I think my favorite type of person is one who laughs easily, and my least favorite person is one who decides not to laugh at something funny because of their own agenda.
I observed this the other day while watching a very funny sketch during the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. The camera shows some people in the crowd who are actively not laughing. Sure, humor is subjective, but it’s clear that at least a few of those people aren’t laughing due to their political leanings.
It’s not always political. Sometimes someone will choose not to laugh because they simply don’t like someone. Whatever the reason, I’m much more drawn to people who choose to laugh rather than those who choose not to.
I wonder if this is one of the reasons Jimmy Fallon has been so successful in taking over the Tonight Show. Leno and Letterman were/are so cynical. They laugh, but they also have this too-good-to-laugh demeanor about them. Fallon, on the other hand, can’t stop laughing, and I think people are drawn to him for it.
What do you think? Do you laugh easily? Have you ever chosen not to laugh for your own agenda? I have, and I wish I hadn’t.
That’s why I like Fallon too. He couldn’t stop himself from laughing on Saturday Night Live lol.
Indeed, he was known for breaking on SNL. I enjoyed watching that. 🙂
I actually use Fallon as an example when I’m teaching classes. It’s not even that he laughs so much — it’s that he just has no problem expressing the sheer JOY he feels in what he’s doing sometimes.
I think my favourite clip is still him and the Roots singing along to Let It Go with Idina Menzel. You can just see, several times, in the clip where he’s thinking, “I’m trying to keep up with Idina Menzel”, and starts laughing. And then close to the end, he just decides to go with it, and belt out the big note alongside her.
Finding that joy in what you’re doing is such an important part of life.
Stu: Excellent word choice–it’s all about joy, isn’t it? Well said.
I’ve never thought about it so specifically, but now that you mention it, it’s one of the things I most adore my wife for. I will turn the channel to funniest home videos while cooking just to enjoy my wife laughing. My darkest days turn bright because of this trait of hers. So, yeah. I agree with you 100%. Although a good straight man can be just as funny.
Dave: That’s awesome! I’m glad you found someone like that.
I LOVE Jimmy Fallon for this reason (but I am a biased laughter professional). When he was on SNL or doing stand up, he’s technically terrible at his job, he can never keep a straight face. But it’s so freaking endearing, you get to laugh and have fun WITH him, which is so unusual. But in all seriousness (hah), doing laughter yoga once a week has made me laugh very easily all the time. It’s awesome!