Sense of humor has been linked to intelligence; and I'm not surprised. I don't recall seeing a deer cracking up in the woods; but then I don't frequent the woods. Bears scare me.
Sobriety has its upsides, but only for a while. There's a reason so many authors and creative people died of substance abuse - they found it preferable to the alternative. The addition of ethanol to blood causes many a hidden talents to show. There's a reason "Hold my beer and watch!" is one of the most famous last words. Besides, no good story starts with "So I was eating salad...".
Making people laugh is serious business. It is tough being funny. If comedy was easy, we would be living in a different world. Lately I have observed many a stand-up comics, and the ones I enjoy listening to the most are the ones who make us think. After listening to stupid jokes about bodily functions or mothers-in-law for years, it was a pleasant change to listen to comics who talk about stuff which provokes thinking and makes us uncomfortable. Reminds me of a quote I read somewhere:
Because sometimes you don't see how ridiculous something is unless it is shown to you in a ridiculous light.
I didn't think much of the quote when I first came across it, but after listening to many serious comics (George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Bill Maher to name a few) I realize how true it is. It's almost as if it makes sense. Here are some gems from the man whom I consider to be a seer, and someone who saw the future 40 years ahead of time, George Carlin:
I’m completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.
Religion has convinced people that there’s an invisible man…living in the sky, who watches everything you do every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a list of ten specific things he doesn’t want you to do. And if you do any of these things, he will send you to a special place, of burning and fire and smoke and torture and anguish for you to live forever, and suffer and burn and scream until the end of time. But he loves you. He loves you and he needs money.
Humor is all the more important in the ever-busy lifestyles that have become the reality of the day. Nobody today has got time to kick their heels and chill in the middle of the week, unless you've already 'made it'. With our lives running like clockwork and rising stress levels, humor is the much-needed medicine that the old proverb talks about.
Life is short. And nobody ever got out alive. Seriousness is not the best trait if you want to live a happy life. As I recall reading:
Be sincere; not serious.