I follow 8fact on
Facebook and I saw a factoid today that I strongly believe in.
A research conducted on comedians and people generally
perceived as humorous showed that funny people are usually more depressed than
others.
In order to mock the
world around them, funny people must first be clever enough to see it for what
it truly is. Our world is a deeply screwed up and depressing place. You can’t
put a comical spin on what you don’t see. When things are dark and awful, you
can laugh or cry. Funny folks choose to have others laugh with/at us.
Lewis Black is
considered an extremely funny guy but would you ever describe him as happy?
Most of his specials are prolonged rants about what’s real in life. Christmas
showing up Hanukkah? True. Starbucks inescapably out of control? Fact. Celebrities
getting stupider? Totally a thing. His observational humor is hilarious but in
order to get to funny he had to get frustrated at first.
Most people try to deal
with their issues or push them down and ignore them. Comedians exploit them.
Neurotic or OCD? Laugh at my oddities. Can’t sustain a relationship? Schadenfreude
humor. Plagued by racial stereotypes? Comic fodder. Your family is a complete
nightmare? Let’s hear a story about last Christmas.
One of my best, and oft
requested stories, is about a date where I almost had a panic attack. It’s a
great story but I can’t tell it more than twice in a night because I have to
relive what almost drove me to the panic attack each time.
My friends would
absolutely tell you I’m funny. I have a dry, sarcastic wit and a bit of
blackness to my humor. You don’t get those things from seeing the world as a
haven to rainbows and kittens. In the past I have been depressed to the point
where I should have been talking to a professional but couldn’t afford it. I’m
better now but I am no stranger to Eeyore days. I’ve just gotten better at
spotting those days and trying to cut them off at the pass.
To paraphrase PostSecret
founder Frank Warren, every person you meet is fighting a hard battle and if
you knew it, it would break your heart. I believe every person who can make you
laugh could just as easily tell you a story to break your heart. We choose to
laugh instead of cry.
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