{"id":2337,"date":"2020-07-31T17:25:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-31T17:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dougburgett.net\/blog\/?p=2337"},"modified":"2020-08-02T15:36:27","modified_gmt":"2020-08-02T15:36:27","slug":"3-reasons-to-not-be-so-serious","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dougburgett.net\/blog\/3-reasons-to-not-be-so-serious\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Reasons to Not Be So Serious"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cDo not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.\u201d<\/p>Elbert Hubbard<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s important to take things seriously, but we\u2019re all guilty of taking life too seriously at times. Maybe it\u2019s work or a specific situation, or maybe it\u2019s ourselves that we need to lighten up about. Whatever it is, here are three good reasons to not be so serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"illustration<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll Be a Villain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s right, if you don\u2019t lighten up every now and then people will start seeing you as a villain. Think about it. Shooter McGavin<\/a> in Happy Gilmore was always serious, and it was by design. He\u2019s the bad guy! We\u2019re supposed to dislike him. Opposite of Adam Sandler he looks like a big stick in the mud. You don\u2019t want to be like Shooter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take Miranda Priestly<\/a> in The Devil Wears Prada. Terrible, and so serious. How about Ed Rooney<\/a> in Ferris Buelller\u2019s Day Off? He\u2019s a classic example of where serious will get you. My favorite example is Ronan the Accuser<\/a>, from the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. He plays opposite Chris Pratt as Starlord. In the final scene Star-Lord<\/a> offers up a dance-off<\/a>, but Ronan is way too serious for that. It\u2019s exactly why we root against him. We want fun to win. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"illustration<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kids Will Hate You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve already established that if you\u2019re too serious you\u2019re a villain, so it isn\u2019t surprising that kids will hate you if you\u2019re serious all the time. Maybe it isn\u2019t your goal to make kids like you, but that could be a sign you\u2019re way too serious. Kids are a great way to measure fun. If a kid likes you, you\u2019re doing ok. If a kid would rather lick a toilet seat then be with you, well you may be a little too serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t imagine a dinner party where all those characters are sitting around talking politics for hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s a good transition to reason number three. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"illustration<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Balance is Critical<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Being too serious means you\u2019re off balance. You\u2019re leaning too far to one side. There isn\u2019t 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\u2019s an important balance to maintain because different situations will call for different reactions. In some cases you\u2019ll need to be serious. In others, you\u2019ll need to lighten up. Keeping that balance is critical if you want to successfully navigate life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One More Thing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t possibly end this on a serious note, so let me ask you this. Why are mountains never serious? Because they\u2019re hill areas, of course. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you guilty of taking life too seriously? 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