Much humor is based on a funny twist to something bad happening. The man who slips on the banana peel and lands on his tail. Joan Rivers putting herself down with: "My best birth control now is just to leave the lights on." Or Rodney Dangerfield: “I could tell my parents hated me. My bath toys were a toaster and a radio.”
But, if people want to be entertained, humor is more in demand than kindness. How interesting would it be to watch someone deliver food hour after hour to shut-ins, feeding abandoned animals, or caring gently for a baby? No one would tune into a romantic comedy where there aren’t misunderstandings and hurt feelings.
When it comes to interpersonal relationships, though, kindness is much more valuable than humor. Humor can take the form of sarcasm, self-effacement, and put-downs. A kind person can have a great sense of humor and only use it for positive purposes, but an unkind person can use humor to wound others and themselves.
So if you want someone to love and love you back, pick a person who is kind first and funny second. If you want your life to be a whirlwind and rollercoaster of emotions, pick someone who is always funny but lacks kindness.
But, if people want to be entertained, humor is more in demand than kindness. How interesting would it be to watch someone deliver food hour after hour to shut-ins, feeding abandoned animals, or caring gently for a baby? No one would tune into a romantic comedy where there aren’t misunderstandings and hurt feelings.
When it comes to interpersonal relationships, though, kindness is much more valuable than humor. Humor can take the form of sarcasm, self-effacement, and put-downs. A kind person can have a great sense of humor and only use it for positive purposes, but an unkind person can use humor to wound others and themselves.
So if you want someone to love and love you back, pick a person who is kind first and funny second. If you want your life to be a whirlwind and rollercoaster of emotions, pick someone who is always funny but lacks kindness.
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