I saw this in the news today and I thought I’d share it: Obama uses humor at White House summit. Despite the great challenges facing the nation, President Obama found ways to interject humor into the day to engage the audience and keep the summit (somewhat) enjoyable. From the article:
Easygoing though always in charge, Obama melded serious talk about ways to control the exploding federal deficit with frequent doses of humor and familiarity. That mix provided moments of levity that defused what could have been a tense session of finger-pointing between Republicans and Democrats on a painfully dry subject – fiscal policy.
Presidents who understand the power of humor aren’t new, however. Abraham Lincoln said, “Gentlemen, why don’t you laugh? With the fearful strain that is upon me day and night, if I did not laugh I should die, and you need this medicine as much as I do.” Dwight D. Eisenhower stated, “A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.”
And while he wasn’t a President, Gandhi did know a few things about overcoming adversity and uniting a country:
“If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide.” – Gandhi
More Humor:
