CHANDLERS OF THE WORLD...UNITE!!

Out of all the characters from my favourite TV show, "Friends", the character I like the most is Chandler (although all of them are perfect for their respective roles). This is not the least because of his uncanny ability to wise crack and finally squirm himself out of the knottiest of situations, but because of his great self deprecating humour which enables him to do this. In an age where it is quite common to indulge in "others deprecating" humour, we have to realise that self deprecating humour instantly helps to ease heated discussions and thorny situations without hurting other people. In diverse situations, times and countries, there have always been people like this and they have played an important role in helping to avoid getting situations out of hand. Some disparate examples come to mind. Ronald Reagan, who was famous for his ability to see the humour in the situation. Physicist Samuel Allison, who worked on the Atomic Bomb project. The famous mathematician John von Neumann. And far and away, possibly the best of them all...Pu La Deshpande. The man was a genius at this. And the quality is far from common. Try spending a day when you don't come up with a single joke making fun of others. Of course, in his famous writings, Pu La did make fun of others, but never in a way that was condescending. The self deprecator is valuable to society. He is instrumental in deflecting the attention of people from the strained situation at hand. He can use any bad quality which he has in a wonderful way, so that people see the human element in the situation. He is the person who makes us aware that no matter how bitter matters are, they can always be resolved. He makes us realise that life is more than petty or even profound differences. He always has the last laugh, and he encourages us to do the same. So Chandlers of the world....UNITE!!