Thursday, May 26, 2011

Throw 'em off with Laughter

She asked me to find homes for her newborn kittens. I laughed so hard, it not only threw her completely off base, she never again asked me inappropriate requests.

It was the “challenging” wife of my boss, who mistakenly thought she was “the boss”.

Fortunately for me, my laughter was hearty and genuine for I have a vast sense of humor. I wasn’t trying to insult her, it was just extremely funny to me, to be asked such a ludicrous thing. It was only in retrospect that I realized what a great tool I have for disarming people.

I once gave a lecture to a group of seniors with a disruptive curmudgeon in the audience who took on the role of harassing me. Luckily again all I could do was laugh. It shut him up immediately.

Obama is currently doing the same in response to the Birthers. I applaud him. If you donate $25 to his reelection campaign, you’ll receive a T-shirt (or a mug) with his birth certificate printed on one side and his photo on the other, titled “Made in USA”. It’s a great example of turning a ludicrous attack into a joke. It’s a great use of comedy. Turn it around and make it silly. Laugh them off.

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