Laugh at yourself

The best quality that I have observed in likable people is the ability to take the joke upon themselves without being offended. Children learn this from parents. If parents are sensitive and cannot tell a joke apart, and get offended easily,  the child also tends to get upset with a joke. 

When you watch stand up comedy routines, the comedians pick on a random person and they all laugh at the expense of that individual, including that individual. It’s a joke. But in India we get offended and upset easily and there’s exchange of words. 

In my family, my dad had a great sense of humour. He constantly made fun of us, and allowed us to make fun of him (but when he was not joking around we knew to shut up). He allowed debate and reasoning and quick thinking. And because we did this at home, I could never be bullied in school. They would call me all sorts of names, targeting my height or skin colour and I embraced it and it never bothered me. I was able to give a response that always made the offender laugh! 

When you laugh at yourself, you have this superpower, you control how you feel about this situation. No one can mess with your emotions. But when you are in love? That’s a different story,