“Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.”
Elbert Hubbard
It’s important to take things seriously, but we’re all guilty of taking life too seriously at times. Maybe it’s work or a specific situation, or maybe it’s ourselves that we need to lighten up about. Whatever it is, here are three good reasons to not be so serious.
You’ll Be a Villain
That’s right, if you don’t lighten up every now and then people will start seeing you as a villain. Think about it. Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore was always serious, and it was by design. He’s the bad guy! We’re supposed to dislike him. Opposite of Adam Sandler he looks like a big stick in the mud. You don’t want to be like Shooter.
Take Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Terrible, and so serious. How about Ed Rooney in Ferris Buelller’s Day Off? He’s a classic example of where serious will get you. My favorite example is Ronan the Accuser, from the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. He plays opposite Chris Pratt as Starlord. In the final scene Star-Lord offers up a dance-off, but Ronan is way too serious for that. It’s exactly why we root against him. We want fun to win.
Kids Will Hate You
We’ve already established that if you’re too serious you’re a villain, so it isn’t surprising that kids will hate you if you’re serious all the time. Maybe it isn’t your goal to make kids like you, but that could be a sign you’re way too serious. Kids are a great way to measure fun. If a kid likes you, you’re doing ok. If a kid would rather lick a toilet seat then be with you, well you may be a little too serious.
Think of all the characters that kids love. Santa. The Easter Bunny. Winnie the Pooh. Mickey Mouse. Barney. Not a very serious bunch there. I can’t imagine a dinner party where all those characters are sitting around talking politics for hours.
That’s a good transition to reason number three.
Balance is Critical
Being too serious means you’re off balance. You’re leaning too far to one side. There isn’t anything wrong with talking politics for hours, as long as you can laugh at yourself in the end and recognize that life has a humor to it. It’s an important balance to maintain because different situations will call for different reactions. In some cases you’ll need to be serious. In others, you’ll need to lighten up. Keeping that balance is critical if you want to successfully navigate life.
One More Thing
I can’t possibly end this on a serious note, so let me ask you this. Why are mountains never serious? Because they’re hill areas, of course.