Word-Of-the-Week #2002: Laugh
October 2, 2025 by Susan Clarke
Laugh – to show or feel amusement or good humor.
How often do you laugh each day? Are you able to laugh at yourself and not take everything too seriously?
This week’s WOW is the 2nd part of “Boomers who remain witty and sharp past 70 usually live by these 9 rules. A sharp mind past 70 isn’t guaranteed—but these 9 rules make all the difference, by Avery White at Vegoutmag.com
To Recap:
There’s a particular quality some older people have—a spark that makes you forget you’re talking to someone who remembers when television was new. They drop perfectly timed jokes, recall obscure facts with startling clarity, and somehow manage to stay current without trying too hard. These aren’t just the genetically blessed. They’re people who’ve figured out that staying mentally sharp isn’t about sudoku puzzles and crosswords alone.
The difference between those who remain vibrant conversationalists at 75 and those who retreat into repetitive stories isn’t luck. It’s a collection of habits, attitudes, and deliberate choices that keep their minds flexible while their joints might not be. These rules aren’t complicated or expensive—they’re accessible to anyone willing to rethink what aging means for the brain.
- They treat curiosity like oxygen
- They collect experiences, not just memories
- They embrace technology without surrendering to it
- They maintain friendships across generations
Smart 70-somethings don’t just hang out with other 70-somethings. They cultivate friendships across age groups, not as mentors or authority figures, but as genuine peers. They have coffee with 40-year-olds, debate politics with 30-year-olds, and aren’t threatened by 20-year-olds who know things they don’t.
This cross-generational mixing prevents the echo chamber effect that can make older adults feel disconnected from contemporary life. Younger friends bring fresh perspectives, new vocabulary, and different problems to solve. Research shows that intergenerational connections can improve cognitive function and social well-being. The mentally sharp elderly understand these friendships aren’t about feeling young—they’re about staying relevant and engaged with the world as it actually is.
- They laugh at themselves first
The quickest wit often belongs to those who’ve learned not to take themselves too seriously. They’ll joke about their “senior moments,” their technological struggles, their creaking joints—but never in a self-pitying way. They’ve weaponized self-deprecation as a form of connection, not defeat.
This humor serves a deeper purpose than just getting laughs. Self-directed humor is actually a sophisticated cognitive function that requires perspective-taking and emotional regulation. When you can laugh at your own limitations, you’re demonstrating mental flexibility and resilience. The sharpest seniors know that taking yourself too seriously is the fastest way to become a caricature of old age.
- They read like their brain depends on it
Not just newspapers or their favorite genre—they read widely, voraciously, and challengingly. Fiction, non-fiction, long-form journalism, even the occasional graphic novel. They treat reading not as a pastime but as cognitive maintenance, each book a different exercise for different mental muscles.
The key is variety. Reading only political books that confirm your views is like only doing bicep curls at the gym. The mentally sharp mix it up: a mystery novel followed by a history of jazz, a memoir paired with science writing. They understand that every new author’s voice, every unfamiliar subject, forces the brain to work harder, stay more agile.
This week is all about having a good laugh while you’re aging! Do you maintain friendships that you can laugh with? Do you read a variety of books?
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