The Importance of Humor for Personal Development

Donna Nichols • April 13, 2021

The Importance of Humor for Personal Development

Mark Twain said that “Humor is the great thing, the saving thing after all. The minute it crops up, all our hardnesses yield, all our irritations, and resentments flit away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.”

What a great statement! Laughter is the best medicine after all!

Importance of Humor for self development

 Having a sense of humor is beneficial in so many ways. Did you know that a sense of humor can improve your overall health? Yes, that’s right! Not all humor is good, when you use humor to degrade others or yourself this can have a negative impact on you and your well-being.

Let’s face it, life is difficult and just plain unfair at times, but having a sense of humor about things life deals you can help ease the pain.

As Payne Stewart said, “If you can’t laugh at yourself, then how can you laugh at anybody else? I think people see the human side of you when you do that”.

Having a good sense of humor helps your emotional and physical well-being, laughter helps the body relax by releasing endorphins, which are your body’s natural pain relievers.

Laughter also increases your brain activity , boosts your immune system, and helps you fight illnesses.

A good sense of humor at work is important for your personal development as well. If you are able to laugh off the stress at work, you can approach co-workers and your boss easier, and hopefully your more relaxed attitude will rub off on them and they will feel more comfortable and relaxed as well.

So, how do you develop a sense of humor when everything seems so bleak?

Here are three things you must do to stop taking things so seriously and laugh more:

→ Stop taking yourself so seriously.
→ Have the frame of mind to see people, events, and actions as faulty and subject to being laughed at.
→ Have an appreciation for when the expected order of things is disrupted.

By starting with the above items, you will learn to accept the glitches in yourself and others in order to make them better.

Things in life go wrong, you make plans and they don’t go as planned. What do you do about it? Do you get upset? Cry? Get mad? Yell and scream? Why?

Did any of those things change the outcome?

No, they just made you feel worse.

Laughing about it and trying to make the best of it will not only make you feel better but will also perhaps make it a more enjoyable time than you would have had with the original plan. Who knows?

Here’s another reason to have a sense of humor.

A sense of humor is a sign of intelligence!!

Yes, it’s true!! People who are able to make jokes about things that happen in life and are able to laugh things off are shown to have a broader knowledge in more areas.

Now, let’s recap what a sense of humor can do for you and your personal development and health.

It helps your body relax by releasing pain-relieving endorphins, increases brain activity, boosts your immune system, and helps you fight colds, flu, and other illnesses.

A good sense of humor at work can relieve the work-day stress and help you get along better with coworkers and your boss. And a good sense of humor shows you are smart!

That, in itself, is the best reason to show off your sense of humor.

When you stop taking things so seriously, you have the key to personal development and growth and this is so important! A good sense of humor will help you stop taking things so seriously, develop or find yours today!!

If you need help or encouragement as a Caregiver give us a call at  386-847-2322  or check out our  Caregiver Support Group. Our  Senior Advisors  are here to walk with you through this journey.
By Donna Nichols February 2, 2026
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By Donna Nichols January 12, 2026
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By Donna Nichols January 9, 2026
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