I know this topic has been done in the past and it always seems to come down to an argument between people who believe that we are born with our sense of humour and people who believe we can learn how to be funny. Right now I have almost no confidence in my ability to get people to laugh due to the fact that I fail a lot whenever I try. That's not to say that I never get laughs, but my ratio of success is very low. I have read the articles in the bible on how to be funny, but I'm still not convinced that I can do it. It's like how some people are born and are born with inate tendancies towards math or english, I am really afraid that I was not born with the ability to see things in a funny light. I was wondering if anyone here can testify to having greatly improved their sense of humour?
"The Coffee Shop Girl You Never Spoke To"
You've replayed it a hundred times. She stood three feet away, scrolling her phone. You had an opening. You composed the perfect line — after she was gone.
For all you know, she's married now. To some guy who said something. Anything.
Openers are cheap. Almost any sentence works when it's delivered within three seconds. The expensive part is the standing there, drafting and deleting, while the window quietly closes.
The "22 Rules" stripped out my hesitation. What to open with, how to keep it alive, and the one habit that costs guys more women than anything else: waiting for perfect.
Have you learned how to be funny? (looking for inspiration)
- Thread starter Foggy
- Start date
"She Made Her Decision Before You Finished Your Sentence"
Three seconds. That's how long it took. Your shoes. Your posture. The way you held your drink. Whether you looked at the floor or looked at her.
She already filed you away. Interesting. Boring. Safe. Bold. Before you even opened your mouth.
Everything you say after that is just her confirming what she already decided.
So stop rehearsing lines. Fix the first three seconds. Stand tall. Look up. Smile like you mean it. Walk like you belong wherever you're standing.
The words come later. The impression comes first.
WhitePimp
Master Don Juan
I really developed well into being funny. My main inspiration was my coworker Chris who is literally, the most socially brilliant person I've ever met. Just from watching him, I learned what made people laugh. A lot of it is just not censoring yourself. If you make them laugh, great. If not, make fun of yourself and be funny that way. Find someone funny who can make anyone laugh and just observe. There is a subtle art to it that can be learned I believe.
I greatly improved my sense of humor by just not taking myself and life so seriously. Once you realize everything's bullsh!t and 99% shouldnt be taken seriously, the humor just comes. Good luck!
I greatly improved my sense of humor by just not taking myself and life so seriously. Once you realize everything's bullsh!t and 99% shouldnt be taken seriously, the humor just comes. Good luck!
yeah, i think you usually need to be in a decent mood to be funny. You have to keep a positive outlook about life and try to have fun. I have a feeling that with the negative perspective you are voicing, you are hopeless.
GtarPlayr73
Senior Don Juan
Most of the time, i'm not funny, even though i have a strong witty sense of humor. Occasionally, it will come out and people really respond. Whether or not my humor comes out seems to be beyond my control. I think it may have something to do with my attitude in general, which is very serious and perfectionistic. It's just my default mood when i wake up each day. I really want to figure out how to turn my sense of humor on at will as it is usually locked up in my sub-concious. I want to write comedy and have done it before, but again, i can't seem to turn it on at will...
"I just moved here from Florida."
That sentence contains at least five follow-up questions she WANTS you to ask. Where in Florida? What brought you here? How long have you been in the area? What do you miss? How does it compare to here?
She handed them to you on a silver platter. And you said, "Oh cool. I come here every week. I love this band. Ummm... pretty crowded tonight."
She smiled politely. Nodded. And never texted you back.
I was that guy for years. Talking too much. Listening too little. Panicking about my next sentence while she was literally feeding me the answers.
Then I found 22 rules that fixed the whole thing. Rule number one: shut up and listen. She'll tell you exactly what to say.