A humorist is a person who feels bad, but who feels good about

Hearken, children of the ages, and attend the words of Don Herold, who spoke: “A humorist is a person who feels bad, but who feels good about it.” Ponder this truth: the human spirit is ever beset by sorrow, disappointment, and the trials of existence. Yet within these very struggles lies the seed of resilience, insight, and joy—the capacity to perceive and transform suffering into reflection, connection, and laughter. A true humorist does not deny pain; rather, they embrace it, extracting from the heart of suffering a light that illuminates both themselves and those around them.

In the annals of antiquity, philosophers and sages understood this paradox. Socrates, walking among the citizens of Athens, often revealed the absurdity and contradictions of life, not with scorn, but with gentle irony. In his observations, he acknowledged human imperfection and the weight of existence, yet found delight in the recognition of folly. Here, the humorist emerges: one who feels the sting of life, yet responds with grace, insight, and the courage to laugh at human imperfection, including their own.

Consider the life of Abraham Lincoln, a man who endured profound personal sorrow and the crushing burden of leading a nation in civil war. Despite grief and exhaustion, Lincoln wielded gentle humor—self-deprecating stories, light-hearted remarks, and ironic observations—to connect with others and sustain his own spirit. In this, he exemplified Herold’s insight: a true humorist recognizes the weight of suffering, yet finds a way to rise above it, to feel good even in the midst of feeling bad.

Even in the theater of life’s hardships, this capacity is vital. Soldiers of the Great War, confronting death, hunger, and despair, often turned to dark humor and playful banter. Their laughter did not erase their suffering, but it transformed it, creating moments of relief and resilience. In this, we see that the humorist thrives not by denying adversity, but by reshaping perception, allowing the heart to endure and the spirit to remain buoyant.

Yet, the wisdom of Herold is subtle: the humorist is neither callous nor indifferent. They feel fully, deeply, and honestly the pains and sorrows of life. It is this very awareness that lends their humor its depth and power. By confronting the weight of existence with a light-hearted lens, they demonstrate that laughter and sorrow are not opposites, but companions, each revealing the other and together strengthening the soul.

History offers another vivid example in the life of Charlie Chaplin. Though he lived amidst poverty, personal loss, and the upheavals of a changing world, he transformed the pain of life into art and laughter. Through the Tramp, he conveyed sorrow, absurdity, and resilience simultaneously. Chaplin embodied the essence of the humorist, feeling the hardships of life profoundly, yet communicating them in a way that uplifted hearts, created empathy, and inspired joy.

Children of the ages, the lesson is clear: cultivate the spirit of the humorist within yourself. Acknowledge your sorrows and challenges, but learn to perceive their incongruities, ironies, and subtle absurdities. Let laughter arise not from denial, but from understanding, insight, and the courage to face life fully. In doing so, you transform suffering into strength, despair into resilience, and heaviness into levity.

Practical action follows naturally. Observe your own missteps and hardships with honesty, find the lessons and absurdities hidden within, and share them with gentle humor. Reflect upon life’s trials with a light heart and a keen eye, allowing laughter to coexist with sorrow. In this way, as Don Herold teaches, the humorist is a person who feels bad, but who feels good about it—a guide for the soul, a balm for the heart, and a beacon for navigating the trials of human existence.