That question popped into my head the other day when someone was moving slowly and instead of being frustrated I felt warm and patient and somehow connected. The question tickled me because the idea came out of the blue, from Nathaniel Brandon, whom I read over 40 years ago. It turns out he said 5%, not 10%, but the basic idea of making small changes was from him. Click here to read about his method. Anyway, I’ve been pondering about that and asked ChatGPT to write a blog post with that title:
If I Had 10% More of a Sense of Humor, What Would It Be Like?
I’ve been thinking lately: what if I had just 10% more of a sense of humor? Not a total personality overhaul, not a career as a stand-up comic, just… a slight upgrade. A humor software update. Version 1.1: Now with 10% more chuckle.
Would I laugh more at the absurdities of daily life instead of sighing at them? Probably. I might look at a traffic jam and think, *“Ah yes, the universe’s way of reminding me I’m not in control,”* instead of muttering curses at red brake lights. I might even find something oddly poetic about waiting in line behind someone who’s paying with coins. Slowly. Very slowly.
With 10% more humor, I think I’d be better at not taking myself so seriously. When I mess up—like sending a text to the wrong person or accidentally waving back at someone who wasn’t waving at me—I might laugh, rather than replay it in my head like it’s the Zapruder film.
I imagine I’d be a little more fun at dinner parties. Not the life of the party, but maybe the person who adds a clever aside that gets a ripple of laughter and a few nods of appreciation. Oh, she’s witty, they’d say. Not hilarious, but lightly sparkling. Like a La Croix of humor—subtle, but present.
If I had 10% more humor, I think I’d listen better. Humor, after all, is rooted in paying attention—to timing, to tone, to subtext. I might hear the irony in someone’s story before jumping in with advice. I’d catch the joke under the complaint, the joy under the grumble.
But the biggest difference? I think I’d be just a little more resilient. Humor, even in small doses, is a shield. Not to deflect reality, but to face it with a wink. With 10% more humor, I’d have a lighter step and a softer heart. Because when you can laugh—even just a little—you loosen the grip of fear, frustration, and perfectionism.
So maybe I’ll try to cultivate that 10% today. Not by forcing jokes, but by watching life with kinder eyes and a grin waiting in the wings. After all, the world doesn’t need another serious person; it needs someone who sees the comedy in being human.
And if I can’t find it right away, at least I can laugh at that.
Did that capture my feelings? For the most part no, except for the line,
watching life with kinder eyes
That resonated and describes what I felt, and also the phrase
a softer heart
So did ChatGPT help? Yes! It’s not a replacement for thinking, it’s a powerful tool to help me go deeper into ideas and to clarify my thoughts and feelings. The parts that didn’t resonate were as useful as the parts that did.
July 16, 2025
You use ChatGPT like I use Bing’s Copilot. I usually will ask it to write a Facebook page describing a certain situation. It helps put things into the right words. It’s not always good on the first try and I may need to suggest changes but most of the time come up with something suitable.
Thank you for telling me about Copilot!
…if you lose your sense of humor, you’ve lost everything.
Humor is like shock absorbers, it helps a lot on bumpy roads.
Just think though…if everyone were to give 10%…wow what a difference there would be in this world. I sometimes laugh at ChatGPT because…although it can think for us, it often is so recognized due to the format and the vocabulary that is used. I am getting to the point where that extra 10% would help in people having more patience with me.. lol
🙂
I do have a sense of humor, although it’s probably more on the sardonic side. I think it developed early as a coping method. Not everyone appreciates my humor!
At least it helps you, that counts for something. 🙂
I think having a sense of humor – and the more the better – will prolong one’s life!
A lot of people agree. I’m one of them. 🙂
I am wondering if something like this can be cultivated. But I think you are right that it could make us more resilient.
I think it can be for a lot of people. It’s always worth a try. 🙂
I’m avoiding AI, as much as I can.
I was too for a long time, but I’m finding it incredibly useful right now.
Yes, a good sense of humor is most important!
🙂
I think this one is the best!
“Humor, even in small doses, is a shield. Not to deflect reality, but to face it with a wink.” Yes!
🙂