed so hard your facial muscles hurt? If so, this means you are out of shape for humor. You are taking life too seriously. Your platismus, frontalis, and zygomaticus muscles used for smiling are poorly conditioned for mirth, not to mention for folly or sin. You need to work on this.

Humor is a great stress reliever and hormone stimulator. It also prompts the secretion of peptides called endorphins, which have a relaxing effect. A medical doctor who studies humor at Stanford University is often cited for his remark that a good belly laugh is a form of inner jogging. This is preposterous nonsense, but it's a great sound bite and is quoted approvingly at least once an hour, it seems, by major news sources. Laughter does benefit all body systems, but let's not get carried away. Besides, laughter is too important to be compared with inner (or outer) jogging.

When something cracks you up, go ahead and let the tears of joy flow. The lachrymal glands in your eyes will instinctively produce tears, which will, in turn, flush impurities from your eyes. This alone seems reason enough to justify belly laughs.

Psychoneuroimmunologists are the folks who study the impact of humor upon the nervous and immune systems. The late Norman Cousins, in his book Anatomy of an Illness, described to these researchers and the rest of us how he healed himself from a painful illness, in good measure by using the power of laughter. He said that after a good laugh he slept better and was pain-free for hours.

The workplace benefits of humor are well known. Shared laughter, for instance, creates a sense of community and builds more effective teams. Humor in work situations can also accelerate effective group interactions and promote more efficient and satisfying environments for all.

So lighten up. And don't worry about side effects. Go after the frontal benefits. And as for potential adverse side effects, well, consider the words of that very wise man, Sir Max Beerbohm, "Strange, when you come to think of it, that of all the countless folk who have lived before our time on this planet, not one is known in history or in legend as having died of laughter." (Laughter, 1894)

Enjoy, be well and always, please, try to look on the bright side of life.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MEANING DOMAIN under the skill area of humor. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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