defiance Archives - T.K. Coleman

Exceptional Laughter

August 9, 2013
The Post-TMO Era, TK's Two Cents, Year Three of Writing Everyday
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There is a laughter of compliance and there is a laughter of defiance.

The former is when laughter is invoked by our agreement with a joke of some kind.

The latter is when laughter is summoned from within as a decisive expression of one’s will to survive in the face of formidable opposition.

This is the of laughter of “still I rise.” This is the laughter of “I think I’ll die another day.” This is the laughter of “I will get there.” This is the laughter of one who is “not afraid.“This is the laughter of “the fighter.”

Defiant laughter is the recourse of the one who boldly faces his illusions of impossibility and says, “Go ahead, make me laugh.”

The sense of humor is like a muscle. The more it’s exercised the better it gets at making heavy things feel light.

But as with all forms of muscular development, the sense of humor cannot be strengthened unless the one who possesses it is willing to put it to work in the face of resistance.

That is, one cannot become exceptional at laughter until he learns to laugh even in the presence of apparently contradictory reasons for doing so.

Laugh effortlessly. And when that seems too difficult, laugh exceptionally.

I defy thee with a countenace of joy

When a man laughs, his enemies cringe and his problems weep.

Laughter is the most advanced expression of spiritual resilience and self-determination.

There is no distinction between choosing to laugh and refusing to be defeated.

Humor is the intelligent man’s “middle-finger” thrown blatantly in the face of those adversarial conditions that seek to intimidate or make a victim of him.

With a simple smile and a subtle grin, a man’s demons are disparaged beyond what their diabolic logic can comprehend.

Of all the things that threaten to destroy a man’s spirit, none are immune to the defying power of his right to be silly whenever he damn well pleases.