Hardy-Har-Har

Hardy-Har-Har

Greetings Golfers,

My speech about why I love golf always ends with “Hit it - find it - deal with it."

So thinking about it while driving in the other morning … it seemed obvious that “dealing with it” took courage and humor.

So when I got to the Clubhouse … I asked AI if courage is linked to humor. Here’s what it said:

Yes, courage and humor are deeply linked. Both are emotional and moral tools that allow us to confront, endure, and process life’s difficulties. Laughing at the absurdities of life requires a willingness to face fear, while speaking truth to power takes a different kind of bravery.

The connection between the two goes beyond just making light of a situation. The primary psychological and philosophical links include:

*EXECUTIVE VIRTUES: Philosophers often group humor and courage together as “executive virtues” - traits that make a person a more effective agent in the world, allowing them to better manage their emotions during hardships.

*A COURAGE MECHANISM: Psychologists have long identified humor as a cognitive defense mechanism. Unlike denial or suppression, humor acknowledges reality but strips dangerous or terrifying situations of their absolute power, allowing people to regain a sense of control.

*THE VULNERABILITY TO FAIL: Being funny - whether on stage in stand-up or just cracking a joke in a high-stakes meeting - requires the bravery to risk rejection of failure.

*RESILIENCE: Laughter has always served as a tool for resilience and resistance during dark times. Using comedy to mock hardship or dismantle broken systems is a bold, courageous act.

That response blew me away. I hope AI can be a tool to help humanity. I grew up watching and reading stuff about computers taking over the world. The best one was “2001: A Space Odyssey."

Ironically, the nightmare of being controlled/enslaved by computers … basically means we can’t respond with courage and humor. We’d be just a form of a robot.

Did you ever watch the Brit TV show from the mid-60s called “The Prisoner”?

It starred Patrick McGoohan, who had been starring in James Bond type shows. But he got sick of it and developed and wrote “The Prisoner” episodes. He saw glamorizing spies as just a step into a controlled society. He believed in a free society.

Well … golf is the game of a free society. Back in the old Soviet Union days … golf was banned because of its emphasis on personal responsibility.

And … to deal with life with personal responsibility … you need courage and laughter.

Laughter. I can’t emphasize it enough. When I hire the kids to work here … it’s the main thing I look for in the interview. They might have the greatest resume in the world … but if they don’t have a sense of humor … they shouldn’t work here. I don’t mean that they necessarily have to funny … but they have to appreciate humor.

When I have hired non-humor people … it always leads to drama. Nothing can be laughed off. Every little thing is “serious” … actually it’s always a power play. If it’s laughed off … they can’t use it in their never-ending reach for power.

We’ve all played golf with those people. Not much fun. They just don’t get it.

And the only way to deal with those people is with courage and HUMOR.

See … golf ALWAYS has the answers!

Cheers!

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com