I begin with an explanation of my life-long interest in the value of humor. Then I sketch an account of how humorous amusement evolved in humans as an alternative to fight-or-flight emotions, and apply that theory to contemporary situations. The main benefits are that humor is healthy physically and psychologically, it promotes mental flexibility, and it serves as a social lubricant. Those benefits are highlighted in what I call the Comic Vision of Life, which I contrast with literary scholars’ Tragic Vision of Life, and which, I argue, is better adapted to the modern world. My conclusion is that humor is valuable in a way that nothing else is, and is essential to the good life.