The Second

Daily activities, responsibilities, and incidents are enough to wear a person down.   Humor, therefore, brings a little grace into the mix.   It's the proverbial oil that lubricates the machine, preventing it from overheating.   Some humor, like sarcasm, can be more a relief valve than a lubricant.   If a lot of friction has already heated things, a sarcastic expostulation can awaken the need for some needed sympathy, forestalling a meltdown.   So sarcasm is necessary but should be used judiciously.   In other words, not all brands of humor "lubricate the machine."   One in particular actually increases friction, namely mockery, sarcasm’s near cousin. One who easily mocks goes directly to my "do not trust" list.   Mockery is a strong indicator of poor character.   We know it when we see it, parody that highlights what the mocker thinks stupid, weak, or contemptible.   This is such an undignified way on many levels.   For one, ...

I’ve got values but I don’t know how or why!  (The Seeker, by The Who) On a personal level, I make assessments of others, quickly, using two characteristics:      1a.   Is he arrogant?      2a.   Does he show contempt for others? An affirmative to either puts a person on my “don’t trust” list.  Of course, with time, a person could earn trust.  The positive characteristics need to appear:      1b.   Does he have humble behavior?      2b.   Do his words and his behavior respect others? This takes more time because a quick answer to either is unavailable.  Instead a consistent track record must emerge.  Not a perfect record, just consistent. This approach has worked fairly well, and has also been a useful check on my own behavior.  At some point I realized that these core values ultimately have grown out of my f...