DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - If There Is So Much Suffering in the World, Then Why is God Laughing?

**griddle** · 06-19-2008, 01:08 AM

hi yossarian

of course it it insensitive to laugh a suffering person right up in the face...what on earth do you mean? i think you misunderstood something here...

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kind of depends on the context doesn't it?

there is such a thing as kind and compassionate laughter. i don't think compassion requires us to suffer alongside others, in fact i think the compassionate response is to help others find joy through example.

i'm not talking about mean laughter, and by suffering people i don't mean people being abused who could be helped. saying i "laughed in their face" is a very emotionally charged way to put it, and not an accurate picture of what i have in memory.

an example that i remember is when people would fight or argue, i would see them and laugh but it wasn't an uncomfortable laugh it was a peaceful laugh of understanding. people who fight or argue or dig up heavy emotions, from my way of thinking, are suffering.

i did also do the uncomfortable laughter thing that mark explained, but that was when i got older. that wasn't what i was talking about in my initial post.

as a little kid i remember this bully waylaid me one time and was very obviously threatening to beat me up, trying to intimidate me. at the time i just thought it was funny, fear or self-preservation never even entered my awareness. i smiled and laughed and he stopped and stared at me, partly trying to intimidate me and partly trying to understand me i think. it was my natural state to laugh and smile and be happy, i saw no reason why this particular encounter with this particular guy should cause me to stop feeling joy.

after a minute of staring he let me go - unharmed - and i was never bothered again.

when you think of laughter, do you think of meanness? the laughter i think of is a kind and loving laughter, the laugh of joy. not a divisive laughter or a mocking laughter.

i laugh at myself more than anyone, at my own flaws, and when i see my own flaws projected back to me by the universe, that sometimes causes me to laugh as well. i am grateful for this, i don't consider it insensitive.

06-19-2008, 01:08 AM	#7
griddle Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 465 Senior Member	hi yossarian of course it it insensitive to laugh a suffering person right up in the face...what on earth do you mean? i think you misunderstood something here... transiten kind of depends on the context doesn't it? there is such a thing as kind and compassionate laughter. i don't think compassion requires us to suffer alongside others, in fact i think the compassionate response is to help others find joy through example. i'm not talking about mean laughter, and by suffering people i don't mean people being abused who could be helped. saying i "laughed in their face" is a very emotionally charged way to put it, and not an accurate picture of what i have in memory. an example that i remember is when people would fight or argue, i would see them and laugh but it wasn't an uncomfortable laugh it was a peaceful laugh of understanding. people who fight or argue or dig up heavy emotions, from my way of thinking, are suffering. i did also do the uncomfortable laughter thing that mark explained, but that was when i got older. that wasn't what i was talking about in my initial post. as a little kid i remember this bully waylaid me one time and was very obviously threatening to beat me up, trying to intimidate me. at the time i just thought it was funny, fear or self-preservation never even entered my awareness. i smiled and laughed and he stopped and stared at me, partly trying to intimidate me and partly trying to understand me i think. it was my natural state to laugh and smile and be happy, i saw no reason why this particular encounter with this particular guy should cause me to stop feeling joy. after a minute of staring he let me go - unharmed - and i was never bothered again. when you think of laughter, do you think of meanness? the laughter i think of is a kind and loving laughter, the laugh of joy. not a divisive laughter or a mocking laughter. i laugh at myself more than anyone, at my own flaws, and when i see my own flaws projected back to me by the universe, that sometimes causes me to laugh as well. i am grateful for this, i don't consider it insensitive.
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