What are good techniques to improve humor?

hippy_speed_ball · 2022-01-12T20:26:32+00:00

First, playing off of the other person is a strength, not a weakness here. Trying to drive the humor yourself is going to be harder than playing off the other person in situations where you don't know them.

It may not seem like that now because you don't have that much practice doing both with people you've just met, but if you had practice doing both you'd see that playing off the other person is actually the easier way to go.

So, how do you get comfortable enough to start making those joke and getting them to land?

Get them talking:

Be an active listener, by asking good questions that get them to expand upon what they were talking about or steer their story in a more humorous direction.

Once you have them adding more to the conversation than you, you'll have more to play off of.

Be disarming, not self-deprecating:

What I mean by this is tell a story that shows, not tells, of your vulnerability. For instance: if you think that you are a lovable loser, don't tell them you are a lovable loser, tell a anecdote that shows how earnest you are while you make mistakes.

It may sounds reductive, but overcoming nervousness is really just about practice. The more you've been in a situation the more comfortable you'll feel being in that situation again.

Skiddly_bee_boop · 2022-01-12T20:02:48+00:00

well hey! I've been thinking a lot about this too.

there was a study (don't have the cite, sorry) where subjects wrote funny captions for photos. they then rated the photo captions of the other subjects. as time went on, they got funnier!

There was another study. the biggest factor that predicted humor skill was how much practice that person had making jokes.

there's a scott dikkers book (he was a founding member of the onion) on how to write funny.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Funny-Step-Step/dp/1499196121
I have it. it's a great book - not magic, but it gives you a system to think about different kinds of humor, and how to layer them. I think having a mental organization goes a lot way towards collecting good humor.

I think the biggest thing tho is to liberate yourself. It's not your job to entertain people! and ironically, the more you expect that of yourself, the harder it can be to do that. Do the practice to improve your humor, but when it comes time to interact with people, rather than thinking of yourself on stage, just relax and come as you are. in the words of improv guru keith johnstone: Don't do your best. be average. playfulness is more about the relaxed flow between two people, and DISCOVERING what's funny, rather than only saying perfect things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz9mo4qW9bc

so, all in all:
gather humor, you like and memorize it

imitate your favorite jokes, write variations

write funny captions for images

be healthy! sleep and exercise will go a long way towards better humor

above all, when the time comes. focus more on relaxing, connecting, and being authentic, rather than being funny. do all the work to internalize the humor, but at game time just let it go.

bonus: listen to comics being not funny. ESPECIALLY stand up comics. in interviews, or elsewhere. listen to them bomb. they're human! that'll probably take some pressure off your shoulders.

gold-ee · 2022-01-12T21:57:39+00:00

Hey! I’m from a family of professional comedians and actors. My best advice is to take an improv class. Even if the people seem like dorks, the basics of improv (improv itself, not even “improv comedy”) will DEFINITELY help you keep from freezing up and teach you how to find the next thing to say.

Also, playing off of someone else is the best comedy there is IMO. Lots of people can be funny cold but it’s much more charming and skillful to bring humor into an interaction rather than as a performance.

Good luck!

T4mvv1lc0xx · 2022-01-13T07:05:37+00:00

I believe funny is relative. Some people are funny but not in a way others perceive it. It all depends on sense of humor. You can fake sense of humor in yourself or someone else. If they get your jokes, they get it

Mh882130 · 2022-01-14T07:39:47+00:00

Take an improv class. Take a class on humour. Humour for the most part is all about how you say something not what you say and who you say it too as well as adopting the mindset that you are funny.

A great example of this are the comedians who are masters of dark humour (taboo subjects)

My view on humour like these guys and gals is if you can take the piss out of something you give it no effect in your life. It id very powerful tool for healing trauma if used effectively. Good luck hope this helps.

bahammy2 · 2022-01-13T02:11:46+00:00

Listen to comedy podcasts and really get into them. Depending on the pod, you'll hear the funniest people on the planet hit jokes off the cuff. Ive organically gotten so much wittier and charismatic just from absorbing it all. It comes naturally to me now. You gotta feel that a joke is right for the moment and take chances. Got let jokes flop if you find it funny yourself. The main point is making yourself laugh, but not outloud. Some recommendations: Last Podcast on the Left, Matt & Shane's secret podcast, cumtown, hey babe, this is important, stiff socks. All great wild podcasts with naturally funny hosts.

MegusMarte1 · 2022-01-18T01:07:27+00:00

Natural humor on a situational conversational basis is impossible to teach. People are funny and goofy in their own ways and are able to make people laugh in their own unique way. What people find funny about what i say or do is unique to me and wouldn’t necessarily apply to you. I’m just a naturally goofy character and quirky and say weird outlandish things and am good in certain situations at when it’s comes to poking fun at certain aspects about an individual. It’s all about being a lighthearted person.

If you are like very monotone and a dreary serious person and you’ve been that way you’re whole life id say it’d be very hard to learn how to be funny and goofy and light heated but it’s possible

Title	What are good techniques to improve humor?
Author	FriedRice25055
Upvotes	5
Comments	14
Date	January 12, 2022 7:35 PM UTC (4 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/ExRedPill
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/exredpill/comments/s2esm1/what_are_good_techniques_to_improve_humor/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/ExRedPill/what-are-good-techniques-to-improve-humor.1095666 https://theredarchive.com/post/1095666

Comments