People with a good sense of humour are not born that way. Those people were born just like anybody else, they just mastered the art of being funny along the way.
Being funny begins right from childhood. People tend to take up qualities and characters that they observe around them in the early stages of their life.
No worries if you have not picked up such qualities and characters, we got you covered.
The good news is that being funny is not rocket science. It can be learned, practised, and mastered. Learning how to be funny and working on your jokes can make your life a lot easier.
A sense of humour is like a lock, some people naturally have the key to it and some people have to work a little harder and put an extra effort to unlock it.
Who is a funny person?
The definition of funny is quite misleading. A funny person is not someone who cracks jokes all the but someone who is truly happy at heart and makes others around them positive and happy.
Here are some types of funny people:
- A goofy individual who engages in amusing behaviour such as performing foolish dances and dressing up in absurd costumes. Their mistakes might also seem to appear funny. These individuals, also known as “goofballs”.
- A witty person is someone who says something humorous along with something equally smart.
- A prankster is an individual who performs practical jokes on other people. These jokes may confuse or frighten someone for a brief period of time.
- A self-deprecating person is an individual who jokes about their flaws and problems and makes themselves look bad in the eyes of others.
How to be funny?
Truth be told, there is nothing as captivating as a good sense of humour. People tend to like you more when you are humorous. Want to know how to be funny? Keep reading.
This article talks about seven essential tips to help you boost your sense of humour. Let us see how to be funny:
#1. Give the opposite answer to yes/no questions
One of the best ways to be funny is by giving an opposite answer to yes/no questions. In other words, you say yes when people are expecting you to say no and you say no if they are expecting you to say yes. Simple. Isn’t it?
Have you ever been in a situation where you were compelled to answer a specific question and your response was predictable and obvious? Well, the next time you encounter such a situation, give the opposite answer than the expected one to seem funnier and humorous.
For instance, you went on a trip that you hated immensely and everyone knew it was a nightmare for you and still someone came up to you and asked “So did you enjoy your trip?”
Here your obvious answer would be a big no. However, to spice things up, you may want to go ahead and say something like, “oh yeah, it was the best trip ever!”
If you are asked a yes or no question and you feel you know your response beforehand, try to give the opposite first. Later on, laugh and give your real response.
Let us look at some tips:
- Provide the opposite for a yes/no question when the answer is obvious. Otherwise, it is not going to sound funny. For instance, if someone asks you, “is the movie good?” Your response is not going to shock your audience and hence, it will not be funny.
- Sound sarcastic while answering. If you don’t seem sarcastic, people might not get the joke.
- The key is that as soon as you provide the opposite answer, you surprise your audience and therefore they burst out laughing. After they are done laughing, you can give your real answer.
#2. Hang out with people with a great sense of humour
Haven’t you heard? A person is known by the company they keep. Everyone has some hilariously funny friends.
Go out there and spend some time with them and try to understand what makes them funny. Is it some joke they use? Probably a trick? Whatever it may be, try to figure that out by observing them.
If you hang out with funny people, they will surely have a great influence on you and you will be able to take up some of their tips on having a good sense of humour.
Apart from teaching you how to be funny, these people will also contribute to your life by removing your fears, anxiety, and regret.
You will feel lighter and happier around these types of people. They will be more than your pals, these individuals will be your saviours.
Of course, you will be picking up their funny traits and slang and become more like them. People would want to be friends with you for the same reason.
You will be making new friends and polishing your humour. If this is not a win-win, we do not know what is!
- Here are some tips to be friends with people who are funny:
- Loosen up. Do not try so hard to be funny, just be yourself and tell your story.
- The key is to be comfortable and cracking jokes to make your friends laugh.
- Invite your friends over and watch some hilarious film or stand-up comedy and pass some funny comments every now and then.
- Learn some basic jokes and use them when you are around your friends. This tip works like a charm every time!
#3. Try to find humour in almost everything:
Every small situation and scenario you encounter has a hidden joke behind it. Try to find that hidden joke. Looking at circumstances from a different point of view is a vital way of living and will be helpful for you when you learn how to be funny.
Stuck in a stressful situation? We have a solution! Burst into laughter and make fun of the situation. Seems a little weird? Do not worry, just give it a try. You will be amazed to see how fast your mood changes and how easily people around you feel happier.
However, keep a few things in mind:
- Do not overdo it. Do not joke when you are in a serious situation. For instance, the death of a close one, your friend’s heartbreak, or someone’s serious illness.
- Know the difference between being funny and mean. Do not crack a joke just for the sake of it, your joke might be hurtful to someone. Be aware and know when to stop.
- Do not stretch your joke. Stretching a joke for too long can get dull.
- Do not try hard to be funny. It is okay if you are not able to find humour in something. That is normal. Do not force it.
#4. Research about different types of humour
There are various styles of humour that appeal to different people. Certain people enjoy sarcastic comments, others are experts with jokes and some are fond of impressions. All of these are great ways to develop a good sense of humour.
Different styles of humour:
Affiliative Humor
This style of humour involves cracking jokes about things that everyone may find hilarious.
The objective is to employ comedy in order to bring people together and find humour in day-to-day life. This style is used by comedians like Jerry Seinfeld who focus on humour in the everyday life.
Aggressive Humor
This kind of humour involves put-downs and insults aimed at different individuals. This type of humour is employed by bullies when it is targeted to frighten or psychologically hurt people. While some may find this kind of humour funny, others may chuckle to hide the feeling of discomfort.
Self-enhancing Humor
This style of comedy involves laughing at yourself and joking when you’re done something wrong. Try to discover humour and make yourself the target of it in a positive sense.
This method can be a great way to cope up with stress and anxiety. This style is popularised by comedians like Jon Steward from The Daily Show. He uses self-enhancing humour by saying things like, “I am not the brightest guy”, or “I just don’t understand.”
Self-defeating Humor
Self-defeating humour comedy involves putting yourself down in an aggressive manner. Psychologically, it may be a harmful style of humour.
This technique is often employed by bullies as escapism to avoid personal attacks by making themselves a joke before others do so. This style was used by the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield.
#5. Tell real-life stories, not jokes
The quickest approach to be funny is to highlight the humorous things that happen in your day-to-day life. This approach is much more convenient than trying to produce jokes right on the spot.
One way to follow this technique is by noting down everything that may seem funny to you and then share it later with others.
A lot of famous comedians used to carry notebooks with them to jot down humorous thoughts or observations they came across.
You could also do the same by making a list of things that you find funny in your everyday life.
In today’s world, it has become even more convenient to make a list of humorous things. You do not necessarily need to carry a notebook with you at all times. With the advent of technology, you can simply note down things on your phone.
- If you get a funny thought, you can record audio and save it.
- If you come across a funny article, all you have to do is save the link so you can read it later.
- It has become so much easier to tell your stories to people and come off as someone who has a great sense of humour.
#6. Be happy and positive:
You cannot be funny on the outside if you are dull on the inside. Will you laugh at someone’s jokes if they are frowning? No, right? Similarly, no one would laugh at your jokes if you are negative all the time.
No one would enjoy your company and like your comedy if you give unhappy vibes. You can successfully crack jokes when you are happy.
Know that no one likes being around a person who is sulking all the time. Therefore, you might want to avoid that and have a positive approach in life.
Here is how you can be happy:
- Laugh often: You tend to laugh when you are happy. This does not mean you have to pretend to laugh or fake your laughter. It simply means the next time you encounter a stressful situation, laugh it out. You will feel happier and relaxed.
- Acknowledge negative thoughts: Being positive does not mean you need to ignore the negative thoughts, it means you should acknowledge negative thoughts and try to turn that negativity into positivity.
- Exercise: Research has shown that exercise plays an important role in keeping you happy and positive.
- Eat good food: Good food equals a good mood. Start by consuming better quality food each day and see how much that impacts your happiness.
#7. Do not give up if you cannot get someone to laugh
It is important to know that not everyone is going to get your jokes. What might be funny to you may not be funny to someone else.
That does not mean your joke was not good enough, it simply means that the person may not have understood your joke properly.
There will be times when you will crack up a joke which you find hilarious but it would not get people to burst into laughter. It is during those times you must remind yourself to not stop trying.
Practice makes a man perfect. Keep on practising delivering your comedy in such a way that it is understood by everyone. Do not give up and keep trying to make people laugh. You will get there in no time.
Things to remember when people do not laugh at your jokes:
- Not everyone has a sense of humour.
- Other people’s sense of humour may be completely different from yours. So do not take anything personally.
- They may not be in the right mood. If you cracked up a joke, they may not be in the mood for a joke and therefore not find it funny.
- Maybe you were not that funny. However, this should not stop you from trying again. Everyone makes mistakes. Learn from your mistakes and be better.
- Continue being the funny, creative person that you are, and do not let anyone demotivate you.
- You do not need other’s approval to do what you want to. Remember, there will always be people who do not appreciate you and there is nothing you can do about it except being your best version.
Advantages of being funny
Having a good sense of humour improves your physical and mental health, enhances your appeal, and improves your skills in leadership. Being funny may benefit you in almost every facet of your life. It comes with a lot of advantages:
#1. Improves your mood
Many studies have shown that humour is great for your mood. Having a good sense of humour can prove to be an excellent stress-buster for you.
It is an effective way of decreasing anxiety by inducing happy hormones in the brain. A good sense of humour has been shown to alleviate depression and improve the quality of sleep.
#2. Brings people together
Anyone could make you cry, but only some people can make you laugh. The feeling of humour creates a bond between two or more people and brings everyone closer to each other. Having a great sense of humour leads to long-lasting relationships and friendships.
#3. Makes you likeable
Attractive people are indeed more likeable and generally get more attention. However, you do not need to be attractive to be loved. You just need to have a good sense of humour and crack some jokes.
People naturally like people who make them laugh. In the end, no matter how attractive a person may look, if they are not able to make others happy, their attractiveness may not be of any use.
#4.Increases energy levels
Coming across something humorous has an energizing effect on you. This is helpful for the overall wellness of individuals and can also be advantageous in increasing one’s memory. Being funny puts you in a better mood and therefore, increases your energy level.
#5. Reduces negative emotions:
Humour may distract individuals from unpleasant feelings like rage, fear, or anxiety. Comedy allows people to look at the positive side of things, thus preventing them to focus on the negative.
It enhances positivity by easing pain and drifting away from all the negative emotions. Humour is one of the most effective ways to deal with negative thoughts.
Funniest TV characters of all time
Let’s take a look at some of the funniest TV characters that everybody loves:
#1. Chandler Bing (Friends)
Attributed as the king of sarcasm, Chandler Bing is one of the funniest characters ever. Matthew Perry has done an outstanding job in making Chandler Bing’s character iconic.
Friends is more than just a show with so many great characters. Chandler Bing happens to be one of them. He is known as the funny one out of the lot and therefore he must be on top of the list.
He undoubtedly taught his fans a few things about sarcasm while resorting to humour. Chandler’s witty one-liners and sarcastic remarks have allowed many people to properly grasp the idea of sarcasm.
#2. Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother):
Barney Stinson is the most popular character from How I Met Your Mother. He is what some people might call legendary.
His collection of quotes is unbelievably astounding. And on top of everything, he knows a few magic tricks as well.
What’s not to like? He is known to say something hilarious each time he opens his mouth. Other characters are certainly funny, but nobody compares to Barney. He makes sure there’s a lot of laughter even when the episode is serious.
#3. Michael Scott (The Office)
The kind of humour that no other sitcom dared to approach was what made The Office so fantastic. This type of humour may be regarded as insulting to some group yet is the funniest thing in a sitcom.
Michael Scott is the heart of funny jokes. He is hilarious and makes every other character seem less funny.
#4. Phoebe Buffay (Friends)
Pheobe is unique, amazingly optimistic and completely hilarious despite a difficult childhood.
She had so much baggage of her past with her, but still, she managed to stay positive and make everyone around her laugh. Now that is a trait of a true comedian.
What made her funny was that she was effortless with her jokes. You never see her trying so hard to crack a joke, that is what was so special about her.
#5. Mr. Bean
How can we talk about funny characters without mentioning Mr. Bean? He is best known for being funny. Bean takes you for a ride down memory lane, leaving you all nostalgic.
He is hilarious, witty, and creative. The best thing about his character is the fact that he is always so positive and happy. What made him so unique was how he was able to make everybody laugh without uttering a single word.
Mr. Bean is a classic example of visual humour. With appealing to almost all age groups, he seemed like a child stuck in a man’s body.
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