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Service

Jul 8, 2014

"Like a welcome summer rain, humor may suddenly cleanse and cool the earth, the air and you."

—Langston Hughes

Humor as a Tool in Non-Violent Conflict Resolution

Humor can be very effective in establishing a human connection between parties in a conflict, and thereby defusing the conflict itself, though it can be very hard to remember when the heat is really on. In fact humor is a time-honored strategy in the repertoire of nonviolence. But like any strategy it has to be appropriately applied. And that means exposing the folly in what someone is doing without ridiculing the person or the group they belong to: "humor but not humiliation." It's a fine line to tread.

BE THE CHANGE

We all have a clown inside, perhaps our best inner friend! Try treading that fine line of humor this week in any tense situation. First, find it for yourself, then give it intelligent expression.