Jerry Seinfeld gave the commencement speech at Duke earlier this year, offering some sage advice to the graduates.
His three keys to life? 1) Bust your ass, 2) Pay attention, and 3) Fall in love.
Seinfeld also emphasized another, less surprising lesson: the power of humor.
He said, "Do not lose your sense of humor. You can have no idea at this point in your life how much you're going to need it to get through."
Humor isn't just for entertainment, he stressed—it's a survival tool for life's unpredictability.
"It's worth the sacrifice of an occasional discomfort to have some laughs. Don't lose that," he continued.
Seinfeld even compared humor to a "Stanley Cup water bottle on the brutal, long hike of life." In other words, humor and laughter are essential tools, not just accessories.
I agree. For me, laughing—even alone, in my car in some nondescript parking lot somewhere as I steel myself for the day—helps me survive and sometimes thrive.
What about you? How important is humor in your daily life? Does Seinfeld have a point?
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On that note, I'm James Brown, and as always, be well.
Jerry Seinfeld's Keys to life