The Value of Humour
Humour is the capacity of a person to perceive the ludicrous. He gets pleasure by noticing the incongruities he comes across in life. He laughs at himself and at others. Our life would he insipid, if we had no sense of humour. “If I had no sense of humour” said Gandhiji, “I should long ago have committed suicide.” In fact, a sense of humour is a great gift to mankind.
One who has a sense of humour has the power of sympathy. The wrong deeds of others do not irritate him. He sees the funny side of things. He knows how to adjust himself to new situations. He shows tolerance.
Humour is always constructive, but anger is destructive. Confucius once said, “An angry man is always full of poison.” He loses his self-control and quarrels with each and everyone. He may even fall foul of the law. At times, he will raise a storm in a tea-cup, but many unpleasant situations in life can be averted if we possess a sense- of humour.
Laughter is a good tonic. It soothes everyone. Those who can be humorous do not suffer from any sadness or depression. The proverb`Laugh and be fat’, is very significant. Laughter adds flavour to life. Film producers and writers know-its value
One of the important qualities of a good teacher is a sense of humour. It serves many purposes in a classroom. It keeps students attentive. It helps to give a true picture of many important subjects. In teaching literature it is good to show the humour of the great writers, establishing the idea that these men were human beings with many qualities. As a result, he can explain better the nobility of their achievements. Of course, some subjects like the sciences do not permit humorous treatment, but a wise teacher will manage in some way to bring in humour to the class: He knows that 55 minutes of work and 5 minutes of laughter are worth twice as much as 60 minutes of unvaried work. But humour must not be allowed to control a class. The real purpose of humour is to create a close relationship between the teacher-and-his students. When a class and its teacher all laugh together, they cease to be separated by age and authority. They become a unit, feeling pleasant and enjoying a shared experience.
One day an English professor was teaching a Shakespearean comedy. One of the students stood up and asked the difference between drama and melodrama. The professor replied,
“Well, in a drama the heroine merely throws the villain over. In a melodrama, she throws him over the cliff”
The whole class sat rapt and then chuckled.
One who has a sense of humour has a keen wit and fertile imagination. We are reminded of an amusing incident that took place in the life of Charles Darwin when he was a boy. Two of his friends made a strange new insect, taking some parts of a butterfly, a grasshopper, a beetle and a centipede. They asked Darwin, “Have you seen such a thing? And do you know its name?” After examining the bug and looking at the boys Darwin asked, “Did it hum when you caught it?” They said, “It did hum.” “Then, my lads,” said Darwin, “it must be a humbug.”
John Masefield, a famous English poet wants us to laugh and be merry together, like brothers and we should do it till our game of life on this planet is over.
