This anecdote (not a joke) shows two things: one, Shaw had a poor opinion of the actress’s intelligence. Two, he poked fun at his own looks. Only a man with a sense of humour could have made such an observation.

People often get offended when something that evokes laughter is said about them. Instead of enjoying the remark, which often has an element of truth and wit, the remark puts up their hackles. An opportunity to bask in the sunshine of the soul is lost.

Mahatma Gandhi, known for having a large humour bone, once remarked: "Here go my people; I must follow them as I am their leader!"

James Barrie recounts that a friend had invited him to dinner. After a while, the servant came and announced, "Sir, the dinner is served," and showed him the door! Barrie went out in the street and had a hearty laugh. Another person in his place would have exploded into wrath and insulted his host before heading towards the door.

Bob Hope, the American comedian, was once complimented for having a sixth sense for humour. He smiled, accepted the compliment but added that it was because he did not have the other five!

Reality is that each one of us has two "personalities" — the serious and the non-serious. Victor Hugo was conscious of it when he wrote: "I sense two natures within me." Aldous Huxley once experimented with LSD and observed that he saw his own self split into two — the physical and the spiritual. And he laughed at both! Robert Louis Stevenson had a clear understanding of this dual personality in his novel, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde." The man in the street is not Hugo, Huxley or Stevenson. He does not know why he acts and thinks as he does at times. Nor is it that he is able to conduct psychoanalytical sessions in order to find out his real self.

Down the ages, ancient wisdom has slotted laughter as a prescription for good health. Now we have proof that a good laugh is much more than medicine. Dr Thomas Houston who believes laughter is a strong positive emotion says: "Laughter stimulates the heart rate and circulation, exercises the lungs, and relaxes the muscles. Laughing even increases the endorphin level — those natural opiates that produce euphoria and well-being."

The humourist Robert McNabb believes a good joke often helps to defuse aggression. He sees laughter as a valuable tool in the workplace. He says "People are drawn to people who laugh easily. Good-tempered people are like well-tempered steel."

Conversely, a lack of a sense of humour blocks communication. He says. "When people are making important decisions, a laugh is a break. After laughing you can begin a new thought process. The mind moves in a new, perhaps better direction. One’s perspective is changed."

In a survey, 190 business school deans were polled on whether there is a connection between a sense of humour and success. Most concur there is. J. Cronin, Director of the survey, believes that success in any area depends on influencing others, and wit is one of the best ways to do it.

A hearty guffaw contributes to longevity. He who laughs, lasts. There is a profound truth in these four simple words. Charles Lamp has observed, "A laugh is worth a hundred groans in any market." Gloom is the rust of the soul.

Beasts can weep when they suffer, but they cannot laugh, so laughter is a privilege accorded to human beings. Why not practise it in daily life as frequently as it is possible? The benefits are only a laugh away.