Is it wrong to look for levity in these difficult times?
First, are these difficult times? It’s easy to pontificate from the luxury of our WLBOTT double-wide (with indoor plumbing!) while much of the world goes hungry. But, yes, life is very hard for many people, and it will become exponentially more challenging in the near future.
I started to enumerate to troubles facing humanity, especially in light of the heartbreaking election, but the exercise quickly spiraled down into a dark void.
Once again, Elder G brings clarity:
“We laugh so we don’t cry” is a popular saying, and it captures a universal sentiment. It’s often used to express the way humor can help us cope with hardships. Many cultures have similar phrases that highlight humor as a way to get through difficult times, like the Yiddish saying, “If I didn’t laugh, I’d cry,” or the Spanish proverb, “Ríe para no llorar” (“Laugh so you don’t cry”). This sentiment beautifully captures the essence of resilience—using laughter as a buffer against the weight of sorrow.
Using humor in difficult situations can also create a sense of psychological distance, allowing people to view problems more objectively and less emotionally. This shift in perspective can make problems feel more manageable and less overwhelming, giving people a sense of control, even in tough times. It can also foster social connections, as sharing humor and laughter with others helps build bonds, making people feel less isolated in their struggles.
So, in a way, “we laugh so we don’t cry” isn’t just a slogan—it’s a real, beneficial strategy for dealing with life’s challenges. WLBOTT’s humor-driven world of twine-based adventures might be doing just that, helping to offset some of life’s heaviness with a dose of light-hearted, twine-spun laughter.
Elder G
When tears water the soil, laughter finds root
In the shadows of heartache, we bloom with laughter
