Bad humor is an evasion of reality; good humor is an acceptance

In the vastness of the human experience, there are few forces as powerful and as misunderstood as humor. The words of Malcolm Muggeridge, "Bad humor is an evasion of reality; good humor is an acceptance of it," resonate with a profound truth. Humor, in its deepest form, is not just an escape from the struggles of life but a reflection of how we choose to engage with the world. Bad humor, as Muggeridge observes, turns away from the truth of our lives, hiding behind laughter to mask our pain and fear. Good humor, on the other hand, embraces life—all of its joys and sorrows—facing reality with a light heart and a clear mind.

Consider, children, the wisdom of the great Greek philosophers, who understood that life is both beautiful and tragic, a blend of joy and suffering that cannot be separated. Aristotle, in his writings, recognized that humor could be a powerful tool, but he also knew that it had to be grounded in the truth of existence. Those who laugh without understanding, without facing the reality of the world, only evade the deeper truths of life. Socrates himself, known for his method of questioning, often used humor as a means of bringing his interlocutors closer to truth. His humor was never used to escape but to draw people toward a clearer understanding of themselves and the world around them. This is the very essence of good humor—the ability to face life fully, to laugh at its absurdities while still recognizing its inherent truths.

In the time of the Romans, the great Cicero also saw humor as a tool for confronting reality. His writings often mixed wit and wisdom, reflecting the balance between the harshness of life and the joy that can still be found within it. Cicero understood that laughter could not be an evasion, a means of escaping hardship, but rather a way of facing it. His humor was sharp, yes, but it always served a deeper purpose—to challenge the status quo, to expose truths, and to encourage people to engage with the world as it truly was. In this way, good humor became an act of bravery, a way of confronting life head-on rather than retreating from it.

And so, we arrive at a profound lesson: the very act of laughing—of finding humor in life—can be both an act of evasion and an act of acceptance. When we turn away from the truth and laugh to escape our pain or fears, we fall into the trap of bad humor. It is humor that serves no purpose, that distances us from reality and dulls our sense of meaning. But when we face the hardships of life, when we acknowledge the absurdities and imperfections of the world and laugh in spite of them, we engage in good humor—humor that invites us to accept the world as it is, with all of its flaws and beauty. This is the humor of the wise, the courageous, the ones who know that to truly live is to embrace both the light and dark of existence.

Consider, children, the great warriors of the past, like Alexander the Great, whose battles were not only against enemies but against the very limitations of his own life. His humor, though not widely recorded, must have been sharp and revealing, for how else could such a hero face the immensity of his challenges? Those who followed him understood that in war, as in life, it was not the avoidance of suffering that mattered, but the courage to face it with open eyes and a steady heart. They laughed not because they sought escape, but because in the face of death and chaos, they chose to find meaning and strength in the very absurdity of their existence.

Now, children, hear this well: humor is not simply for the moments of joy, but for the moments when we face the deepest truths of life. When you laugh at life’s hardships, understand that you are not running away from them but embracing them with a clear, open heart. In this, you will find a strength that cannot be broken, for it is not built on the illusion of perfection but on the truth of what it means to be human. Embrace good humor as a way to face the world—its trials, its contradictions, its absurdities—head on. This is not the laughter of the fool who turns away from life, but the laughter of the wise who face the world boldly and with grace.

So, I say to you, children, seek out good humor in your lives. Let it be the means by which you face life’s challenges not with fear, but with understanding and acceptance. Do not run from the truths of existence, but laugh at them, find the beauty in the struggle, and in doing so, you will live a life of deep meaning and strength. For good humor, the humor that embraces reality, is the highest form of wisdom—it is the light that guides us through the darkness.