What America Needs is a Hearty Laugh

As some of our more egocentric politicians make trivial matters into large affairs, don’t they risk overlooking genuine problems that their constituents are begging them to address?

Doesn’t a sense of humor - which is one and the same as a sense of humility - offer an antidote to such self-absorption?

“Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.” - William James

Common sense, which Merriam-Webster describes as “sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts,” is no longer common.

Opinion is what is far too common now - opinion that’s not rooted in much of anything factual, but in everything emotional.

Opinion and sarcasm are closely related - opinion and self-seriousness are strongly related - but opinion and humor are not related often enough.

Look, America needs to restore its sense of humor. We need a good belly laugh for our own health and that of our republic.

“We change physiologically when we laugh,” reports WebMD. “We stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues.”

What our country needs is no more complicated than this great thought from a common-sense country singer:

“To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.” - Reba McEntire

Copyright 2021 Tom Purcell. Tom Purcell, author of "Misadventures of a 1970's Childhood," a humorous memoir available at amazon.com, is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist and is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons Inc. For info on using this column in your publication or website, contact Sales@cagle.com or call (805) 969-2829. Send comments to Tom at Tom@TomPurcell.com.