The Cambridge Dictionary defines humor as: the ability to be amused by something seen, heard or thought about, sometimes causing you to smile or laugh, or the quality in something that causes such amusement.
One of the greatest American humorists, Mark Twain, remarked that “humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.”
It has been argued that the human capacity for humor is what distinguishes our species from others. Humor can build and destroy, strengthen and weaken, honor and besmirch, and perhaps all of these at the same time. Take, for example, when an uppity authority figure slips and falls on a banana peel. Or the ridiculous hilarity of the silent movie day Keystone Kops.
Merriam-Webster defines humor as: that quality which appeals to a sense of the ludicrous or absurdly incongruous and an often temporary state of mind imposed especially by circumstances.
Being able to laugh in the face of adversity is, as Mark Twain said, a great gift. So, in today's blog post we salute the people of Sri Lanka. A people who are going through unimaginable economic and political difficulties, yet who never cease to amaze, inspire and humble us with their unwavering ability to find humor in any situation, regardless how dire the circumstances may be.
During last weeks people power uprising, many government buildings and residences were peaceably taken over by an understandably angry public at the ruin of their economy. To illustrate the Sri Lankan's incredible gift for humor, we share with you a "review of their stay" posted by one of the protestors who overran the Presidential residence in Colombo:
Humor can be the great equalizer and inspire great highs. It's an honor for us to be able to count many Sri Lankan's among our dearest friends and we wish them well in their search for a better future. We also wish they could be an example for people everywhere, even when things look bleakest, to take a minute and find something that makes you laugh.
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