Laughter Is the Key to Happiness Introduction

Laughter Is the Key to Happiness
    Good morning, everybody. Today we are going to have a lecture about how to be happier. Speaking of happiness, you may think of tons of things related to it, like entertainments, hobbies, a good job, a warm family and even money. The question is, what is the key to happiness? Maybe some of you are guessing the answer now. You are right. Laughter is the key to happiness. In fact, laughter is the most important aspect to be happy. We often forget that laughter is the very essence of our spirit. Look at the efforts people will put into making other people laugh. We have TV shows such as David Letterman, JayLeno, Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, Friends, The Simpsons, Cheers, etc., which all strive to make people laugh. A whole category (类别，种类) of films are classified as comedies. Why? People love to laugh! Clowns at the circus dress in funny costumes and do funny things to make kids and adults laugh, sometimes until they cry.
    In theatre, there is the happy, laughing face always portrayed (描绘，描写) opposite the sad, crying face. William Shakespeare utilized both in his plays. While we have the tense tragedy (悲剧) in Hamlet, Macbeth or Othello, we have the humor in A Midsummer Night’s Dream or Much Ado About Nothing. Yet, even in a tragedy, humor is often used to relax the audience during the most tense moments. Alfred Hitchcock was a master of utilizing humor in tense moments in his films of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. In business settings, I have found that when a manager or a customer has asked me a question and I felt completely at a loss, the only escape is to make a joke. This relieves the situation and tends to allow people to forgive me for my mistake.
    There is a time and a place for humor. If we run around laughing in a church when someone just died, we might offend. Here are five ways to incorporate more laughter into your life. If you feel something laughable (可笑的，荒唐的) let your laughter out. Feel free to encourage someone through laughing with them. Watch more comedies than tragedies.
    Listen to music or read a book that makes you laugh. Start laughing for no reason at all.
    I do hope they will help you a lot and make your life happier and more colorful. Thank you, everyone.