Do You Think That’s Funny? April is National Humor Month

A woman with long dark hair and a white shirt smiles while holding an open book, showing it to a bearded man in glasses who is sitting nearby. He looks at her with a relaxed expression, seemingly engaged in the moment. Sunlight streams through large windows behind them, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

We can all use more humor in our lives, especially during times of stress. There is an old saying that tragedy plus time equals comedy, and many different people have said this over the years. The website Quote Investigator refers to an American print example from a February 1957 Cosmopolitan interview with comedian, writer, and actor Steve Allen, in which he says: “Man jokes about the things that depress him, but he usually waits till a certain amount of time has passed…. I guess you can make a mathematical formula out of it. Tragedy plus time equals comedy.” The site also goes on to reference earlier writings, including “the prominent English novelist Thomas Hardy penn[ing] a letter in 1889 containing the following thematically related statement: All comedy, is tragedy, if you only look deep enough into it.”

A library display table with multiple empty bookstands arranged in neat rows. A sign in the middle humorously reads: "Please be patient, our display on Procrastination is coming soon! April Fools!" The joke plays on the idea of procrastination by leaving the display unfinished. In the background, another book display on a table.

This explains the adult tendency towards “dark humor;” those jokes about things that we might consider serious or even tragic in other contexts. Laughter and humor can be useful strategies for dealing with issues that threaten to overwhelm us with despair. Of course, we all love to laugh, and children are especially good at it. So, if you can, spend more time with children, or use some of the following resources from Mercer County Library System (MCLS) which will help you smile and laugh more!

Here are just a few of the wide variety of books available: