On December 10th, 2024 Paul Angel Perdomo, who also goes by Wolf J. Flywheel, held an event called "Laughing the Stress Away" in collaboration with the Wellness Center. The event's role was to explain why laughter is an important part of our daily lives.
Humor is a skill that can be used to communicate with others to build relationships. It's a way to socialize with others. According to Paul, it’s the best way to have a long-lasting conversation and it helps people have a good time with each other. He showed many factors that laughing and humor connect with, such as mental health, social function, and physical well-being.
Additionally, Paul described how difficult life is for so many people, and stress seems to follow people around for so long that it builds up anxiety and other burnouts in their lives. With so many terrible things in the world, he claims laughter brings out the good things in life-- it is the bright light that shines all the bad darkness away. It gives hope that happiness is still there to look forward to.
Another topic covered was the concept of self-deprecating humor. While it can provide comfort to "laugh the pain away," it can also cause further distress and depressive thoughts when used excessively.
Another thing that laughter helps with, Paul elaborates, is physical health; it has been shown to have benefits like burning calories, reducing the risk of heart attacks, and encouraging a longer lifespan. He even provided the perspectives of famous historical philosophers on humor, like Aristotle, Cicero, and Plato. Because of this presentation, students were educated on multiple contexts of humor and why laughing is vital to everyday life. As Paul expressed to his audience, it is important to remember to enjoy a laugh in our lives as much as possible!
“Life is meant to be fun, and joyous, and fulfilling.” - Jim Henson
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