You never know when it will strike, but there comes a certain moment when you just know nothing productive is going to happen for the rest of the day. Sometimes it starts when you exit from a Word document and it pops up a block asking you if you want to save changes? Wait, the thing is, you just read your long document and made no changes! That moment can also come when you are winning an argument and you suddenly realize you are wrong.
Yes, we all know that much later our errors and bad judgments can become good stories. It has happened to many of us, except for those few who were born without the humor gene. You all know them — the wrapped-too-tight person who thinks way too much of themselves. I believe there could be peace in the Middle East, but for them.
We know lots of people who want to be funny, but their timing or thought process is way off. Likewise, you don’t want to be viewed as the class clown covering up for some deep-seated insecurity. But, truth be told, a little humor is good for you and helps you lead others if done properly. CEO’s tend to say a sense of humor is one of their most important traits. Even Warren Buffett has been known to toss in one-liners in serious topics (“You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.”). You remember a good and funny ad long after it has ended as another example.
Humor can be an effective teaching tool to make a difficult subject more approachable. A Professor of Law I know made ethics courses attractive with a proper mix of humor. I might note that that ethics courses are not usually funny. So humor can be a practical tool as well.
Attention Parents
Unattended children will be given a
Red Bull and a free kazoo.
I personally like to use instead: children will be given a cup of coffee and a free puppy to get their attention. Some do not laugh, but they understand that little Dennis the Menace needs some supervision.
Perhaps a little wit or humor might make your life and work a bit more enjoyable. Go ahead, bust out a good joke and laugh with your friends — at no one’s expense but yours. That is where the bad decisions can later make for a good story. I can freely joke about forming a Big Republicans for Christie Club. But I’ll kick your ass if you make a joke about my weight, or my thyroid problem as I’ll say, to make you feel really bad.
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