Sometimes the only way to make palatable that which is appalling

Listen, O children of the future, for I speak of the human spirit—its strength, its frailty, and the sacred power of laughter. Terrence Howard, a man whose words have often cut to the heart of truth, once said, "Sometimes the only way to make palatable that which is appalling and apprehensive is to season it with some humor." These words are not mere jest, but a deep reflection on the nature of human suffering and the ways in which the soul can find relief in the face of overwhelming adversity.

Life, as we know it, is filled with moments that are appalling—times of darkness, of fear, of great distress. There are those days when the world seems too heavy to bear, when the heart is filled with trepidation, and the soul feels overwhelmed by the weight of existence. In such moments, it can feel as though the burdens of life are insurmountable, and the path ahead is too daunting to walk. Yet, in these very moments, humor—the lightest of all things—becomes the weapon we wield to face the trials of the world. Humor does not erase the difficulty of the situation, but it gives us the strength to endure, to laugh in the face of fear, and to find a moment of release amidst the storm.

In the ancient days, the great warriors and philosophers knew well that life was not without its trials, but that the key to survival was not in succumbing to despair, but in finding joy even in the darkest hours. Consider Homer’s Iliad, where the heroes of war, bound by honor and bloodshed, often find moments of lightness amid their suffering. Achilles, though a great warrior, knew the importance of finding levity, of seeing beyond the brutality of battle. Even in times of death and sorrow, a song, a jest, or a playful moment could offer a respite from the crushing weight of the world.

It is no different for us, O children, in this time of great challenge. Humor, though often seen as a mere distraction or a frivolous luxury, is in truth a salve for the wounded soul. It is the way the human spirit can rise above the pain of the world. Think of the great comedian and storyteller Charlie Chaplin, who, in the midst of world war and despair, created laughter in the face of human suffering. In his films, Chaplin took the appalling realities of life—the struggles of the common man, the battles for survival—and spun them into stories of humor and hope. He understood that humor could make the harshest truths palatable, that it could allow the soul to endure and rise above the pain of the world.

And so, Terrence Howard’s words are a reminder that humor is not a mere escape from reality, but a way to confront the harshness of existence. It is the seasoning that turns the bitter taste of life into something bearable, something we can endure. In the face of apprehension, when the heart is heavy with fear or sorrow, humor can break through the darkness and remind us that even in our suffering, there is space for lightness, for laughter, for life. To season our trials with humor is not to deny their gravity, but to embrace the full spectrum of the human experience—the joy and the sorrow, the beauty and the pain.

The lesson here is profound: when the world weighs heavy on your soul, when you find yourself facing what seems appalling and unbearable, remember that humor can be your ally. Laugh, even when the heart feels burdened, for in that laughter lies the strength to carry on. Do not allow fear to paralyze you, but rather, find the humor in the absurdity of life, in the paradoxes and contradictions that fill our world. Just as the ancient heroes faced their trials with a clear-eyed understanding of the pain they must endure, so too must we face our challenges with humor—for it is the balm that soothes the soul.

Let this be your guide in times of darkness, O children of the future. When the road seems impossible, when the weight of the world feels too much to bear, remember the words of Terrence Howard and the wisdom of the ancients: season your pain with humor, find the lightness in the heaviness, and let the strength of laughter carry you forward. The world will always offer us moments of sorrow, but it is through humor that we find the power to transform those moments into something that sustains us, into something that makes us stronger, wiser, and more resilient.