Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Opening up and discovering your sense of humor
• Part 2 of 3: Being funny at a social event
• Part 3 of 3: Being funny at work naturally
• Tips

People who are naturally funny in social situations have an advantage. Numerous studies show that humor reduces social anxiety, helps reduce tension and has a number of positive emotional and psychological effects. In addition, it has been proven that funny people can be more successful. But it's important that you come across as naturally funny in a relaxed and spontaneous way. If your humor comes across as forced and uncomfortable, it can negatively affect social situations.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Opening up and discovering your sense of humor

1. Start by loosening up! Being too tense and self-aware are blocks in developing and expressing a natural sense of humor that other people identify with. Remember that laughter is contagious, so if you present yourself in an open and humorous way, people will be ready to laugh. To break the ice, you can follow the example of others if you need to.
   • Try to smile and laugh more.
2. Get comfortable with yourself and your opinions about life. Everyone has an opinion about life, and in many cases, opinions can be humorous to other people. People who are funny by nature are usually willing to find humor in both themselves and their opinions. If you are too tense or self-aware, it will be difficult to find humor in such things.
   • Try to open up to others by telling an embarrassing story about yourself. Be careful, though, because self-belittling jokes can make you or other people uncomfortable. Keep it flavorful.
3. Look for humor in everyday events. Many comedians turn to the world around them to find comedic material. Others look to their past experiences, such as their childhood, or past relationships as a way to make people laugh. Try to make it regular to find 5 funny things that happen to you per day. Through this technique, you will begin to see humor in everyday situations that everyone can appreciate.
   • Try to find inspiration and material in the absurd and strange aspects of everyday life. What do you find strange to see in popular music, fashion, the holidays and current events?
4. Visit a naturally funny friend or acquaintance. We all have friends who can always make you laugh. What makes them so funny? When you see them, pay close attention to find out what makes them funny. Is it their way of talking, body language, content, general attitude or anything else that makes them naturally funny? If you can find out what it is that makes them funny, you will have tools for how you too can be naturally funny.
   • Make it a habit to spend more time with funny people, and offer to share a funny story or joke of your own.
5. Explore different styles of comedians. Different styles of comedians attract different people. Some people like sarcastic and witty comments, and others just like funny acts. They are all good ways to be funny, but it is best to choose something that matches your personality in order to be naturally funny.
   • Anecdotal comedy refers to funny personal stories that may or may not be embellished.
   • Dry humor is presented with a straight face and fact, while the material itself is very funny.
   • Hyperbolic comedy is characterized by considerable exaggeration.
   • Ironic comedy is when the meaning of the joke is the opposite of the actual meaning.
6. Practice being funny. Make it your goal to do or say something once a day that makes someone laugh. A good sense of humor doesn't come overnight, and professional comedians often take years to develop their unique style. By starting small, you are already on your way to being funny in general conversations, of course.
   • Don't be afraid to share something you think is funny. While others don't always understand your humor, you can use their responses to help improve your style, content, and timing.
   • Think about what makes you laugh. If you find something funny, share it with a friend who you think will find it funny too.
   • Share a funny play from a movie, television show, book, or comic book.

Part 2 of 3: Being funny at a social event

1. Feel your audience. Be aware of the kind of people you talk to and what makes them laugh. Remember, just because you think something is funny doesn't necessarily mean that people around you think it is too. You have to know your audience before you can make them laugh!
   • Be aware that humor changes with age. Older people are less likely to laugh at sexual or aggressive humor, while the younger right-wing audience may appreciate it.
   • Realize that private jokes, specific group stories, and practical jokes are usually best shared with close friends. You don't want someone to feel left out because they don't understand the context.
   • Avoid jokes about religion or politics unless you share the same views.
   • Use humor to make people more comfortable and positive, don't shut them out, belittle their appearance or believe.
2. When telling a story or joke, work on your timing. Professional comedians say that timing is everything that determines the performance of a joke. Stories and jokes become much funnier when the narrator pauses just before the climax to build drama and suspense. You can also wait to laugh until a few seconds after the climax, that way people can never be sure if it's a joke. Always give your audience time to laugh before moving on to a new topic.
   • If you notice something crazy, don't wait too long to point it out. Seize the moment!
   • Casual comments, sarcastic or funny comments made during a conversation do well when they are delivered quickly.
   • Keep stories short and simple, too much background or too many angles will distract the audience.
3. Make jokes at your own expense. Audiences appreciate when you make yourself the target of comedy. It will help them open up and they will find it easier to laugh at both you and themselves. As a result, people will start to laugh and social anxiety will be reduced.
   • It is not recommended to start joking about someone else.
   • If you are with someone who is able to laugh at themselves, you can gently poke fun at them after doing the same with yourself. Make sure you don't go too far, as this turns a lighthearted situation into a painful one.
4. Choose famous people who will not be hurt. Poking fun at senior figures, such as politicians, celebrities or (former) bosses, is usually safe. Do not joke at the expense of people who are physically or cognitively impaired, or who are going through a difficult experience such as divorce, death, illness, or sexual assault.
   • A good rule of thumb is to poke up, not down. To ridicule someone or an entity in a position of power, in other words a bully, is to poke up. To ridicule someone or an entity who has no power, in other words an oppressed group, is to poke down. Poking up challenges the current situation, while poking down confirms it.
5. Avoid memorizing and retelling older jokes. If you retell jokes, such as knock-knock jokes or inappropriate jokes, people will turn off your sense of humor. In addition, telling a joke that you have heard on TV or found online will seem artificial and unnatural. Stick to your own observations.

Part 3 of 3: Being funny at work naturally

1. Use humor to integrate in the workplace. Remember that if you take yourself too seriously, it can damage your relationship with your colleagues. A good sense of humor, combined with a strong work ethic, has been shown to be important traits in successful leaders. Being funny at work can improve your reputation there.
2. Use humor to connect with colleagues. Humor can be used to improve group spirit by softening negative situations and creating positive feelings. You can use humor to draw attention to the things you have in common with colleagues or a supervisor. This will help you make friends in the workplace and make the workplace more comfortable.
   • If you're working with someone for the first time, commenting, or supporting a controversial idea or plan, humor can be a great way to get people's attention without appearing pretentious or superior.
3. Be careful with humor in the workplace. You want to come across as funny, not passive-aggressive or outright offensive. You also want to be able to grab and keep people's attention, but not because they find you offensive. Avoid forms of at work low humor which involves too much risk.
   • Topics that may be offensive include physical appearance or deficiencies, oppressed groups (such as women and minorities), physical or mental disabilities, and references to bodily functions and sex.

Tips

• Make sure the people you are with know when you are funny and when you mean something serious.
• Remember that no one is perfect. Finding humor in otherwise embarrassing or painful situations will not only help you deal with it, but will also make those around you more comfortable.
• Use common sense when determining whether something is appropriate.
• Watch comedy on TV and observe how they perceive social situations in their environment and respond to them with humor. Try to imitate the way they deliver it and pay attention to the reactions of the audience.
• Avoid overly sarcastic rebuttals or repeating a particular one cry.
• Don't tell the same joke or story over and over.
• Humor is great for relieving tension, but it knows when to be serious.
• Don't be stupid because you think it's funny, or put yourself down to "score" easily.