How to Be Funny (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

Being humorous and encouraging others to laugh with you can help make you famous and successful. Humor can help you feel the bright side of your life, bring happiness to everyone you meet, and has also been recognized as an important factor in getting a job. A survey of 737 CEOs found that 98 percent of them would rather hire someone who has a sense of humor than someone who doesn't. Fight your stubbornness and make yourself funny. Watch the first step for more information.

Step

Part 1 of 3: Developing a sense of humor

Step 1. Learn a little about the things that make you laugh

Laughter itself is an unconscious thing. When we are still able to hold back laughter (not always successful), it is very difficult if we are asked to produce laughter, and when we do it will usually seem "forced." Fortunately, laughter is very contagious (our urge to laugh will increase up to 30 times when there are other people around us), and in a social context, it is very easy to laugh when other people are laughing too.

Studies have shown that there are three main things that make us laugh: a sense of superiority over others who behave "dumbly" than us; the difference between our expectations of something and the fact that the actual outcome; or the presence of relief from an anxiety

Step 2. Learn to laugh at unfunny and boring situations

It must be recognized that where humor is rarest, that is where it is easiest for us to strike a humorous surprise. It's easier to make people in your office laugh than it is to make people laugh at a joke club.

This is why Office Boy, a comedy show on RCTI, uses the office as its setting: The setting tells how boring an office is in general. We will never see that the office is a fun place, so when the place is fun, it will be "very" fun

Step 3. Learn to appreciate clever and witty puns

Oftentimes, comedy stems from a language fallacy (accidentally) or a language play (intentionally). We sometimes find funny and ridiculous things in the gaps between our words and the meaning of the words themselves.

Slipping is a language error that is believed to indicate more in what direction we are really thinking than what we really mean to say.
The witty pun is more intentional: "A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion." Or this one, where the words “football” and “fight” are swapped: “I went to a fight the night before and the football happened”.

Step 4. Understand fate or irony

Perhaps no other comedy that is widely available in society is more difficult to understand than a comedy about irony. Irony occurs when there is a gap between our expectations of a statement, situation, or image and what actually happened.

Comedy actor Jackie Mason illustrated the irony with a joke: "My grandparents always said, 'Don't watch your money; watch your health.' So one day while I was watching my health, someone stole my money. It was my grandparents."
This joke is confused with one main thought and hope: his grandparents are good and friendly people who are completely innocent, their advice should be sincere. This joke is funny because, in it, we are presented with a grandparent who is dishonest, thief, and deceptive.

Step 5. Trust your inner sense of humor

Humor and humor are not the same package for everyone. What makes you funny is your uniqueness and your way of perceiving the world. Trust that you have a sense of humor; as babies we laugh from 4 months old, and all children express their humor naturally since kindergarten, use humor to entertain yourself and others. It's already inside you, you just need to get it out and express it!

Part 2 of 3: Developing a Personally Funny And Jovial

Step 1. Don't take your life too seriously

Recall the most embarrassing events in your life so far, important historical events, the time you took to make changes, mistakes and interruptions in communication and interactions in which you were directly involved, and maybe even the time you spent on tried to make jokes in your social circle and in front of your friends but failed and was humiliated. These things are fun.

Telling other people about the most embarrassing events in your life is a great way to make them laugh. Take a page quote from comic artist Colin Mochrie, who said: "Only his mother thinks he has a special face, even then if the mother is blind in one eye and there is a gland blocking the other eye… but she is still my twin."

Step 2. Get yourself in the spotlight

Make self-deprecating jokes instead of making jokes at the expense of others. This makes many people more willing to laugh. Rodney Dangerfield jokes about his psyche and appearance with jokes like this: "I went to a psychiatrist, and he said 'You're out of your mind.' I asked his opinion on something else from me, and he said 'okay, besides being insane you're ugly too!'"

Redd Foxx jokes about his attachment to alcohol and drugs: "I'm sorry for people who don't drink alcohol or take drugs. Because one day they'll be in a hospital bed, then die, but they don't know what caused it.."
A great joke from Henry Youngman reads: "I looked so ugly when I was born, even the doctor slapped my mother for it."

Step 3. Know who your audience is

Everyone can laugh at different things. Some people can laugh at something that has a sensation; others may laugh at the amusing satire. Learn who and what kind of jokes they like, and then make a joke and send them your jokes and they will receive it and we can know the different categories of humor and their respective expressions.

Not everyone knows what it's like to ride a helicopter or be a millionaire or have a baby. But almost everyone knows what it's like to go fast, imagine money, and love someone else. So make your jokes by using things that are basic and general, but touch human emotions deeply.
When you're in a group of people you don't know, pay attention to what topics they're talking about and what makes them laugh. Are they the humorous type who likes to make fun of them? Or the rude jokers, or the humorous types who poke fun at the physical? The more you get to know someone, the easier it will be to make them laugh.

Step 4. Misdirection

Misleading the mind is our way of surprising others. We can do this by making a distinction between what a person expects to happen and what actually happens. Verbal jokes are one of the effective props that increase success, just as magicians do when they distract you with their words when they perform a magic trick.

For example: "What happens to liars when they die?" Answer - "They are still lying." This joke works because you have to divide your interpretation of the joke into 2 points of view, and you'll be a little confused because it's hard to really describe it.
Consider Groucho Marx's clever quote, "Beyond a dog, books are man's best friend. Inside a dog, it's too dark to read," or Rodney Dangerfield's quote, "My wife met me at the door in sexy clothes. Unfortunately, she just met me at the door. just go home."

Step 5. Say it while the topic is still hot

Punctuality is very important, because if you think too long about the humor you want to say, the funny moments will pass and your jokes will not be funny anymore. This is why humorists don't work, but they speak humor because their brains are preoccupied with their previous experiences. React quickly and speak humor when the opportunity to create humor exists.

A sentence, or its repetition, can be good humor. Someone can say something that isn't really funny and you rephrase it in such a way that it sounds really funny. Punctuality is crucial here. The humor we speak must be spoken quickly, completely, and clearly. For example, a friend of ours thinks about her hair and says: "Isn't it weird that we only have hair on our heads and pubes?" Our friend was not even expecting a response from us. But we say: "Think for yourself."
If you fail because the timing isn't right, don't blame the joke. As a humorist, keep trying to tell your joke when the opportunity to make a joke is closed. Don't worry, you have plenty of opportunities to break the silence with your jokes.

Step 6. Know the times when we shouldn't joke

Be especially careful about joking and saying insults at funerals and weddings, at places of worship (or religious events), or at any time where your jokes could be harassing or discriminatory, or when your jokes could harm someone physically, i.e. in the form of ridicule. physically.

Step 7. Be observant

Jerry Seinfeld and other comedians have made millions of dollars by spreading their basic comedy trick known as "observational" humor, namely by observing everyday events and experiences. When our horizons are broad, our capacity for humor is enhanced, nothing can replace the experience of observation. In fact, many smart people fail to see the humorous side of things. Notice the humor in every situation every day, and see what other people don't see. Usually the humor that is not realized by the people who appear in front of us is the most influential.

Step 8. Remember one or more humorous sentences

One sentence can steal the show during a show. Dorothy Parker is a genius at quoting a line of humor; for example, when he said that Calvin Coolidge was dead, he replied: "How did he tell you?"

You need a quick and agile reaction to convey your humorous line, but learning other people's humor techniques can inspire us. A woman came up to Calvin Coolidge and said: "Mr. Coolidge, I bet a friend of mine says that getting more than two words out of your mouth is impossible." Coolidge replied, "You lose."

Part 3 of 3: Keep Looking For Sources of Inspiration

Step 1. Learn from humorous people

You can broaden your horizons by listening to other humorists. Whether they are professional comedians, parents, kids, or your boss, learning from the people who have a great sense of humor in your life is a key step towards making yourself funny and interesting. Keep a log of the funniest things they've ever said or done, and find out what you admire most about that person. Even if you only combine a few types of humor from some of these humorous people into your own unique humor, you will be able to develop your sense of humor very quickly. Doing this will help you develop techniques you can use to become a humorist.

Comedy has become very global lately, especially in the form of digital audio data (podcast). Comedy podcasts by the likes of Marc Maron and Joe Rogan are available for free from online sites and also provide the ability to upload your interviews, jokes and witty stories via your mobile device. Ride the bus while listening to comedy on a podcast and surprise everyone when you burst out laughing

Step 2. Watch a humorous or witty show

There are so many television shows and movies that come with great comedy. The British, for example, have a dull, flat, but humorous sense of humor that reflects their own culture, whereas Americans have a more violent, physical and usually sexual and competitive sense of humor. Based on these two examples we understand that humor will be of different types based on different cultures which will affect the attitude and sense of humor of each person.

Pay attention to the ways comedians improvise. All good comedians are comedians who are good at improv, but comedians who choose to take improv from the mundane are very interesting. Attend humorous shows that feature comedians' spontaneity and improvisation, even if you can get involved – you'll laugh a lot and clearly observe how they engage in scenarios they don't know, vaguely, but turn them into something funny instantly

Step 3. Expand your knowledge of things that can be used as humor material

It's certainly easier to find funny moments and things from material you already know well – your workplace habits, your extraordinary knowledge of 17th century poetry, your habits of going fishing and getting into trouble, and so on.. Whatever the material of the humor, it must touch the emotions of the audience, which means that your ability to reconstruct the 17th century poem should not be done to an audience who does not understand it!

Expand until you can create appropriate humor regardless of who you're talking to. For example, if you can find some humor between physics and Paris Hilton, you've put it to good use. Drawing an interesting parallel relationship between two very different topics can be very funny and interesting, if done well.
Work smart. On the one hand, being a humorist shows that you are smart enough to find sides and nuances of humor that no one else can. In comic books, things like this are often applied. For example, they show the sacred customs of the clergy, or the rearing and breeding of chimpanzees, and vary them into something that is easy for ordinary people to know and understand.

Step 4. Read, read, and read

Hold and read books and all things witty and funny very diligently. Scientists become scientists by reading and practicing chemistry; sports writers become experts at writing sports news by reading and writing about sports; You will become a funnier person by reading and practicing humor.

Read books from people like Raditya Dika, Alit Susanto, Ernest Prakarsa, @Poconggg, WoWKonyol and so on. (Don't forget children's books by good writers; they make great sources of humor!)
Read humor books. It's not hard to remember some good humor. It is hoped that reading good humor will inspire you to be able to create your own humor and jokes. As you read it, try to pick up the parts that make it good humor. Also try to learn why some humor doesn't work well. Even though you've written it down doesn't mean it's good humor; we have to practice it on people judging objectively, so ask for responses and judgments from someone who doesn't know us very well (that way they won't cover it up and admit that we've made a good joke).

Step 5. Be a good listener and learn everything you can about comedy

Listen to other people carefully, seriously, and understand what they mean. There's nothing more special than your acknowledgment that you've learned to be funny from someone. When you focus more on others than yourself, you will be able to help others through humor. It can also help you observe and relate to the interesting things in your life – making you more confident in your sense of humor and empathy for others.

Tips

Keep your humor fun. Sticking to a single subject of humor can quickly bore people; learn to divert to new topics to keep your humor interesting when events require prompt and precise responses!
If you wait too long, even the funniest comments will lose their impact. For example, if someone says something to you and you think of a witty reply two hours later, it's best not to say it and keep it to yourself. It won't be funny anymore, and you'll look slow, stupid and crazy.
Hand gestures are helpful and can even make things funnier. Facial expressions are also very important.
Something funny is influenced by culture. What is funny in Indonesia can be confusing in France. Keep this in mind, and try to find and share funny stories universally or thoroughly.
Don't say anything that you know will upset people. The form of the words that are usually used is insulting and meaningless, for example, for men, "One Direction: downhill." This is a very popular pun in England – from a boy band from Ireland, but guaranteed to make women and some girls mad.
If someone from the other side of the room sees you during the exam, make a funny and witty face when the teacher isn't looking. This will make them laugh based on their personality.
Don't laugh at your own jokes until everyone else is laughing. Not only does this make you look like you're trying hard to crack a joke, but it also spoils the funny moment and no one will be interested in laughing. Avoid the habit of "laughing out loud" yourself when conveying humor.
Practice saying it again. You'll find that many comedians tell a joke and repeat it in a different way, usually producing a louder laugh than when it was first said. We can use this technique too. Especially if you get a loud laugh for your humor the first time, try to repeat it a second time at a better moment. However, the main rule, do not try to repeat it more than 3 times.
Exercise to be humorous. Everything develops through practice, but it's important to practice in a less risky environment first and continue to develop it into a more audience environment. Your friends and family can be a non-high-risk environment, then your employees will be amazed when you suddenly change from a flat person to a more funny person, and the audience will expect you to be very funny from the start of the show. Practice with people you trust and can offer constructive advice.
Remember to make non-verbal cues, such as doing a funny dance, or making a funny sound, whichever is okay
Gender matters. Men usually utter humor, teasing, ridicule (dispute humor), and harsh humor, while women more often tell something, especially self-deprecating, to get a response from the group of women around them. The interesting thing is, the rules change when we bring men and women together – men often lower the intensity of ridicule and ridicule, while women increase it and point it at men, they suddenly don't reproach themselves anymore!

Warning

Be careful with jokes about sacred animals, religion, and politics. Everything can be funny but sometimes if we joke too much, they will get offended.
Make sure that the environment in which we speak jokes and humor is one that allows us to begin. Don't subject the humor to someone too much, it should be more widespread.