Let's joke fun How to develop a sense of humor: tips and workshop

Why does a person need to be funny? This question can be answered in different ways. But, one way or another, any of the answers will lead us to the fact that humor is important in any area of ​​our lives, and is also highly valued by others. If a person has a sense of humor and wit, life is much easier for him than for someone who does not.

People with a poorly developed sense of humor are often rational and straightforward, which is why they often have difficulties with social adaptation and communication. For such people, even minor troubles end in stress. But if there is a sense of humor, then psychological defense mechanisms perform their functions much more effectively. Agree: how nice it would be if we could always easily perceive what is happening and find something funny in any situation? This is one of the reasons why many people want to develop a sense of humor.

Who do you think is easier to communicate with: a shy, insecure and timid guy or someone who knows how to make funny jokes in a company, laugh at themselves, amuse them, and attract the attention of the opposite sex with a cool joke? In our opinion, the answer is obvious.

The benefits of a developed sense of humor can be listed for a very long time, but we think that the two discussed are quite enough to draw certain conclusions, although we will talk about the benefits of humor later. In the meantime, let's think: is it even possible to develop a sense of humor and wit? Does a person who has never been able to joke or was generally characterized by gloom and lack of cheerfulness have a chance to change and let positivity into their consciousness? We have bad news for you - this won't happen overnight. But we also have good news - if you want, you can do this, and you don’t have to move mountains!

Of course, there is no doubt that a sense of humor is transmitted in genes. However, this is not at all a reason to give up on yourself if your ancestor was not Mikhail Zadornov or Charlie Chaplin. After a person is born, the development of a sense of humor already depends on the characteristics of the environment where he grows up, the subtleties of upbringing and other conditions. But we do not set ourselves the task of getting into the very jungle of influences that reality has on human consciousness.

We want to say that anyone at almost any age can develop a sense of humor and learn to be funny. All that is required for this is to learn the basic laws of the comic as such, and study practical information, including techniques, methods and methods for developing a sense of humor. And this information is right in front of you - in the course, the introduction to which you are now reading.

Our online course on developing a sense of humor consists of six lessons with a lot of theoretical and practical information, interesting examples and exercises, available for practical use from the first minutes of study. Plus, we have selected many examples of jokes, which will allow you to clearly see how to joke in general, what you should take into account and what you should pay attention to on your way to mastering the skill of a comedian. So don't waste your time and keep reading.

Without flatness and awkwardness: how to learn to joke

Learn from others Surely among your friends, acquaintances, colleagues or relatives there is a person who has a developed sense of humor. Take a closer look at his behavior, think about why he manages to joke cheerfully and sparklingly. What reaction does others have to certain statements he makes? Perhaps it’s his attitude to life, rich vocabulary, charisma, unusual timbre of his voice. Think about what features of his character and behavior can be associated with a sense of humor. Try to put these features into practice. Learning from others is one of the main ways to develop a sense of humor. Do you watch comedy shows? Have you noticed that even jokes told by one comedian may completely “not work” for another or when performing in front of a different audience? This is the essence of a developed sense of humor - to be able to correlate your own mood, the mood of the audience and the appropriateness of a joke in a given situation.

Developing a sense of humor must begin with the ability to make fun of yourself. The best comedians are never afraid to look funny. For example, to the question: “You look so bad, are you sick with something?”, a person with a sense of humor can answer: “No, no! I always look like this." At the same time, humor encourages your interlocutors (the public) to perceive you more honestly. It will look strange if you try to make fun of others, while at the same time taking criticism seriously.

Jokes and the ability to tell them A great way to develop a sense of humor is to regularly learn new jokes and parables. By the way, you don’t have to tirelessly tell them, trying to show off your wit at every opportunity. They, first of all, form in a person the very ability to choose words at the right time, to subtly emphasize the meaning

It is very important that the jokes are appropriate for a specific situation, otherwise you will simply look like a boring and boring person who is trying to “jump in over his head”, boring others. Developing a sense of humor in this direction should begin with developing the correct manner of telling jokes and anecdotes. Work on your speech, don’t speak too fast or too slow, choose the volume of your speech based on the situation

Get rid of parasite words, “garbage” in your speech. Your task is to capture attention and instill in your listeners a desire to listen to you.

Make a joke in any situation The ability to find humor in any situation and see the positive side of any event is a trait of a person who has a good sense of humor. If you were fired, then in response to the sympathetic exclamations of friends and colleagues, you can say: “The boss will be very sorry that he lost an employee like me,” or you can sadly sit down and mourn the current situation, plunging deeper into the problem. This phrase will sound especially comical if you were not very strong in professionalism in your position, but fired you for not meeting the required list of professional requirements, and besides, you yourself decided to quit a long time ago. Would you say that in such situations there is no time for jokes? Certainly! But only because he doesn’t work on his sense of humor. After all, it is precisely this that makes it easier to relate to life and more easily perceive difficulties along the way.

Reading Humorous Literature There are many classic books with a recognized humorous context. Such writers as N. Gogol, I. Ilf and E. Petrov, M. Zoshchenko had a truly well-developed sense of humor. Therefore, it is highly recommended to read or re-read again some of their literary works at your leisure. Their creativity will significantly enrich your collection of jokes, jokes and catchphrases. These phrases can be used in different life situations. Reading humorous literature is an effective way to learn how to joke in an unusual way. Books develop not only a sense of humor, but also general erudition and speech; it will be easier for you to formulate thoughts and joke in a timely manner. Just don’t mix humorous groups on social networks with classic humor. If you want to learn how to joke, then a joke read in your spare time on VKontakte is unlikely to fully contribute to this skill. However, it will help you be aware of what society laughs at today.

Technique of ambiguity A person with a sense of humor sees several meanings in one word at once, and then plays with the phrase in a non-standard and unexpected context for others. An example is the joke: “Stirlitz lit the stove all night. The next morning she drowned." A person with a sense of humor will immediately notice that the word “stoked” is used here in two meanings, which makes the phrase comical. This is a banal example, but there are more witty ones around you, right?

Humor and its targets

Whatever the laughter - cheerful, embarrassed, mocking or mysterious - it almost never turns out to be aimless. Agree that laughing alone is not interesting, and the point of a joke or witty remark is the ability to share them. This implies the social meaning of humor. It facilitates cooperation, helps express solidarity, establish contacts and defuse tensions, and can serve as reward or punishment.

A developed sense of humor is one of the most desirable qualities of a modern person. Our ability to respond to the funny and make jokes is tested at every step - when getting a job, joining a new team, communicating with friends and starting relationships with the opposite sex. Stock up on a couple of jokes for different contexts, and you can fill an awkward pause in an original way and make a favorable impression.

How to learn to joke

In humor, as in sports, the more practice, the greater the result. Feel free to turn to the usual forms of jokes and work on yourself, noting which of the proposed means you are more successful than others:

Look for ambiguity. “Stirlitz cooked crayfish. The crayfish turned red. "Our!" - thought Stirlitz. Often a joke is built through a play on words, for example, on the basis of ambiguity. Think about whether it is possible to somehow play on everyday phrases. One of your “homemade preparations” may come in handy one day.

Vice versa

Pay attention to what surrounds you, take the most characteristic feature of the object and comment on it exactly the opposite. If you meet a bald man, ask him how long it takes him to style his hair in the morning.

But beware of the consequences of “practice”: making jokes on people is especially fun, but if you do it often, you can be branded as a boor.

Make associations. Pick an item and think about what it reminds you of. Put aside the platitudes, but do not forget that the connection to the original should remain obvious. Maybe someone's new hairstyle resembles a cockatoo's nest, and the color of their jacket is clearly associated with something indecent. Learn to notice such little things and play them correctly.

Turn it over. Perhaps this method will seem ordinary and does not require special skills. Just swap letters and words, and the resulting absurdity will surely make your interlocutor smile. For example, the widely used phrase “Is this a stone in my garden?” replace with “Is this a vegetable garden in my stone?”, and “I’m sober as a glass” with “I’m as sober as a sober glass.”

Make fun of yourself. No one knows your mistakes as well as you do, and, in addition to excellent material for witticisms, self-irony will become a help in solving life's problems and a protector from other jokers.

Don't make fun of yourself. Despite the validity of the previous point, it has several nuances, and one of them is your level in society. The scheme “if there is nothing to laugh at, laugh at yourself” works for everyone except men with a low social level. The experiment showed that girls tend to laugh more at self-deprecating jokes if they come from a successful businessman than from an office clerk.

No matter how wonderful a joke may seem to you when it sounds in your head, soberly evaluate it before you voice it. Even funny, it may hurt someone's feelings or may not be appropriate in the context. Jokes are not appropriate in every situation, especially if it is dark humor. Broaden your horizons and develop erudition: subtle humor is highly valued in society, and, in addition to the status of a joker, you will also acquire the title of intellectual.

Even a good joke can be ruined if you get confused in the words or say it with fear in your eyes. And, conversely, even banal humor can make you laugh if it is presented correctly. This will require artistic skills: lively facial expressions, voice work and correctly placed pauses can cause laughter, even if the joke itself has not yet been heard. But, like any seasoning, artistry is good when it is in moderation. Don’t act like a clown from a circus that has left: be comical, but natural.

Mechanisms for constructing jokes

Before you can master something, you need to understand it. Let's see what humor is made of and what underlies it. Now I will tell you in simple words and with examples about the most different types of humor. Knowing the theory and reinforcing it with regular practice, you will definitely succeed.

Irony

This is a technique in which we say one thing and mean the opposite. For example, the object is ridiculed and exposed under the guise of praise.

When a colleague is very late and you say: “You are the king of punctuality today!”

Sketches from the “Our Russia” program were often based on irony. Remember? A brutal milling machine operator with an unconventional orientation, officials having fun in a jacuzzi and having high-profile conversations about the suffering of the people.

Irony can be different. Kinds:

• Simple. For example, tell a person who is afraid of something, they say, what a brave man you are.
• Self-irony. When a person laughs at himself. For example: “How can I, a fool, understand!”
• Anti-irony. The goal here is not to ridicule, but to show that someone was underestimated. For example, Zhvanetsky has the following lines: “The doctors did everything possible, but the patient still survived.”

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Ambiguity

The technique is also called word play. Here the humor is built around a specific word that has a double meaning. At the beginning of a joke it is used with one meaning, and at the end it takes on a different meaning.

Many jokes about Stirlitz are based on this:

• Stirlitz lit the stove all night. The next morning she drowned.
• It was blowing from the window. Stirlitz closed the window. The barrel disappeared.

Substitution of expectations

This technique is also often used in jokes.

A blind man walks into a bar with his guide dog. He is asked to leave as dogs are not allowed. He is indignant:

– This is my guide dog!

– Are you saying that this poodle is your guide dog?

- Lord, they gave me a poodle?!

When we hear the word “guide,” we imagine a Labrador or a retriever, but here we see a poodle, i.e., expectations are being broken.

Comparison of the incomparable

This technique is based on the fact that we compare things with each other that are far from each other in meaning and have nothing in common.

Life is like a piano: the key is white, the key is black... and the lid.

Jump

Here there is a listing of related or similar properties, and then a characteristic is inserted that does not fit into the context of what was previously said.

To be successful and rich, you need to run in the morning, read books on self-development, write down goals and... receive an inheritance from your uncle.

Friends, I would like to note that the above examples are not examples of how to joke correctly and properly. These are just illustrations of the designated types and techniques, so that you can imagine what traditional humor is based on. In fact, there are many such techniques. Each person may have their own.

Principles of Wit

The aesthetic pleasure that a person receives from the ability to notice, perceive and understand comic moments is enormous. It carries a great healing effect. It’s not for nothing that they say that humor and laughter prolong life.

Wit is a complex concept. It includes at least three components:

attention to the environment;

the ability to notice “hot” moments;

the ability to respond to events in a timely manner.

Witty people are distinguished by high intellectual qualities, which include:

• emotional well-being;
• personal development.

The basic principle of wit is to do no harm. If not everyone in the company laughs at a joke, it means that someone’s feelings are hurt or the person simply “didn’t understand” the topic. Making fun of one of the masses is bad; it is more like sarcasm or black humor, which has nothing to do with wit.

What gives a person wit:

1. The ability to cope with frightening life circumstances. Humor is a great defense mechanism.
2. Improved overall well-being. Laughter, smile, laughter are psychophysiological reactions that are a response to a comical situation - something that makes a person laugh. Nobody teaches people to smile - it is an innate reflex that is a response to humor.
3. Healthy nerves. Mental function determines the behavioral pattern - the pattern according to which a witty person acts. He often jokes, amusing others, laughs at himself and other people's stories, talks about funny incidents, and tells jokes. It’s quite difficult to piss off such people, to make them angry, because they turn everything into a joke.
4. Psychotherapeutic function. Today, humor is included in many psychological practices, and the possibilities of using this psychosocial phenomenon in the treatment of cancer patients are being considered.

Why is it important to work on developing a sense of humor?

By improving our ability to joke, we strengthen the immune system of the psyche. This is the most important function of this feeling - therapeutic. By putting things through a humorous filter, you can protect yourself from excessive stress, major shocks or disappointments, and depression. In addition to this function, there are several other important functions:

• Cognitive. Humor helps you painlessly perceive reality as it is. It is the optimal means of mastering ideas about the world around us and prevents the emergence of hasty subjective conclusions.
• Educational. A healthy ability to joke helps to gently but firmly instruct children. It's also interesting that the fear of being ridiculed often stops people from doing bad things.
• Entertaining. Humor helps induce relaxation and laughter and lifts your mood. This is an important communication tool that helps to convey joy and positive emotions to each other.
• Regulatory. A good joke can help change the flow of a conversation. Depending on the situation, it will allow you to direct it in a positive direction, correctly interrupt an unpleasant discussion and prevent a brewing conflict.

How to develop wit: useful tips

To develop mental acuity, you will have to put in a lot of effort, but I am confident that you will succeed. My useful tips will be a good help:

1. Expand your horizons. Read as many books as possible by writers who introduced humor and irony into their works. For teaching, I recommend humorous literature by the following authors: Ilf and Petrov, Zoshchenko, Chekhov, Bernard Shaw, Bulgakov. You can listen to audiobooks or read, but the most important thing is to notice jokes and witty phrases. Of course, it won’t hurt to watch humorous films, TV series and programs.
2. Practice. Without practice, wit cannot be developed. Try to make sharp and subtle jokes whenever the opportunity arises. Don't forget that a joke works well if it has the effect of surprise.
3. Laugh at yourself. Yes, I agree that this is not the most pleasant thing, because we all have our own complexes. But this is precisely the technique used by famous comedians who make the audience laugh until they cry. Yes, they are witty, thanks to the fact that they use self-irony.
4. Forget about stereotypes. A witty person finds very quickly what to say, and you will have to learn to abandon the cliches and stereotypes inherent in society. To develop wit, you need to use your imagination and speech, look for associations, turn familiar situations around and see the funny in them.
5. Live life with humor. A person with a sharp mind cannot be gloomy and boring. If you have a good wit, then you will always be the center of attention in any company, you will have many friends, and people will come to you for advice. Look at the familiar in a new way and find something funny, then they will also say about you that you have an innate talent for making jokes in any situation.

Remember that every joke has its own time, so it’s not enough to learn how to write jokes, make jokes and humor, it’s important to learn how to do it at the right moment. As an exercise, I recommend that you play associations and apply basic techniques to develop wit from scratch

Wit is the muscle of the sense of humor

Here are some more recommendations for those who want to be witty:

• memorize jokes and funny phrases;
• use metaphors and phraseological units;
• do not show negative emotions in public;
• look for relationships between people, animals, plants and different situations;
• learn to draw caricatures;
• Laugh at a joke, even when you don't find it very funny.

Of course, jokes should not flow from you, because you are not a clown! Remember the saying: “Rarely, but accurately.” This is exactly what you should do when inserting some sharp phrase into a conversation. I conduct special training on developing a sense of humor and wit, and I can say with confidence that any skill can be developed. You can read more about training at the Comedy School in the Training section.

Lessons in humor

We already have a lot of courses and trainings in our arsenal, and we have good experience in developing and compiling training methods. It has already become a tradition for the 4Brain team to conduct case studies, systematize the material, select the most important and interesting from a huge number of sources, adapt the received data for easy perception and quick application, and give it all a beautiful form. We did exactly the same thing now.

In the next six lessons, we will look at the most significant topics in our opinion regarding the development of a sense of humor, the most effective techniques, tips from professional comedians and easy-to-use exercises:

Lesson 1. Theories of humor and the nature of the comic

If there is a task to approach the development of a sense of humor competently and fully, it is imperative to learn about the nature of the comic, what theories of humor there are, how it is interpreted by researchers and scientists. Such knowledge forms a correct understanding of the funny and its adequate perception, and also serves as wonderful food for the mind.

In the first lesson we will tell you about the ideas of psychologists and philosophers such as Rod Martin, Thomas Hobbes, Théodule Ribot, Charles Gruner, Francois Rabelais and others. You will learn about the psychoanalytic theory of humor, the theory of arousal and comfort, the theory of superiority and humiliation, the theory of incongruity and other theories. In conclusion, we will briefly summarize the entire lesson material.

Lesson 2. Positive thinking as the basis of a sense of humor

It is difficult to call a person who is used to thinking in a negative way someone who has a good sense of humor. Due to the peculiarities of his perception, he is inclined to see in the events happening to him and the world around him mainly what causes fear, anger, resentment, hatred, a sense of injustice, etc. in him. All this suggests that the first step towards developing a sense of humor is the formation of positive thinking.

From the second lesson you will learn what the essence of positive thinking is and get acquainted with various techniques for its formation: substitution, elimination, power of thought, self-irony. We will also offer a set of practical recommendations and rules of positive thinking for every day.

Lesson 3. Types and techniques of comic

Anyone can tell a couple of jokes. However, a true humorist is a person who is able to “juggle” his sense of humor, presenting it in different forms; someone who knows how to see and identify different situations and adapt to them; someone who understands how to make a joke so that the maximum result is achieved. And you can learn all this only by knowing about the types and techniques of the comic.

After completing the third lesson, you will learn how a joke, anecdote, irony, oxymoron, satire and parody differ from each other, and you will see clear examples of each of these types. In the second part we will talk about basic techniques, and in conclusion you will be offered several exercises and recommendations for practicing skills based on the information received.

Lesson 4. Developing wit

Wit can be described as the “muscle” of the sense of humor. If she is undeveloped or even atrophied, her sense of humor will certainly be weak, but if she is strong and alive, even a couple of your words can cause an explosion of laughter and win dozens of people over to you. A sense of humor and wit are two facets of one whole, and one is impossible without the other.

The fourth lesson is divided into three parts. In the first, we will present more than a dozen recommendations for developing wit. In the second, we'll introduce five great techniques, each of which is accompanied by examples. And in the third, we’ll arm you with eight cool exercises that will help you become a real wit.

Lesson 5. What you can’t joke about and what the success of the joke depends on

The success of a joke is not always due to technique, originality, surprise or timing. An important factor is the topic on which a person jokes, because if you joke about something that is not customary to joke about, the joke will be unsuccessful, and the joker himself will most likely find himself in a very disadvantageous and unenviable position.

In Lesson 5, we'll cover the main topics that professional comedians and humorists avoid and explain why they are so. In addition, you will learn what to pay attention to when writing jokes and during the joke itself. And as a supplement, there will be excellent recommendations intended for beginning pranksters.

Lesson 6. Comic forms

In addition to the fact that there are different types and techniques of the comic, there are also many forms in which jokes are generally presented to the public. Simply put, when performing on stage with a humorous act, you won’t be able to get away with one anecdote, while a short story will work just fine in a friendly company. Likewise, it would hardly be appropriate to show an interesting skit to a friend at a bus stop, but it would be perfect for performing in public.

The sixth lesson is devoted to the forms of the comic. In it, of course, we will not consider their entire diversity, but will touch only on the most popular forms in our time. More specifically, we will present you with sketch, stand-up, miniature, humorous games and one man show. And by clicking on additional links, you can see examples of performances by artists in these forms.

Course authors:

Kirill Nogales and Evgeny Buyanov

How to develop a sense of humor, ways

Make fun friends, be friends with fun people

Surely, you know such people - funny people who could potentially become mentors in this fun business. Make friends with a fun company.

In general, in most cases, a good sense of humor is inherent in ordinary people who have not completed special courses in comedy arts. So how do they know how to react to make it funny? Everything is very simple. It turns out that jokers in life are always open and sociable people who have many friends. And they acquired their skills to be funny thanks to such groups!

Hysterical laughter: laugh until your stomach hurts

Life hits you, and you want to burst into hysterical laughter. Don't hold back, laugh through your tears.

Have you ever wondered: why, when we are on the verge of a nervous breakdown, we want to laugh hysterically? Answer: this is how the body wants to relieve nervous tension in the best way in the world, in a way better than the best medicines. While laughing, the body's endurance increases many times over!

The hardships of life: appreciate Her Majesty's joke - Life

Life is hard, you have no time for jokes. Find something funny in this situation.

This case is related to the point above. A good explanation was given earlier in this article: about what happiness is. Try to distance yourself from your worries, or find something funny in this situation. The purpose of this whole “exercise” is to evoke at least a small hint of awareness of the humorousness of the situation; try to notice that life has its own special sense of humor!

Put on a Comedian costume

Memorize new jokes and anecdotes to amuse those around you

All cheerful people have a “gentlemanly” set of jokes, funny stories, curiosities, anecdotes. Get one like this. The only rule is that this “set” itself should make you smile.

Read, watch and listen to everything that contains humor

Make it a rule: every day, at least a joke, either from funny literature, or from films, audio recordings (audio works well - listening to it on the way to work).

This exercise will also help well with the previous point - to collect a stock of hilarious stories for your new role. Train your mind to get used to jokes. Like any ability, a sense of humor is like a good habit that is developed over time and consistency in performing appropriate actions on oneself.

Smile more often, put on a smile

Go to the mirror and put on a smile

Like the previous point, this is a daily exercise to train your sense of humor. Try to give your face a natural look so that your smile is natural and not grinning, as if you want to eat someone. In fact, many of us cannot even smile beautifully. Remember how kids smile - imitate them!

Affirmations to improve your sense of humor

Repeat affirmations:

• Every day I become happier
• A sense of humor accompanies me throughout life
• I am easy to communicate with others
• I breathe positivity
• I love fun and noisy companies
• I shine with wit and jokes
• (compose yours as per this link)

About affirmation and its power. Still, I am sure, from a psychological point of view, that the shorter the affirmation, the better. The above listed affirmations, as you might guess, are not just for developing a sense of humor, they are also suitable for feeling more confident and happier.

Running to the circus circle

Enroll in relevant courses to develop your sense of humor.

The best effect will be if you and your friend or friends do this together. The effect of such courses cannot be underestimated. The only thing is, from all the variety (if there is such a thing, if not, then read point 1) choose what will suit you. It’s stupid to sign up for circus hoop or flexibility courses if you’re a 120 kg “baby.” Although….

Smile, laugh and enjoy life!

How to take classes

As already mentioned, our humor lessons are completely adapted for practical activities, and are also suitable for anyone who wants to develop a sense of humor. However, our task is to give you the base, and only you are responsible for what you do with it. We are talking about the fact that you can take at least a hundred courses and fill your head with a bunch of information, but still not do anything worthwhile in your life. Therefore, try to project everything from the area of ​​knowledge into the area of ​​​​action.

To make it more convenient for you to complete the course, break this process into several stages. You can do this - study two lessons during the week:

• One day – study of the first lesson.
• Two days – applying knowledge in practice.
• One day - rest.
• Further - according to the same scheme.

Of course, this is just an example, and you have every right to come up with your own system that is more suitable for your employment. The only thing we want to point out again is that it is important to go through the lessons very carefully and with an understanding of why you are doing it.

As for the practical component of the course (exercises, techniques, tips, recommendations, etc.), they imply not just a single repetition, but multiple repetitions - this is the only way you can fully master the material, consolidate and hone the acquired skills.

Try to develop a useful habit of reminding yourself that you are developing a sense of humor and learning to joke, then in real life you will not have any problems with experiments on this topic. With practice, the application of knowledge will become automatic, and the need for careful self-control will disappear by itself.

How to learn to joke 10 exercises

People with a good sense of humor are able to look at things and situations from different angles. To do this you need to have a good imagination and associative thinking.

These exercises will help develop the necessary qualities

"Words starting with one letter"

Choose any letter of the alphabet and make a long common sentence using words starting with that letter. This exercise not only replenishes vocabulary, but also develops flexibility of thinking.

"Associations"

Develop the habit of quickly selecting at least five associations for any word. The more unexpected and interesting they are, the better.

"Anti-associations"

Try to select several words for each word that will be completely far from it in meaning. This will develop associative thinking.

"Ambiguity"

Think about how many meanings the words you use in everyday speech have. Remember not only their usual use, but also slang or figurative meanings. Strive to ensure that your brain does this quickly and, subsequently, automatically.

"New words"

Choose a well-known word ending or prefix (“-ness”, “counter-“, “super-“) and come up with new words and terms with them. Give them a dictionary definition and make a few sentences with them.

"Unreal Definition"

Give a well-known word an unknown definition that does not correspond to the meaning. Don't limit your imagination. The definition can also be given by consonance or similarity of words.

“How to use the item?”

Choose a common item, such as a cardboard box. Think of at least twenty ways you can use it.

"Search for similarities"

Choose two objects or concepts that have very little in common. For example, “crow” and “table”. Find as many similarities between them as possible.

"Identification"

While watching a comedy program, try to classify the jokes made in it: is it irony, double meaning or comparison, or perhaps hyperbole?

"Coup"

Find ten photographs online or in a magazine. Imagine that you are a journalist and you need to come up with a caption for each of them. It’s good if the caption does not reflect the real picture of events and turns out funny.

Basic principles for constructing jokes

Before you begin exercises to develop a sense of humor, it is worth understanding the basics of constructing successful jokes. These five basic patterns will allow you to begin to notice phenomena and events that can become an appropriate reason for laughter. After studying them, you will understand that developing a sense of humor is not a difficult and interesting process!

Interesting Facts

• According to statistics, a five-year-old child laughs more than three hundred times a day, while an adult laughs about twenty.
• People who are about to watch a comedy film have three times more levels of growth hormone and beta-endorphin than those who pick up a political newspaper or turn on the news on TV.
• A doctor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine has identified the area of ​​the brain that is responsible for a sense of humor. According to researcher Dina Shibata, this location is located in the lower part of the frontal lobe. This is why, after microstrokes concentrated in this part of the head, the understanding of jokes sometimes completely disappears.
• Those who like to laugh look younger, because when smiling, about 15 facial muscles are activated and blood flows.
• Laughter strengthens the immune system. This conclusion was reached by scientists who were able to study changes in the saliva of laughing patients. As it turned out, after laughing, saliva has tens of times more protective bacteria than in a calm person.
• Smiles relieve pain. It has been proven that sincere grins increase the pain threshold.

Functions of humor

Humor is a means of communication, a way of playing and flirting. In psychology, this playful state is called paratelic. What other functions does humor have?

• helps to integrate into the company;
• can be an option for psychological protection (saves from personality disorders and internal contradictions);
• acts as a way of expressing aggression or sexuality (interest);
• helps process information.

In addition, social functions include:

• social activity and the ability to go beyond social boundaries;
• removal of responsibility (if you want to say something, but are afraid, then say it as a joke);
• regulation of relationships;
• protection of social status and hierarchy;
• identity and cohesion.

The main psychotherapeutic function is that humor allows a person to look at his problems, desires, personal qualities from the outside, and then, transforming them into acceptable forms, accept them. This is important for the internal and external integration of a person.

In addition, humor allows you to positively reassess stressful situations, maintain inner freedom, overcome feelings of despair and difficult life situations - it is also a means of self-regulation.

Different types of sense of humor

Psychologists Patricia Doris and Rod Martin, after conducting a series of studies, came to the conclusion that there are four types of characters.

Affiliate or partner

• A man jokes about himself.
• The comments are good-natured and friendly.
• Uses different station intonations and non-verbal means of communication (facial expressions, gestures).
• This type is characteristic of kind and warm people, who are often the soul of the company, informal leaders.

Self-sustaining

• A person is capable of laughing at himself. Thanks to a developed sense of the comic, he can easily cope with stress.
• Self-ironic monologues, funny comments.
• This sense of humor belongs to people with high self-esteem. They try not to lose optimism in any situation, but openly laugh out of themselves when absolutely necessary.

Self-deprecating

• Humiliation of the “I” itself.
• Finding reasons to laugh at yourself.
• Sarcasm is inherent and can make fun of one’s own weaknesses. Such a person is accustomed to driving himself into the center of the joke.
• You need the approval of others. For this reason, he is ready to become an object of ridicule, but does not want to correct his shortcomings. Prone to stress.
• The positive side is that during an unforeseen situation, it takes the fire upon itself and mitigates the conflict in every possible way.

Aggressive

• Harsh criticism, sarcasm, ridicule.
• Caustic statements or remarks.
• Beneath the laughter lies anger and irritability. Offensive and indecent jokes directed at those present are permitted.
• This sense of humor is inherent in those who are used to manipulating others, proving their perfection, hurting others, establishing themselves at their expense.
• When making a joke, its author usually adds: “Well, I’m joking, you know.”

Under what circumstances should you definitely not joke?

Much of the effect of a joke depends on the circumstances in which it was voiced. You should not use your sense of humor when tragedies or disasters occur nearby. An obvious desire to emphasize one's superiority or to cause offense through humor is a bad idea.

Attempts to make jokes on religious or political topics also have questionable success. They can only make the audience laugh if everyone present is clearly united by the same interests.

When trying to defuse the situation with a comic digression, always calmly and carefully assess the situation and the participants in the conversation. Be careful when making jokes in front of managers or older people. Don't forget about subordination.

Features of children's humor

Every parent wants their child to shine in society with sparkling humor over time. Not all adults know how to develop a sense of humor. This is even more difficult to do in children, it seems at first glance. In fact, for attentive parents, there is no simpler task than to develop a sense of humor in a child. To do this, you should adhere to a few simple but mandatory rules:

• Up to a year old babies are cheered by the mood of their parents. A couple of funny faces from mom and dad a day will bring a joyful smile.
• At 2-3 years old, humorous activities will require physical exercise. Sudden appearances from behind shelters, games of hide and seek (even with face palms), awkward movements with facial expressions are just what you need. But it’s time to develop more complex skills - speech. Rhymes, incorrect words and the good mood of the parents in addition will give the lessons the right direction, and the child will begin to sparkle with such expressions even with himself. Adult jokes that are not yet understood will have to be explained.
• At 3-5 years old, pictures with mixed up possibilities and various confusions become funny. At this age, on the one hand, it is worth supporting the child’s intentions to make him laugh; on the other hand, it can be useful to point out that a joke repeated many times ceases to be funny.

What a pleasant feeling when a child with a sly squint makes a subtle, funny observation from which those around him can derive outright pleasure. Support and example will make up for the lack of a sense of humor at first, you should be patient.

A sense of humor is largely a product of upbringing and social environment. Therefore, even those who previously lacked it can achieve the desired results by working on themselves.

Tips for effectively developing a sense of humor and wit

1. Try to find a reason to be happy and smile every morning. Spend 5-10 minutes deliberately thinking about reasons for happiness and laughter. Starting a new day with positive emotions and humor, you will quickly develop the habit of approaching everything with a sense of humor.
2. Expand your vocabulary by reading books and watching educational videos. Pay attention to the classics of the humorous genre (B. Shaw, O. Henry, A. Chekhov, etc.). By becoming more well-read and erudite, you will be able to react faster to what is happening and describe it more eloquently. You will be able to support any conversation and choose the appropriate witty joke for any environment.
3. Follow new performances of your favorite comedians and study their style. Select a few well-known comedians and regularly watch their new performances, analyzing the features of their approach. Write down the techniques and jokes you like in a separate notebook. First, practice creating something similar to them. Over time, you can develop your own style based on elements of their experience and personal additions.
4. Work on your self-esteem. Often a person mentally comes up with funny comments for what is happening and witty jokes, but is afraid to voice them. In this case, it is important to work on self-esteem and self-confidence. Contact a psychologist or attend a personal growth training.

Bad jokes

Many people think that being a witty person is very simple, and you can develop humor almost with the snap of a finger and, in general, it is enough to watch popular comedy shows for a couple of weeks to begin to consider yourself a connoisseur of humor. You may not believe it, but such a position actually exists and is quite popular. But, of course, it is wrong.

When you try to make a joke without thinking about the meaning of the joke or the person on whom your joke will be directed, you are more likely to get into trouble than to become the life of the party. We must not forget that not every joke or anecdote will be received with a bang; there are also so-called unsuccessful jokes:

• Jokes on the obvious. In this case we are talking about common jokes. You yourself have heard them a hundred times, so do you really think that others don’t know them? You shouldn’t be a collection of banal and well-worn jokes; this will not only not give you success among others, but will also serve you poorly.
• Jokes about the incomprehensible. There are situations when, when communicating with a person, you really want to impress him and then you start spouting witticisms and anecdotes. It seems to you that you were able to conquer your interlocutor with your mini-speech. Well, to some extent yes, but not in the way you think. If you joke on a professional topic, using specialized terminology, then it is not a fact that they will understand you, but rather they will consider you strange.
• Preliminary preparation of the listener. You should not tell your interlocutor in advance that now you will tell him just a “killer” thing or an anecdote, although “it’s not really funny, it’s about a boss and a subordinate.” Jokes should be unexpected, so you shouldn’t lose such a trump card from the very beginning.

Self-irony comes first!

Great writers, actors, directors, politicians, businessmen know how to make great jokes. Among the geniuses of humor is Faina Ranevskaya. Surf the Internet, find her aphorisms and get into their spirit. By the way, it can be called... self-irony.

For example, we all know that Faina Georgievna could hardly be called a written beauty. And to the common question: “Are you, by any chance, sick?”, she is accustomed to answer: “No. This is how I always look.”

Rule #2

: Don't be afraid of irony. It is precisely this that can be funnier than the most cunningly wise joke.

When jokes are not appropriate

But you also need to be able to joke. Sometimes you can say something inappropriate. You need to understand that not in all situations other people will laugh .

Perhaps the person is very upset. And he will perceive all jokes as ridicule. Therefore, before making jokes, it is worth assessing the situation.

Also, some people believe that jokers are necessarily lazy. That's why they don't take them seriously. This is not so scary, but only until the moment of business communication. There it is already important to be taken seriously. Therefore, it is better to postpone jokes while communicating with them.

Besides, it can be difficult with a person who always jokes . You need to be able to switch between seriousness and fun. If a person calls for a serious conversation, it is better to leave jokes in the hallway.

Yes, and a good sense of humor sometimes masks problems . That is, instead of solving them, a person simply laughs it off. At the same time, problems remain, and the habit of running away from reality becomes stronger.

In the end, everyone has their own worldview . Therefore, even the funniest jokes may not please the other person. Or he may see you as an upstart who wants to be the center of attention.