Coco Calling No.195 - The Weighty Matter of the Human Brain

Humans suffer from a unique problem when compared to all other forms of life. And the problem is quite simple; their brains are too big. (Yes, I’m actually admitting it, even though they rarely use their brains in quite the right way). Having a large brain has two big drawbacks for humans; first it can make their heads too heavy, and secondly, they have the ability to look ahead beyond the present. They can assess threats and danger and problems well in advance and this can often lead to worry, anxiety, fear and depression. Our world is far from perfect, and having a large brain makes you all the more aware of this. Out of all of the living creatures created by God, humans are probably on the cusp of what is viable and practical here on Earth. For if humans were created to have even greater emotions and feelings and forethought, then their worldly lives could become unbearable. So humans are very much the result of a balancing act on God’s part. They need to be able to survive the hardships and troubles posed by Life, but they also need to have the intelligence to question their very existence and to search for answers that may lead them back to their Creator.

And it’s because Life can be such a serious business, God came up with the gift of laughter to help humans cope that little bit better.

Laughter is an important antidote to the seriousness of the human condition. And I’ve seen for myself what a difference it can make to the mood of our house. Laughter releases happy hormones. And for that reason, I do a lot of “parrot” laughing myself. My laughter comes out like an explosive witch’s cackle; but it always makes anyone in earshot stop what they’re doing and crease up with laughter themselves! And I think that there’s only one rule that we need to hold on to; our laughter must come from kindness rather than cruelty or the wish to put someone down. So maybe politicians, mother-in-laws and the Church should stay off-limits.

So how many times will you laugh out loud today? And how many times will you bring a moment of happiness to others around you?

“As soap is to the body, so laughter is to the soul.”

(Old Jewish proverb).

“Always laugh when you can. It’s cheap medicine.”

(Lord Byron: 1788-1824: English poet and peer).

“To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain and play with it.”

(Charlie Chaplin: 1889-1977: English comic actor during the silent film era).

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.”

(Victor Hugo: 1802-1885: French poet, novelist and playwright).

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22).

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

(Matthew 6:34).