Today is May 9 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How often do you laugh at yourself?”
According to research, laughing at yourself is one sure way to navigate the chaos.
Doing so demonstrates that you have an optimistic personality and a good sense of humor.
New research indicates those who are able to laugh at themselves are more cheerful and less serious than people who fake it.
Researchers tested the phenomena by first asking the study participants if they are able to laugh at themselves. Then, they took secret footage of the study participants as they saw — and laughed at — distorted pictures of themselves. Researchers found those who maintained an to laugh at themselves had little, if any, correlation to how much they laughed at the images of other people.
Thus, laughing at one’s self might have more to do with a specific character trait, rather just recognizing a funny photo when you see one. In addition to being good for spirits, laughter has also been shown in past research to boost health.
Susan Sparks, author of Laugh Your Way to Grace: Reclaiming the Spiritual Power of Humor, noted “If you can laugh at yourself, you can forgive yourself…and if you can forgive yourself, you can forgive others.” In this personal and funny look at humor as a spiritual practice, Susan Sparks―an ex-lawyer turned comedian and Baptist minister―presents a convincing case that the power of humor radiates far beyond punch lines.
American actress and ‘First Lady of the American Theater’ Ethel Barrymore noted “You grow up the day you have your first real laugh at yourself.”
How often do you laugh at yourself?