“Humor is an affirmation of dignity, a declaration of man’s superiority to all that befalls him.” Romain Gary
A sense of humor won’t make you bulletproof, but it is an analgesic and can help us rise above the pain.
The capability to look at our situation and laugh at it is a sign of confidence and faith. The Spartans’ pithy responses to threats still speak to their strength of will, be it telling Philip of Macedonia “if” or responding that they would fight in the shade when told that the Persians’ arrows could blot out the sun. Facing the longest odds (300 to hundreds of thousands or more), yet still maintaining your wits speaks to the training and will of the warriors.
Even if you aren’t facing heavy cavalry or legions with spears and swords, standing against your opponents (cancer, attorneys, your internal demons) and smirking and punning is a sign of indomitable spirit that would make the Spartans proud.