Everybody comes from different walks of life, and this will usually shape our personality on how we interact with others. But there’s bound to be individuals that come from a more “serious” background and can’t take a joke — or they’re just too sensitive. If you’re someone who comes from a more serious upbringing, you might need to lighten up a bit. Sometimes, life isn’t as black and white as it seems, and adding a bit of humor and spice into your life can definitely make it even more enjoyable.
While we encounter problems in life, smiling and laughing our way through ordeals can definitely help overcome obstacles in our ways. Having a sense of humor isn’t just something that can help make situations a bit more light-hearted, but this can also come in handy on different social occasions.
Of course, making people laugh is easier said than done. In fact, being funny in a spontaneous manner can take a lot of skill and wit, which has evolved into a “skill” of its own. So how can you make people laugh? How do you loosen up those nerves and get people smiling? Here’s what you’ll need to know.
Watch Comedies and Stand Up Shows
First and foremost, the best way of honing your sense of humor is by watching comedies. You don’t necessarily have to put on your pants and drive to the nearest stand-up bar to have a laugh when you can do it at the comfort of your own home. There are bound to be thousands of podcasts, live streams, and books that can get your funny bones moving.
Aside from just watching stand-up shows and comedies that are streamed from video-sharing platforms, you might want to consider learning from actual professionals who are well-versed with public speaking. Fortunately, some award-winning humorists and speakers conduct fundraisers and public speaking events, such as Debbie Scheer Speaks, that can give you a good impression of how energy and humor can draw in crowds. This is a great way of energizing your message through different strategies used when making others laugh.
Hang Out with All Kinds of People
Normally, you’d want to hang out with funny people since they could give you some tips on being humorous. But other than just hanging out with people, you might want to hang out with people that come from different cultural backgrounds, personalities, and upbringings. While we have some friends that are funny, being around others with different viewpoints in life can help you determine what types of jokes will “click” with them and what won’t. This will help you formulate better jokes while improving your social skills.
Some comedians would say that they have improved their sense of humor by simply being around other comedians and friends with a good sense of humor in bars and local comedy clubs. Of course, you might want to go with people who are already your friends and pay close attention to how they tell jokes. Every person who laughs at your jokes will count, so you might want to consider their personal preference and the type of humor that they’re into. Not only will this give you a good impression of the type of humor most people are into, but this will improve your perspective on how things will work out.
If you’re having a hard time telling if someone is genuinely interested in your jokes or not, you might want to consider looking for the Duchenne smile. Genuine smiles will often influence the muscles on the corners of the eyes and “wrinkle” up.
There are a variety of ways to hone your skills in making people laugh. While you can learn a few tips and tricks through comedians, stand up artists, and performers, there’s no hurt in learning through your own ways as well. Ultimately, you have to see the funny side of things and have a more positive mindset! You’d be surprised at how “funny” life can be instead of taking things too seriously.