Always have a sense of humor about life - you'll need it - but

The words of Peter Jennings, spoken with the calm authority of one who had seen the world in its laughter and its sorrow, resound like a soft bell across time: “Always have a sense of humor about life — you’ll need it — but always be courteous to boot.” In this brief saying lies a wisdom older than any nation, for it teaches balance — between the lightness that keeps us human and the grace that keeps us noble. It is a teaching not of one moment, but of a way to live: to face the absurdity of life with laughter, and its cruelty with kindness.

For the ancients too understood that the world is both a comedy and a tragedy. The Stoic philosophers of Greece, like Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, often reminded their students that one cannot govern the world’s storms, only one’s own vessel. A sense of humor is that secret sail — invisible yet powerful — which catches the wind of chaos and turns despair into resilience. To laugh, even when the heavens frown, is to declare that one’s spirit will not be conquered. And yet, laughter without humility becomes mockery; wit without grace becomes cruelty. Thus, Jennings reminds us to bind our humor to courtesy, so that our mirth uplifts rather than wounds.

In his lifetime, Peter Jennings was a messenger between nations, a voice that carried both tragedy and triumph into countless homes. To see war, loss, and injustice daily — yet still speak with composure — demands not hardness, but a tempered heart. His humor was not the laughter of ignorance, but the quiet smile of understanding. It was the humor of one who has seen folly and forgiven it, who knows that anger corrodes more deeply than sorrow heals. And his call to courtesy was not mere politeness, but reverence — a recognition that every soul bears its own unseen burdens, deserving of gentleness.

History itself bears witness to this truth. In the days of turmoil, when Abraham Lincoln guided a torn nation, he too wielded humor as his shield and his sword. His jokes, often humble and self-deprecating, were not distractions but balm for the weary. When a critic accused him of being “two-faced,” Lincoln replied with warmth, “If I had another face, do you think I’d wear this one?” Through laughter, he disarmed hatred; through courtesy, he kept his dignity. His humor did not betray his sorrow — it transfigured it. Thus, even amidst ruin, he remained unbroken.

The sense of humor Jennings speaks of is no shallow jest. It is the laughter that rises from wisdom, that sees life as it is — fleeting, imperfect, often absurd — and yet chooses joy. It is the laughter of the sage, who stands at the edge of chaos and says, “Still, I will smile.” And courtesy, its companion, is the mark of the civilized soul — one who, despite being battered by life, never lets bitterness harden the heart. Together, they form a code of strength and grace: to endure without cruelty, and to shine without arrogance.

O listener, take this teaching and bind it to your heart. When the world tests you, and it will — when your work fails, when your friends misunderstand you, when your dreams crumble like dust — remember to laugh, not in mockery but in release. Let humor be your breath when sorrow tightens its grip. And when you stand before others, even in anger, speak with courtesy. For gentleness is not weakness; it is mastery over self. The one who remains kind when provoked is greater than the conqueror of cities.

In the end, Jennings’ words are not a jest, but a map for living well. Humor keeps the soul light; courtesy keeps it pure. Together they make the traveler invincible — able to walk through both joy and ruin without losing the melody of their spirit. For life will test every heart, but only those who laugh with grace and speak with kindness will emerge still human, still shining.

So let this be written upon the walls of your heart: Laugh often. Forgive quickly. Speak gently. For these are not small acts — they are the signs of the wise, the armor of the serene, and the true inheritance of those who understand what it means to live.