鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
Anaverageperson,didyouknow,growsinalifetime,6feetofnosehairand450milesofhaironthehead?Thesearehardlyvitalstatistics,butinformationlikethisneverfailstoamuseme.
It'simportantinlifetobeconstantlyamused.Itgivesyouasenseofoptimism.Itmakesyoufeelgoodanditalwaysbringsagoodperspectiveofthings.Ihavealwaysbelievedthatnomatterhowbadthingsare-onthecontrary,whenthingscouldnotgetanyworse,wheneverythingisatrockbottom,wemustneverloseoursenseofhumouroramusement.
Ihaveaskedafewpeoplewhohavebeenprisonersandhostagesandtheyalltoldmethatwhatsustainedtheirdarkestmomentsofdepressionwasretainingasenseofhumour.Beingabletosmileandlaughwascriticaltotheirsurvival.
Afortiori,we,inournormallives,mustneverforgetthatsenseofamusementandhumourespeciallywhenwehavetheluxuryofchoosingtohaveit.So-called"important"peopleinHongKongarenotveryamusingnorhumorous.Politicians,tycoonsandprofessionalsherearefartooserious.Whentheyaredealingwithanykindof"business",theythinkthereisnoroomforlaughs.Buthowwrongcantheybe?Havingasenseofhumourorevenasenseofabsurdityprovesthatsomeonehasthesenseofaspectrum,fromoneendtoanother.Itshowstheycanseethe"funny"sideofthings.Inotherwords,theycanseeatotallydifferentangle.Suchperceptivenesscanonlybegoodforanyanalyticalmind.
JustlookatthewayinwhichmattersofstatearediscussedintheHouseofCommonsinBritain.DebateafterdebateonhugelyvitalbusinessoccursandoftenmembersofParliamentjokeandridiculeandjestwitheachother.EspeciallyatPrimeMinister'sQuestionTime,forhalf-an-hourorso,thebesthumourandwitandsarcasmstakeplace-yetnoneofthesubjectsdiscussedcouldeverbesaidtobeintheleastflippant.
YetlookatourutterlymiserableLegislativeCouncil!It'slikeoftomb.Amorbidairhangsoverthechamber.Atleast"Long-Hair"providesaslightvisualdigression.AndoneortwootherslikeAlbertChangoftenspeakwithasmileoralaughandfacetiousness.That'sgreat!Otherwise,mostofalltheotherself-importantandself-opinatedmemberssitbackeitherhalf-boredorhalf-limp.Andwhenthereisatlastsomeanimation,thedebatesbecometotallydevoidofanysenseofhumourorwit.
HavemostofthemneverheardofWinstonChurchill?Thebestkindofput-downsareofcoursethekindthatcomeswithextremesarcasmorSaharandrynessanddevastatingwitandridicule.Whycan'tourpoliticianspracticemorehumour?Forastart,theywouldgetclosertothepeople.Peoplewhowouldlaughwiththem,ratherthanatthem.
Butit'sSunday.Let'sleavetheseboringrottersbehind.Iwilltellyousomemoreuselessinformation.Ihopeyouwillsmileorevenlaughatallthesefacts.
Didyouknow:
-thatifyoumouththewords"colourful"tosomeone,youcouldbeenseentobesaying"Iloveyou"?
-thatnowordsinEnglishrhymewiththewords"orange","silver"nor"month"?
-that"dreamt"istheonlywordinEnglishthatendsintheletters"mt"?
Anddidyouknow(asIamwritingthisinAmerica):
-thatAmericanseatanaverageof18acresofpizzaseveryday?
-thatnoAmericanpresidenthaseverdiedinthemonthofMay?
-thattheBibleisthemostshop-liftedbookintheUnitedStates?
Ordidyouknowwhichfamouspeoplemarriedtheirsecretary?T.S.Eliotdid;sodidBurtLancaster,DostoyevskyandThomasHardy.Onmarriage,ZsaZsaGabormarried9times,ElisabethTaylor8timesandLanaTurner7times.AndwhenMaeWestwasaskedhowmanyhusbandsshehadhad,shereplied"Mineorothers?"
Sohaveagoodlaugh!Wearenaturallyhappierwhenwelaugh.Andlaughswhichoftencomefromknowinguselessfactsratherthanusefulfacts!Andweshouldknowandappreciatebothkinds.I'llendwithtwootherpiecesofhumanstatisticstocomplementthetwoIstartedwith:inthelifetimeofanaverageperson,weblinkoureyes415milliontimes!Andwekissfortwoweeks!