There is one human activity that cannot be suppressed by tyrants, bullies, oppressors, politicians, bureaucrats, clergymen, or any other person who tries to control other human beings. Learning is, or should be, a lifelong activity, and it should be fun. I often get the comment that I am not serious enough. I joke, I laugh, and I try to have fun all day every day. My favorite meme: “If you aren’t having fun, you shouldn’t be doing it. One of my heroes is Richard Feynman, who is perhaps the most famous physics professor who ever lived. His lectures are still viewed, since he had fun teaching. One of Professor Feynman’s quotes: “If you’re not having fun, you’re not learning. There’s a pleasure in finding things out.” When I speak about having fun, I sometimes use it to defuse a stressful, or potentially troubling situation. “Are we having fun yet?” tends to remind someone having a difficult time that fun and humor are what makes life worth living. Perpetually unhappy people are sad to me. If we can’t have fun doing this, what is the point?
