Why Are We Laughing? - Jos Houben, Deepak Chopra

I attended Jos Houben's acclaimed one-man show The Art of Laughter at last year's Dublin Fringe Festival in the Samual Beckett Theatre, Trinity College Dublin which was characterised by a superabundance of humanity and humour. It was a master-class on what we laugh at, and why. The author/actor can be heard explaining his deep understanding of how far we tolerate the slippage of dignity in the service of comedy, in a podcast here -

Electric Politics | EP Podcast: The Art of Laughter


Why is God Laughing is a recent book written by the spiritually prodigious Deepak Chopra. It's essentially a parable about a comedian, Mickey Fellows, and Francisco, who he meets and who becomes a sort of mentor in encouraging Mickey to explore his life behind his mask of comedy.

The message is that authentic humour serves relationships better, leading to more spiritual optimism and joy.

In the last chapter of the book, Chopra presents the 10 principles of spiritual optimism. He writes; "When you explore yourself on the inner plane, you are walking with intuition."

The 10 principles:

1. The healthiest response to life is laughter

2. There is always a reason to be grateful

3. You belong in the scene of the universe. There's nothing to be afraid of. You are safe.

4. Your soul cherishes every aspect of your life

5. There is a plan, and your soul knows it

6. Ecstasy is the energy of spirit. When life flows, ecstasy is natural

7. There is a creative solution to every problem. Every possibility holds the promise of abundance

8. Obstacles are opportunities in disguise

9. Evolution leads the way through desire

10. Freedom is letting go.

For a review, see Why Is God Laughing? by Deepak Chopra - Hardcover - Random House