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Cartoon Counsel: Try this for improving your ability to hold various points of view in conflict, making a decision, or puzzling out a problem

I learned several valuable exercises from the late Harry Sloan when I took from him a 10-day course in psychosynthesis. (The 10 days were a part of a two-year intensive I took in mediation from Gary Friedman.) For those of you not acquainted with psychosynthesis, I highly recommend the book What We May Be; or books by Roberto Assagioli, founder of psychosynthesis: The Act of Will and Psychosynthesis. (For other books on psychosynthesis, see below; click for past posts related to psychosynthesis here, here, and here.)

One of the exercises learned from Harry which I will describe in a minute may seem simple, silly, and maybe not worth your time. That was my first reaction until I participated; our group spent a half day digging into this process! You don't need to spend hours, but I think you might benefit with even a few minutes. Since learning it in the '80s, I have used the cartoon process a number of times over the years, both myself and in workshops.

As explained below, this process (and the whole of psychosynthesis) can help conflict professionals to feel at ease with ambiguity and contradictory points of view. (That is, of course, one of the main reasons we took 10 days of psychosynthesis in our mediation intensive.)

Below is the process as I recall it from memory and my notes, and is probably just a bit different from how Harry presented it.

Here are each of the steps of the Cartoon Counsel process—my name, I can't recall what Harry called this exercise. (As you will see, it could also be spelled Cartoon Council.)

In preparation, for a week or more, collect cartoons that you find especially funny. Choose one of

Example of confirmation bias? You'll find jokes told by a pro comic funnier than those I tell

Writing comedy is very, very hard! Fortunately I have never had to deliver my comic products; my jokes have always been delivered by a professional comedian. Could it be that he got more laughs than I would just because he was a pro?

Some new research looking at that question is getting lots of coverage in the press. For example: "Why the secret to a funny joke is in the teller's reputation" (Daily Mail). Excerpt:

When it comes to jokes, it seems the trick isn’t the timing after all.

The secret to a successful gag in fact lies in the teller’s reputation, a study has found.

Being a well-known professional comedian is enough to make your quips seem funny – even if they fall flat when delivered by non-comics.

More articles:

Wise words from novelist Stephen Becker: Excellent advice for this holiday, or for any day in the future

At yesterday's barbecue, the food was delicious. I made the salad, and the dressing, of course, and contributed all-natural hot dogs and organic hamburger buns. The corn on the cob was that-day fresh, plump, and sweet; we taught the others how to quickly cook it in the microwave, right in the husk.

An after-meal walk in Cheesman Park held a surprise. We try to walk everyday, so yesterday we honored our habit, but this particular walk triggered some quiet and unused synapses in my brain. A tango competition was being held at the Pavillion, and I suddenly remembered the trophy I won in junior high for ballroom dancing. When we returned to our friend's house, we tangoed in the alley. All those decades have not erased my tango know-how.

The day ended with reading in bed. I finished Stephen Becker's novel A Convenant with Death (from Amazon: "The powerful, bestselling novel of a murder trial..."), and read the last paragraphs at least thrice. The words fit my 2010 Labor Day long weekend; some of the words authentically mirrored the weekend, and some were aspirational. Here they are for you:

Not much of a moral to a story? But it is all I have to tell you, so listen:

Wiggle your fingers. Wiggle your toes. Go naked to the market. Rejoice in all mornings. Join hands and kiss. Laugh. Love. If you cannot love, pity. If you cannot pity, have mercy. That man is not your brother; he is you.

Thanks to my friend Bill Charland for recommending the Becker novel, and for introducing me to my old friend Jan Prince who hosted the excellent barbecue (and ping pong game).

And since I have tango on the brain, here is my article "Powerful Medicine: Tango with Your Toast" about the benefits of laughter and fun. I do hope your weekend includes lots of both.

Image credits: anairam_zeravla, The Park People.

Knowing all the physical benefits of laughing, why would you maintain a perpetual, persistent straight face?

Because I believe in the many benefits of play and laughter, I have both posted here about them and given presentations around the country about their value. (Many of the programs have been given to lawyers, who typically are quick to see the serious benefits of lightening up.) And once I began learning a few years ago about the brain, I was even more convinced of play's and laughter's advantages.

With a big smile, I read an article published yesterday in Medical News Today titled "Repetitive Laughter Response Is Similar To The Effect Of Repetitive Exercise." In the article, the research of Doctors Lee Berk and Stanley Tan is described. (This pair have been doing laughter research for quite a while now; I have referred to them in articles I have written over the years on laughter.) The writer explains that Berk and Tan have developed a program for incorporating mirthful laughter into your life called Laughercise© (not to be confused with Laughercize).

From the article:

Dr. Lee S. Berk, a preventive care specialist and psychoneuroimmunology researcher at Loma Linda University's Schools of Allied Health (SAHP) and Medicine, and director of the molecular research lab at SAHP, Loma Linda, CA, and Dr. Stanley Tan have picked up where [Norman] Cousins left off. Since the 1980s, they have been studying the human body's response to mirthful laughter and

"Don't Deck the Clown: Inviting Humor into the Law Firm"

Written 13 years ago, the thoughts I express in this article have changed a bit, but much of what I have written I still believe. What do you think?

From "Don't Deck the Clown: Inviting Humor into the Law Firm" (Law Governance Review) [pdf]:

Law firms can be very somber, serious places in which most members may at first discount the role of humor in addressing many of the current challenges to the legal profession. This article offers a view of why humor is important and how it can be incorporated into the practice of law. The author makes a case for taking humor seriously, because it can make the difference in achieving a higher level of performance and success.

Suppose a clown were invited to your firm on a whim of a senior partner. The clown is dressed in a colorful costume, and, in his curly-toed shoes, he pads through the hallways, peeking in the doorways, pausing to be acknowledged or invited into offices where lawyers are busy doing what lawyers do; the clown is ready to offer a wide smile and a friendly greeting. How would the clown be received? Would he be shunned or go unnoticed? Would staff members be embarrassed by his presence? How would the lawyers, paralegals, and other staff members respond?

The fact is that in many law firms, as well as in many corporate settings, fun and play are considered unprofessional and certainly not invited or honored; the value of humor in the law firm is ignored, discounted, or unrecognized. And so members of your firm might be expected to react in a way similar to that described by an attorney in a large Denver firm who, after considering the image of a clown walking through the hallways of her firm, said that given these tense times, the managing partner might "deck the clown."

Decking the clown, denying the jester, and discounting the value of humor are not in the best interest of a law firm or the legal profession. In times that call for creative problem solving, intrafirm collaboration, stress reduction, and other measures to support physical and mental health and superior client relations, humor is critical. Before a law firm frowns on play, it might want to consider the benefits of opening mouths wide to smiles and laughter. Below are described four of the many benefits of inviting humor into the law firm.

Click to read the rest.

"Want to age well? Laugh it up": "Who will hang out with you when all you have is yourself?"

In the past, I have given more than a few presentations on the benefits of laughter and humor; those benefits are many. So I was not surprised to read about an older adult who aged well AND had a sense of humor. From "Want to age well? Laugh it up" (The Globe and Mail):

In her new book, You Could Live a Long Time: Are You Ready?, sociologist Lyndsay Green interviewed 40 seniors identified as role models for aging well by the people who know them. What she discovered is that money matters far less than learning to laugh about your hearing aid.

In your opening chapter, you give some simple advice: Be charming. Is one of the most important lessons of aging well making sure you are fun to hang out with?

It's absolutely the most important lesson. Once you are older there are often very few reasons for people to hang out with you unless you are charming. You aren't offering them networking opportunities or career advancement prospects. Who will hang out with you when all you have is yourself?

You describe your Aunt Jean who made close friendships with the staff at her nursing home, partly because she couldn't relate to her fellow residents. She certainly appears to have been that great-aunt you'd always like to visit. What are the most important things you learned from her?

She made an enormous effort to put on her face for me – in the metaphorical sense. She prepared herself for her visit with me. She would have clearly boned up on some topical event, some public issues that she wanted to debate and would ask my opinion on.

Laughter is good for your health, wealth, happiness, self-awareness, focus, and much more

The August edition of Ode Magazine is devoted to laughter. If you are a regular reader of idealawg, you know that I have written several blog posts about the many benefits of laughter. I am a fan and devotee of laughs. Please be sure to take a look at some of the excellent articles, including:

• "Medicinal mirth: The health benefits of laughter"
• "The business of making people laugh"
• "How laughter evolved and how it makes us human"
• "What makes the whoopee cushion so funny?"
• "How laughter can keep you on your spiritual path"

When did you last have a good laugh? Bet you can't watch this without laughing.

I know you've heard this before but please think about it anew: Your weekend gelotology

The topic of the many physiological benefits of laughter has been written about so frequently that it is now overdone and so been-there-have-the-T-shirt. As we move into the holiday season, I recommend that you take a brand new, fresh look at the marvelous action of laughter. Don't let its overexposure allow you to forget laughing really is very, very good for you. (If you happen to be a chronically grumpy lawyer, keep reading because I have something for you.)

For your refresher course, the How Stuff Works site gives you an overview of laughter and its many benefits:

• Just exactly what is this thing called laughter?
• And why do we do it?
• What's happening in our brain when we laugh?
• What makes us laugh?

You may want to jump right to the section on laughter and health because that's where you will be reminded of those great benefits. Laughing

• Reduces levels of some stress hormones
• Increases the concentration of salivary immunoglobulin A, which defends against infectious organisms
• Provides an aerobic workout (laughing 110 times is equal to 15 minute on the exercise bike)
• Lowers blood pressure
• Provides a way for negative emotions to be released harmlessly
• Oxygenates the blood which promotes healing
• Exercises your diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles
• Likely enhances several parts of the immune system.

With that list of benefits, why would you not laugh—and laugh often? If you are a grumpy lawyer (or know one), here's my article for grumps: "Don't Deck the Clown: Inviting Humor Into the Law Firm" [pdf] (Law Governance Review).

Now, with that reminder, go forward and have a laughter-rich holiday season!

Note: Did you know that the physiological study of laughter is called gelotology?

Related posts:

• The fun, fun fundamentals of success
• Humility, Humor, and Humanity
• Laughter truly has some serious benefits (even for lawyers): Take advantage of those benefits today
• You can't slap a clown nose on a bad attitude

Image credit: shaka and jcmunt.

Note (added November 30, 2008, 3:50 PM): Related article "Patients treat serious illness as laughing matter" (Washington Post).

Laughter truly has some serious benefits (even for lawyers): Take advantage of those benefits today

I have posted before about the many benefits of humor and laughter and wrote for Law Governance Review the article "Don't Deck the Clown: Inviting Humor into the Law Firm." On this winter Friday, let's remember the many psychological and physiological benefits of humor and laughter. (Click for much more about the gifts of laughter—and about laughism, the prejudice against laughter.)

For a jumpstart on some smiles and laughter, can any of you watch this and maintain a straight face and silence?

Note (added January 25, 2008, 12:40 PM Mountain): From Science Daily: "Laughter Is The Best Medicine."

Laughter is the best medicine. We’ve heard the expression time and again. For decades, researchers have explored how humor helps patients relieve stress and heal. Melissa B. Wanzer, EdD, professor of communication studies at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, has taken it one step further, with her research on how humor helps medical professionals cope with their difficult jobs. She also looked at how humor affects the elderly and how it can increase communication in the workplace and in the classroom.

Friday's lighter wisdom—YOU CAN'T SLAP A CLOWN NOSE ON A BAD ATTITUDE

Photo credit: cohdra at morgueFile

YOU CAN'T SLAP A CLOWN NOSE ON A BAD ATTITUDE

No Mandatory Joy, Please

A company or workplace cannot mandate happiness -- although some are trying to do just that. Of course, happiness and humor are supportive of a well-functioning business. But the science of bringing laughter and enjoyment into an organization is being refined.

More and more researchers are looking at what is called "positive psychology." In the recent past, what makes people happy, what makes working environments fun, has often been approached in a simplistic, one-size-fits-all fashion.

Immune to Gloom? Choose a Custom Injection

Not every employee wants to wear a clown nose or odd headgear, or chant "ha, ha, ho, ho." Not all workplace members want to attend a standup comic routine on company time. Humor cannot be applied like a band-aid on low morale or dropping productivity.

Humor, happiness, and joy are very personal matters. Many find their greatest sources of enjoyment and funniness away from work. Yet now we are seeing clowns