Chesterton said in his work Orthodoxy (1908): “The reason angels can fly is because they don’t take themselves too seriously.” Here lies one of the most important, liberating, and valuable aspects of facing life with good humor: being able to fly, that is, accepting and considering what happens to us with an optimistic attitude.

A person is said to be in a “good mood” when he or she tends to be cheerful, while a person is said to be in a “bad mood” when his or her attitude is negative or he or she gets irritated easily.  There is a widespread myth that having a sense of humor is equivalent to knowing how to tell jokes. Another myth holds that some people are born with the gift of being “funny” and others are not.  Everyone can possess a certain amount of good humor. This attitude can be learned, even trained. Humor manifests itself at any point in a person’s life cycle, even on their deathbed.

Laughter and good humor are the best and cheapest medicines, and they combat, at the very least, bad moods. A healthy family environment requires the presence of positive humor in everyday life, in all its forms. Children love to laugh, and they love jokes. They discover this spontaneously a few weeks after birth.  That first smile awakens in us the greatest tenderness and the best feelings.  Throughout childhood, laughter will accompany them and fill the home with one of the most beautiful sounds.

A sense of humor also constitutes a wonderful strategy to be able to be assertive and express our opinion, when we do not agree with the other person’s speech or their attitude is hurting us, and the reason is very simple, the other person will not perceive us as an opponent, and we may activate their ability to listen, reflect and rectify.

Let’s try to activate our sense of humor, bring warmth to social relationships, and trust in the beneficial effect of joy on ourselves and those around us.   We possess this ability from birth, even if we’re deaf or blind and have never heard or seen anyone laugh. Being in a good mood doesn’t take much and will be very rewarding for us, our family, and our friends.  Let’s dare to be funny, let’s be able to laugh at our own mistakes and our own inadequacies, and learn how to grow and improve as people without losing our sense of humor.