Comedy does not come naturally to me, especially if I’m trying to be funny. I like this article’s step-by-step approach to being funnier. And I really like the guy who checks into hotels with a fake Elvis driver’s license. 😂
Humor is about “benign violation” — disrupting your sense of normalcy in a way that doesn’t present any real harm. So weird incongruities. Or remembering a threatening situation that turned out to be fine, and now you feel silly about it.
So here’s a game plan, and like anything else hard and worthwhile, it’s going to take some conscious effort. Luckily, it’s pretty simple…
Learn to look for funny things
“Look at the absurdity around you. Check for incongruities,”
Make this a conscious habit in every day life.
Seek out humorous situations in your life
Listen, read, watch funny stuff. TV shows, movies, podcasts, etc.
Find an audience and practice on them
Find someone willing to check your humor. Tell them a joke every day. Get honest feedback. Maybe try an improv class.
Keep in mind that humor is vert contextual. “Know how to apply the basic principles of humor to specific situations.” And humor builds on itself over time. So once you get going with someone, you have a foundation for getting funnier.
patmcg.com 