'Tropic Thunder' is one of my favorite movies of all time.

The words of John Cena resound with the simplicity of truth, yet carry the weight of ancient wisdom: “‘Tropic Thunder’ is one of my favorite movies of all time. ‘Blazing Saddles.’ Anything that will get me to smile.” In this brief confession lies a powerful reminder—that laughter, lightness, and joy are not luxuries of the spirit, but necessities. To smile, even in the midst of struggle, is to drink from a fountain that renews strength. Comedy, then, is not merely entertainment, but a medicine of the soul.

The ancients themselves understood this. The Greeks, who gave the world tragedy, also gave the world comedy, believing that the human spirit needed both the solemn lessons of sorrow and the healing balm of laughter. Aristophanes, through his plays, mocked the follies of his age, yet in doing so gave his people release from their burdens. What Cena affirms in his love of films like Blazing Saddles is this ancient truth: that in the chaos of the world, to laugh and smile is to remain human, to resist being crushed by life’s weight.

Consider the story of Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. His burdens were immense, his nights long and filled with grief. Yet it is said he often read aloud from books of humor to his cabinet, seeking relief not only for himself, but for those who labored beside him. The jokes, the laughter, the moments of lightness—they did not lessen the seriousness of the war, but they gave men the strength to continue. In the same way, Cena finds strength in the absurdity and bold laughter of movies, letting them remind him that joy is still possible.

There is wisdom here, for it shows us that entertainment is not idle escape, but sustenance for the spirit. A hearty laugh, a genuine smile, can renew the will to endure, just as surely as bread renews the body. Those who scorn comedy as shallow miss the deeper truth: that even in jest, the human soul finds courage. To forget to laugh is to forget to live; to neglect joy is to surrender to despair.

Yet Cena’s words also reveal humility. He does not seek only the most “serious” or “noble” stories, but those that awaken the simple, childlike joy within. This is a reminder to all that one need not always be profound to be meaningful. Sometimes, the greatest gift is the moment that stirs laughter, the scene that makes the heart lighter, the story that allows us to breathe again. True wisdom is knowing when to let go of heaviness and embrace joy.

So let this be your lesson: do not underestimate the power of joy. Seek out the things that make you laugh, the people who make you smile, the stories that ease your heart. For these are not distractions, but sources of strength. A warrior who knows only solemnity will falter, but one who carries laughter in his heart will endure through many storms.

Practical counsel flows from this: make space for joy. Watch films that bring you laughter, read stories that make your heart light, share moments of comedy with those you love. Guard these moments fiercely, for they are as essential as food and drink. As John Cena reminds us, anything that makes you smile is not trivial—it is the spark that keeps your spirit alive.

And so, O listener, embrace this teaching: do not walk through life with a face forever grim. Seek the stories, the humor, the music of joy, for in them you will find renewal. For as long as you can smile, you can endure; and as long as you can endure, you may yet triumph.