In one of his popular poems John Mansfield exhorts us to laugh and be merry. He reminds us that life is brief and we should make the best of it. God created the world out of joy-the joy that is embodied in the bright stars and the green earth-and it is our duty to share that joy. ‘Laugh and be merry’ expresses a philosophy of life, an attitude to life. According to it, we should be happy, cheerful and optimistic, and often express our happiness through laughter.
The world is full of evil, suffering and sorrow. Apart from the constant struggle for existence and the petty vexations of daily life, there are grave injustices, the cruel blows of fate, and death.
Among the evils of the world Hamlet lists ‘the pangs of despised love’, ‘the law’s delay’ and the overbearing behaviour of officials. However fortunate a man may be, he cannot escape from sorrow and evil in one form or another. Now, one attitude to this suffering and evil in the world is to be gloomy, pessimistic, and possess a defeatist outlook. People with this attitude turn away from the pleasures of life and make their lives miserable. Far from alleviating the suffering in the world, they add to it.
Another attitude is to be cheerful and happy in spite of the troubles and frustrations of life. While one should try to lessen the sufferings in the world, one need not do it with a long face. Cheerfulness is infectious, and by being cheerful you are likely to make others also so. Instead of constantly grumbling about difficulties and harping on sorrows, one should dwell on the brighter side of life and be happy and radiate happiness around.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Laughter is one of the common form in which happiness is expressed. One should have a sense of humour, of the oddities and absurdities of life. We should laugh at the vanities and pretensions of men, all that is pompous, all that offends our sense of proportion and propriety. But this laughter should be genial and kindly, not malicious and contemptuous. A true test of a sense of humour is the ability to laugh at oneself, at one’s own weaknesses and follies. Englishmen are supposed to possess a true sense of humour. They do not shrink from laughing at their own expense.
‘Laugh and be merry-‘ the poet’s advice is so simple and can be so easily put into practice. Yet, if acted upon, it will transform the world into a bright happy place.