Life, 1919-07-17 · page 30 of 40
Life — July 17, 1919 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page advocates developing a sense of humor as a valuable life skill. The main article argues that humor requires practice and self-awareness—the ability to laugh at one's own flaws and sympathize with others' defects. The satirical "test" for humor is deliberately absurd: if reading the *Congressional Record*, women suffragists' statements, Peace League accounts, and government treatment of anarchists doesn't make you smile, you're hopeless. The implication is that these contemporary political topics are inherently ridiculous. The punchline suggests that those who *can't* develop humor should join anti-humor organizations: the Anti-Saloon League, Chautauqua Literary Circle, or WCTU—all real, earnest reform movements of the era. The cartoons illustrate people attempting natural poses for photography, reinforcing the theme that humor requires authentic self-awareness rather than forced performance.
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Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
come an expert accountant, an efficiency expert or a political economist But if, for example, the doings in Congress make you smile, even if it is only a sickly, half-hearted smile, then you have a basis, Undoultedly you can gradually begin to build up a sense of humor. Most people believe they have a sense of humor, and would resent keenly any statement to the contrary, Yet it is very rare. To have it in the right way means that you can always laugh at your own defects and sympathize with the de- fects of others. When you can think of the President’s Cabinet without frothing at the mouth, you have laid the corner stone for a sense of humor, Do not, however, do this all at once, but a little at a time. After you have practiced thus on the Cabinet, and even got used to laughing quietly to your- A PERFECT STRANGER Why Not Develop a Sense’ of Humor? ANY people assert that a “sense of humor is the most valuable asset one can have. We are inclined to be- lieve this ourselves. A young man writes: Before developing a sense of humor I made ten thou- sand a year. Now I make two thousand. But I would not give up my newly ac- quired sense of humor for much more than the eight thousand difference. While it is true that it is much better to be born with a sen of humor, if you are ordinarily intel- ligent we can help you to develop one by following directions. Our initial test is simple. Read for one week the Congressional Record, the utterances of the woman suffra- gists, the accounts of the Peace League and the treatment of anarchists and bombers by the government. If, after going through all these things care- fully, they do not cause you to smile, then you are hopeless. You are one of those occasional people in whom it would be impossible to develop any sense of humor. Better join the Anti- : Saloon League, the Chautauqua Liter- =— ary Circle or the W. C T. U. at once, JUST TAKE A NATURAL POSE—SOMETHING YOU DO HABITUALLY’ or enter a theological seminary, or be- “ALL RIGHT, SHOOT, THIS 1s IT” now comicbooks.com