Can you laugh at yourself?

[Shaker]

Most of which end up in the bedside drawers of cheap hotels, however

[BashfulAnthony]

Most of which end up in the bedside drawers of cheap hotels, however

Well, I don't have any experience of cheap hotels.  I'll have to bow to your greater knowledge there.   

[BashfulAnthony]

Most of which end up in the bedside drawers of cheap hotels, however

By the way, nearly 4 billion Bibles have been sold;  and they sell at 100 million a year, at present.  That's a heck of a lot of hotels!   How many Hitchens books did you say were sold?   

[Shaker]

I didn't, but not a valid comparison anyway, Bashers, given the length of time the Bible has been hawked around compared the publishing career of a man born in 1949.

[BashfulAnthony]

I didn't, but not a valid comparison anyway, Bashers, given the length of time the Bible has been hawked around compared the publishing career of a man born in 1949.

So how many has he sold?  100 million a year, maybe? 

[Shaker]

No idea. It's not just the books, of course; the man was a journalist, so in terms of readership you have to factor in all those articles in sundry newspapers and magazines (and online).

[BashfulAnthony]

No idea. It's not just the books, of course; the man was a journalist, so in terms of readership you have to factor in all those articles in sundry newspapers and magazines (and online).

So, not many then.   I suppose if we include all the articles in newspapers and magazines, and online, then the amount written about the Bible must be prodigious, on top of all those sales. 

[jjohnjil]

Anybody who watched the Test at Trent Bridge will understand the drama and excitement cricket can engender.  The 20/20 version always does as well.  It's as usual with you:  no imagination; no attempt to understand anything beyond the banal.

Complete balls, of course; on the few occasions I've been unfortunate enough to have seen cricket I've had to turn it off or over within thirty seconds before I start to eat my own legs from the feet upward out of boredom.

It's not imagination that one lacks to find cricket tedious - on the contrary, you need a very good imagination so that you can be thinking of something interesting

Heathen!

[jeremyp]

Anybody who watched the Test at Trent Bridge will understand the drama and excitement cricket can engender.  The 20/20 version always does as well.  It's as usual with you:  no imagination; no attempt to understand anything beyond the banal.

Poor example.  All the drama and excitement was pretty much in the first hour and a half.  The match was over as a contest by tea on the first day.

[ippy]

That is a hugely superficial answer, and not even appropriate.  It is a serious issue and deserves serious consideration  Generally speaking, there are at least these ways to maintain mental well-being:

So superficial that it is the advice that I and a number of friends have been given by doctors.  Let's give an example.  You move to a new country or part of your own homeland an need to learn the lingo - be that a foreign language, a strong dialect (Scouse, Geordie, ...) or just the new vocabulary.  You can either refuse to speak until you have got the grammar and vocab clearly organised in your mind, or you can wing it and learn by your mistakes.  Almost inevitably, whichever way you try, you will make mistakes and be laughed at.  If you bottle up your frustrations at making mistakes, you will often end up isolating yourself; if you can relax and laugh at your mistakes with your listeners, not only will you feel far better, they will probably offer to help you, thus breaking the barriers even more.

Its a common piece of advice for language learners and from language teachers.

What you are actually describing is being u afraid to take 'risks' and open oneself up to failure. If I were learning a new language I wouldn't assume I'd be laughed at if I made a mistake. However, if I go in with the attitude that it doesn't matter if I make a mistake then I will be more relaxed when others point it out and we can both find the humour in it.

Of course laughter is important, but when this is recommended for good mental health it means finding things funny with others, even if only on TV - it does not mean exclusively laughing at oneself and I'm not sure too much of that is healthy. The stereotypical 'jolly fat person' comes to mind. Being required to always laugh at oneself actually leaves you open to passive aggressive bullying ('can't you take a joke?') and low self esteem ('I'm such an idiot'). There's a place for it certainly, because not being able to laugh at oneself is restrictive and unattractive. But is it the most singular thing required for good mental health? No.

I have a very good friend that loves cricket, I loathe and detest it we're always trying to get one over the other about it I have to laugh at his quite inventive attempts to promote the game, usually countered by some disparaging remark from myself, he laughs at my extreme (but logical) bias against the game and I still can not understand how he or anyone else can have even the slightest interest in this eternally never ending slow game, we laugh at each other, I enjoy the exchange whichever way it goes and would miss it if we didn't insult each other, he is and will always remain a really good friend of mine.

I hear they will be filming cricket on the time laps system and it can be watched in the evenings where they cover every single thing that happens in the whole days play and this time lapsed edition will only need to be on for about three minutes; coming soon to a theatre near you, (hopefully not near me). 

ippy

Anybody who watched the Test at Trent Bridge will understand the drama and excitement cricket can engender.  The 20/20 version always does as well.  It's as usual with you:  no imagination; no attempt to understand anything beyond the banal.

Shouldn't you have put it "Anybody who watched the Test at Trent Bridge" and managed to stay awake for more than three seconds.

I suppose a study of the weave and weft of whatever grass was planted snozzzzzz.

Sorry couldn't stay awake long enough, a bit like the trigger word hypnotists use "cricket" always works.

ippy
   

[ippy]

Anybody who watched the Test at Trent Bridge will understand the drama and excitement cricket can engender.  The 20/20 version always does as well.  It's as usual with you:  no imagination; no attempt to understand anything beyond the banal.

Complete balls, of course; on the few occasions I've been unfortunate enough to have seen cricket I've had to turn it off or over within thirty seconds before I start to eat my own legs from the feet upward out of boredom.

It's not imagination that one lacks to find cricket tedious - on the contrary, you need a very good imagination so that you can be thinking of something interesting

Have you heard that George Bernard Shaw quote Shakes: "Cricket invented by the English, it gives them a greater sense of eternity", I love it, nail on the head.

ippy

[ippy]

I didn't, but not a valid comparison anyway, Bashers, given the length of time the Bible has been hawked around compared the publishing career of a man born in 1949.

So how many has he sold?  100 million a year, maybe?

When I find one I always put it into the rubbish bin where it belongs.

ippy

[ippy]

Anybody who watched the Test at Trent Bridge will understand the drama and excitement cricket can engender.  The 20/20 version always does as well.  It's as usual with you:  no imagination; no attempt to understand anything beyond the banal.

Complete balls, of course; on the few occasions I've been unfortunate enough to have seen cricket I've had to turn it off or over within thirty seconds before I start to eat my own legs from the feet upward out of boredom.

It's not imagination that one lacks to find cricket tedious - on the contrary, you need a very good imagination so that you can be thinking of something interesting

A really boring, mind-blowingly boring, activity would be to sit down and read a book by Christopher Hitchens.. They were queuing for hours to watch the Trent Bridge Test:  they'd be queuing for hours at the tip to dump Hitchens books.   

Guess what the prize for all of that boring queuing an even more boring process of something called cricsnzzzzzz.

[OH MY WORLD!]

Shaker,
Interesting that you mentioned the New York Times best sellers list. You need to pick up Ann Coulter's latest, Adios, America. It of course is #1 on the New York Times best seller list politics. Miss Coulter having had 10 or 11 book on that list you mentioned. I betcha her next book makes the list too. So your dead hero made the list with one of his atheist pop up books. Well, that's over, there will be no more making the New York Times best seller list for that godless, raging alcoholic.

[trippymonkey]

No idea. It's not just the books, of course; the man was a journalist, so in terms of readership you have to factor in all those articles in sundry newspapers and magazines (and online).

So, not many then.   I suppose if we include all the articles in newspapers and magazines, and online, then the amount written about the Bible must be prodigious, on top of all those sales.

And how many Qurans have been sold eh ?

[Shaker]

Shaker,
Interesting that you mentioned the New York Times best sellers list. You need to pick up Ann Coulter's latest, Adios, America.

No I don't - I try to maintain good hand hygiene at all times.

I like the sound of the title, however - it makes it sound as though she's leaving, for which the nation would be just that bit cleaner.

[BashfulAnthony]

No idea. It's not just the books, of course; the man was a journalist, so in terms of readership you have to factor in all those articles in sundry newspapers and magazines (and online).

So, not many then.   I suppose if we include all the articles in newspapers and magazines, and online, then the amount written about the Bible must be prodigious, on top of all those sales.

And how many Qurans have been sold eh ?

It seems 4 billion plus Bibles; 800 million Qurans, and also, the Anglican Book of Common Prayer has sold 300 million copies.

 

[Shaker]

Those poor, poor trees 

[BashfulAnthony]

Those poor, poor trees 

And of course, the many atheist writings contribute to the sadness, especially so since they are total rubbish.

[Shaker]

You'll have read these writings, then, to arrive at this opinion (for that is all it is)?

[BashfulAnthony]

You'll have read these writings, then, to arrive at this opinion (for that is all it is)?

My reading suggests atheists are mainly a bunch of unimaginative morons; as this forum amply demonstrates.

[Shaker]

My reading

Of what? I notice that you didn't answer the question.

suggests atheists are mainly a bunch of unimaginative morons; as this forum amply demonstrates.

Well, it's apparent that adherence to Christianity has done wonders for you.

[BashfulAnthony]

My reading

Of what? I notice that you didn't answer the question.

suggests atheists are mainly a bunch of unimaginative morons; as this forum amply demonstrates.

Well, it's apparent that adherence to Christianity has done wonders for you.

I cannot, off-hand, think of any atheist writings in particular. They are so readily forgettable and always so repetitious.

And thank you for that last comment.  Compliments are always welcome, whatever the source.

[Shaker]

I cannot, off-hand, think of any atheist writings in particular. They are so readily forgettable and always so repetitious.

But you wouldn't know that they were so unless you couldremember at least some of them, otherwise your comment is incoherent.

And thank you for that last comment.  Compliments are always welcome, whatever the source.

It wasn't one.

[BashfulAnthony]

I cannot, off-hand, think of any atheist writings in particular. They are so readily forgettable and always so repetitious.

But you wouldn't know that they were so unless you couldremember at least some of them, otherwise your comment is incoherent.

And thank you for that last comment.  Compliments are always welcome, whatever the source.

It wasn't one.

You see, one reads nonsense, realises it is just that, and automatically deletes it from one's memory.
The last bit was a joke  -  look up that word.