28 Jul Let’s start the week with…some fun!
There's a strong correlation between happiness and fun which is why I thought you might all enjoy this article in which a new book (that I should note I've not personally read) is reviewed on the happiness relevant topic of "Using humor to maximise living". It comes from Psychology Today and begins like this…
Mary Kay Morrison's Words to Live By: More Rules, Less Fun
Morrison shows why humor is essential to success, creativity and health.
Published on July 19, 2012 by Gina Barreca, Ph.D. in Snow White Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Mary Kay Morrison’s Using Humor to Maximize Living, published in 2012 and recently out in its second edition, is subtitled Connecting with Humor. The charming and deliberate ambiguity of the subtitle—since it means either connecting with other people through humor or connecting with humor itself is indicative of the kinds of treats this book has in store.
I need to offer a disclaimer: I’m mentioned in the book and I know Mary Kay Morrison. But then again, everyone who’s dealt with the association for Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor or has done research on the uses of humor in educational, business or therapeutic settings will have come across Mary Kay Morrison. Her work on humor is substantial and she herself seems to be ubiquitous. So my disclaimer basically says simply that I’ve been aware of what’s been happening with humor studies during the last 25 years.
I’m delighted that Mary Kay Morrison has been able to put her wisdom and knowledge onto the page.
Now it’s time to talk about my favorite parts of the book:
• Morrison’s signature line is “The more rules, the less fun.” I think it should be printed on T-shirts and hung on banners over entrances to major corporations. Morrison emphasizes the interplay between creativity, humor, flexibility and success. In her chapter on leadership, for example, Morrison discusses the fact that increasing numbers of businesses are emphasizing stress reduction as a way to make their environments more productive and to help their workers become more engaged. “Addressing the stress levels of employees is becoming more of a priority for leaders. The health of employees plays a significant role in productivity and in insurance costs. There is a growing need to find ways to counteract both personal and work-related demands on staff,” argues Morrison. How does Morrison connect this to the idea of more rules, less fun? “If fun is thought of as anything that makes learning engaging, exciting, and challenging, it seems that the focus on rules and regulations is counterproductive. Unnecessary regulations and policies decrease or eliminate fun” (191). When you think about it, that’s a fairly seditious and interesting way to look at what needs to change in our lives. We need to have more fun.
• Fun is something we need to take seriously and our need for humor and play in life is not something we should take lightly…
…keep reading the full and original article HERE