In The Face Of Adversity, Humor Will Always Be Your Best Ally
A sense of humor is one of the most valuable and rewarding resources in the face of adversity. Knowing how to maintain a sense of humor even in the most critical circumstances helps us to stay upright, not to collapse.
There is a relationship between positive emotions and the ability to recover. Studies show that keeping positive emotions alive in the face of adversity facilitates thought flexibility and problem solving.
“Anyone who will be able to maintain a constant good humor and a sense of humor will not break or fall apart in the most critical situations and will become a true human fortress.”
-Bernabé Tierno-
Confront adversity with humor
One of the essential characteristics of resilient people is their sense of humor. Resilient people are able to laugh at adversity and make jokes about their own woes. In the face of adversity, laughter is the best ally of resilient people because it helps give them hope. In addition, it allows them to have a more global attention: by recording the negative aspects but also the positive ones.
While some research indicates that psychological resilience is a relatively stable personality trait, one study suggests that positive emotions protect this sort of “hidden force”. This is not to say that positive emotions are simply a by-product of resilience, but rather that feeling positive emotions during stressful experiences can have adaptive benefits in the individual’s coping process.
“Humor is very important. It is our greatest natural resource that must be preserved at all costs. “
-James Thurber-
Humor and health
Laughter is a powerful antidote against stress, pain and conflict. Nothing works faster or more efficiently, to balance body and mind, than a good laugh. Humor eases pain, gives you hope, connects you to others, and keeps you balanced and alert.
Positive emotions in the face of adversity also play a role in physiological outcomes. For example, at a physiological level, humor causes improvements in the functioning of the immune system and increased levels of immunoglobulin A in saliva. This type of immunoglobulin is a vital antibody in the system, which acts as the first line of defense against respiratory illnesses.
In addition, it has been proven that facing adversity with humor is associated with faster recovery from physical injuries. In addition, it reduces the recurrence rates of diseases that require hospitalization in the elderly, as well as reducing a patient’s stay in hospital, among other benefits.
“A sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools we have for ensuring a good everyday state of mind and an emotional state that promotes good health. “
-Paul E. McGhee-
Happy people thrive in adversity
When faced with difficulties and adversity, there are only two possible options: to grow up or to suffer. It’s a question of attitude. Happy people, with their optimistic and cheerful attitude, choose to grow up. It may seem very difficult for most people to understand. Changing your attitude and dealing with pain is not easy, but possible.
Viktor Frankl writes in his book Man’s search for meaning: “We can take everything away from man, with the exception of one thing: the ultimate human freedom, the choice of the personal attitude he must adopt in the face of destiny to decide its own path. These words take on even more meaning when we consider that Frankl spent several years locked up in Nazi concentration camps.
As Nietzsche wrote, “Whoever has a why that takes the place of a goal, of a finality, can live with any how.” As long as we have a reason to move forward, we will have a source of energy from which to draw our strength. Happy people have a why, they have found their reason and face with humor and optimism what happens to them because only in this way can they stay focused on their goal.
“Prosperity does not exist without fear and disgust, nor adversity without consolation and hope”
-Francis Bacon-
When adversity strikes, we can become better. We can challenge ourselves and grow more, do things we would never think of doing. Research has shown that happy people actually thrive in adversity. Far from standing still, they rely on hope to gradually gain the advantage over the storm. Why not you ?
