A heartbreaking fact about laughter – SCN Encourager 5/1/2014
James Altucher is a best-selling author.
And no, this isn’t the heartbreaking fact.
He also writes an incredible blog called “The Altucher Confidential – Ideas for a World out of Balance.”
This isn’t the heartbreaking fact, either.
Don’t worry. I’m getting right to it.
In his essay “What Happened to All of the Laughter?” Altucher points out that (on average) children laugh 300 times per day, while adults only 5.
This is the heart-breaking fact.
When you have a free moment, you may want to check out the complete essay.
Altucher ponders what the heck happens to us big people?
He presents nine possible explanations… most of them surprising because they are so dang obvious.
Two are inversely related; our willingness to play declines as we begin to increase the emphasis on purpose.
School communicators no doubt would throw in the observation that play declines as high stakes standardized testing goes up.
One of Altucher’s other speculations involves our reluctance to “look stupid” as we grow older.
I believe he’s right, but I sure wish someone would tell me when this phenomenon is actually supposed to kick in. (Does it come in those AARP envelopes I keep pitching?)
Oh well, when you stop seeing The Encourager in your inbox, you’ll know that age and wisdom finally ambushed me and hauled me away in a large white net.
If you go to Altucher’s website and poke around a bit, you might even find his essay about “The One Thing I Remind Myself of All Day.”
As my grandpa would’ve said, “It’s a hum-dinger!”
It’s another long read, for sure… but it concludes by posing a unique question.
“How many times every day do you ask – what if…?”
Isn’t this an intriguing question? Especially for folks in our roles?
To be the person who goes around work asking what if…? requires grace, creativity and courage.
It’s not an easy gig.
This is why I think we should team up.
If you’ll willing to be the one to go around work making people mad by frequently asking what if…? – I promise to be the one to record how many times you do it in a spreadsheet.
This should work, don’tcha think?
And if Altucher ever poses that theoretical question again, we’ll be ready!
Tom Page, SCN
If you’re willing to go around asking “what if” at work and