30 People With Illnesses And Disabilities Overshining Their Hardships With Humor

From Lego peg-legs and imitating Vincent van Gogh to hilarious T-shirts and funny poses with prosthetics, it seems like these people are getting more joy out of life than the average person. It’s not wrong to think so.

The BBC writes that there’s such a thing as the ‘disability paradox’ where people with disabilities often report having a quality of life that’s the same (or sometimes better) than non-disabled people. In fact, it seems that disabilities don’t seem to make much of a difference when rating life satisfaction. While lacking one of your major senses like sight or hearing doesn’t stop you from flourishing.

Having a good sense of humor and a sunny outlook has a positive effect on patients' recovery after surgery or after a temporary setback like breaking an arm or a leg.

The benefits of optimism and humor in daily life have been well-documented. But how much do they affect people with illnesses and disabilities?

According to one study, optimism plays an important role in helping individuals with disabilities cope with their situations and achieve their goals. What’s more, it helps them, as well as their caregivers, improve their overall well-being.

Meanwhile, another study that looked at people suffering from Parkinson’s Disease noted that (what they call) dispositional optimism improves the quality of life, reduces emotional distress, and even reduces the severity of the disease.

While a third study showed that people who adapt to having disabilities tend to enjoy a higher quality of life than those who don’t.