| Last month, Stephen Colbert hosted singer Dua Lipa as his guest on The Tonight Show.
While promoting her new podcast, Dua Lipa shared her preference for interviewing people instead of being interviewed. Colbert then surprised her and said, “If you’d rather interview, you may interview me.” She paused and thoughtfully asked, “Do your faith and your comedy ever overlap?” Without hesitation, Colbert mentioned enjoying the movie Belfast, reflecting, “It’s funny, and it’s sad. And it’s funny about being sad. Sadness is like an emotional death but not a defeat if you can find a way to laugh about it.” He continued, “Because that laughter keeps us from having fear of it.” Colbert then concluded, “No matter what happens, we are never defeated. We must see this in the light of eternity and find some way to love and laugh with each other.” Humor guru William Fry, Professor Emeritus at Stanford University, found in his research that by the time the average child reaches kindergarten, they are laughing around 300 times each day. But sadly, by the time that typical child becomes a typical adult, they are only laughing a measly 17 times per day (research by Rod Martin, Ph.D., University of Western Ontario). While studies show laughter strengthens our physical immunity, laughter also helps us bond with others. Telling a joke, particularly one that points to our shared experiences, increases our sense of belonging and cohesion. Psychiatrist Joseph Richman, Professor at Albert Einstein Medical Center, contends that laughter counteracts feelings of alienation by psychologically connecting us to others. We feel less alone when we laugh together. Furthermore, when we’re stressed, we feel hopeless; but laughing helps us reclaim some control. Laughter reminds us that we can handle it. And in mentoring, laughter suggests that we can handle it together. We bond, partner, and feel hope when we laugh with our mentors and mentees. We will not be defeated. Strong mentoring relationships stand on a foundation of trust, goals, and structure. Laughter is the cement. © 2022. Ann Tardy and MentorLead. www.mentorlead.com. All Rights Reserved. |