By Olivene Godfrey

SENSE OF HUMOR IMPORTANT....

Almost everybody agrees that a sense of humor is important. And, a few years back, a survey showed that virtually everybody prides himself on his sense of humor, whether he has one or not.

Some psychologists report that men and women tend to have different ideas about humor. The experts say that men tend to favor hostile or sarcastic wit -- humor that has an aggressive bite to it. Women though tend to stress humor as a stratagem for pure fun and amusement.

I've found that the type of humor a person likes tells a lot about that person, man or woman. I find outlandish wit funny. Sometimes I'm the only person around me who thinks something is funny. Anyone can cultivate the ability to perceive the comic element in situations, in people and in himself. It may take some doing but no effort will pay greater dividends.

For a well-developed sense of humor enables us to get along with people better, to adjust more easily to difficult situations, and as one specialist has pointed out, the ability to laugh at oneself is great value in providing a release from mental and nervous tensions. My husband who passed away last year had a dry wit that helped us survive his final years. And my son, Barry, inherited that wit and often sends me into laughter.

Psychological studies show that people who make the best showings on sense of humor tests are the most self-aware, have the most sensitive insight into their innermost feelings, and cherish the fewest illusions about themselves. Their sense of humor enables them to face cheerfully the fact that they're far from perfect.