4 Tips on How to Be Funny
Have you ever wondered how to be funny? I sure as hell have.
I remember a few years ago, my brother & I ended up going to an event.
This was one of those events where all the parents knew each other, but the kids didn’t.
Well, it was roughly around 8-10 kids cooped up in a room, bored as fuck.
We didn’t know what to talk about, what to do or how long we would be stuck with each other.
After 30 minutes of very awkward silence, one of the kids says:
‘Hey guys, so there is this comedian named Russell Peters I discovered recently. Very funny guy. Want to watch him?’
We all didn’t have anything else to do, so why not?
This was before YouTube, so it took some time scouring the internet to find one of his videos.
But after a whole lot of teamwork, we were able to find one of his specials!
Russel Peters is an Indian comedian from Canada.
This was my first time hearing of the guy, so was very curious to see what he had to offer.
The minute the special began, he came out guns blazing!
Telling hilarious stories of his dad, background & childhood.
I kid you not..
The entire momentum of the event had shifted.
We went from being strangers in a room to kids who felt like we knew each other for a long time.
Why?
Because we were laughing together.
Today, I want to share the importance of humor & why it’s a mega weapon in the communications world.
But more importantly, I want to share 4 tips as well on how to be funny.
Let’s all unleash our inner Russell Peters!
Why Humor is So Important
Humor is a universal language in my eyes.
I remember growing up, I used to always find it funny when I would see a baby laugh.
Why is this baby laughing?
What’s causing them to generate this response?
Beats me.
But the principle is HUGE.
If a blank slate like a baby is laughing, that means it is an ingrained act, not a taught one.
Humor allows us to feel connected with our emotions.
And when you can leverage it, you short circuit a social bond.
You turn a formal relationship to an informal one much quicker.
Think about the difference between your relationships with an acquaintance & your best friend.
Think about how you view that one person who can make you laugh without even trying.
Think about the joy you feel from watching comedians.
All thoughts of you FEELING positively.
Humor is a superpower in today’s outrage culture.
It allows you to cut thru the noise & connect with someone else’s inner baby.
Is Humor A Skillset?
Yes, humor is a skillset.
It can be learned & developed with practice.
I hate it when I hear ‘well, I wasn’t born funny!’
No one was born funny, you silly rabbit.
We were born with the power to laugh.
But we were not born with the frameworks to make others laugh. That is learned.
Humor is a skill set that can be developed by people who see the value in it.
Storytelling & humor are 2 of the MOST potent forms of way to deliver your message.
Just imagine what happens when you combine the 2.
You have to understand that you can be funnier.
I don’t care if you consider yourself an awkward engineer, boring or socially incompetent.
Once you see the value in humor, your brain will begin to look for creative ways to incorporate it into your reality.
Let me share a few of my creative ways.
4 Tips on How to Be Funny
There are plenty of ways you can learn how to be funny.
In my journey with humor, I have developed my own blueprint.
These methods have worked for me in my life & I want you to try it out as well.
But just a quick disclaimer.
Use the ones which work for you & feel free to add your own twist to it!
Rules were meant to be learned so they could be broken, right?
Well, use my tips as rules to begin, so you can ultimately end up breaking it with your own personality.
1. Watch Comedians
This is by far the easiest way to begin.
Watch comedians & see how they operate.
These people’s SOLE goal is to make you laugh.
Therefore, they are one of the best resources to learn how to be funny.
Observe, how they set up a joke, their delivery & how they talk to the crowd.
Use this as an opportunity to watch multiple comedians.
I typically recommend 3 from different cultures or upbringing.
I do this because it allows me to see different patterns & similarities within this profession.
2. Observe your Funny Friend/s
We all have that one friend who can make people crack up.
How?
Serious question.
How are they getting other people laughing?
In step 1, you are watching someone from the audience or screen.
But with your friend, you are fully immersed in the interaction.
See what they possess that allows them to be so fluid with their movements.
You may be closer than you think about learning how to be funny.
3. Tell Jokes with the INTENT to make someone laugh
I want you to picture you had a gun to your head.
And I said, ‘Either make me laugh, or the trigger will be pulled.’
Fam, you going to be scrambling to make me laugh!
You are now operating with intent.
This is tough in the beginning stages, I get it.
It’s like you are TRYING to be funny.
It’s going to feel like you are making something organic, inorganic.
But that’s not true.
If you want to learn the science of how to be funny, then you need to treat it like a science.
Comedians had to practice over & over again until humor became second nature.
You can take the route where you are accidentally funny, sure.
But in that case, you are not building a skillset, you are just winging it.
In the initial stages, you need to get your hands dirty and operate with intent.
If they don’t laugh, then they don’t laugh.
But at least you are taking active measure to work out your humor muscle.
4. Be AWARE of laughter.
You need to bring humor into your stream of consciousness.
If I told you to close your eyes & said ‘When you open your eyes, I want you to find everything blue in your room.’
Guess what will happen?
You will actively be looking for blue items.
It is in your stream of consciousness
The key to solidifying humor in your mind is by structuring it into your mind.
Start seeing humor in all facets of life.
Don’t just stop with comedy.
Analyze your past experiences.
What made you laugh.
How did you make someone else laugh?
What jokes didn’t make you laugh?
By thinking like this, you are exercising a fluid behavior mechanism.
This is one of the KEYS to humor.
No one likes a tightass.
So be aware of humor until you become a person of humor!
How to Continue to Be Funny
Sometimes, others won’t laugh at your jokes.
Sometimes, others can’t stop laughing at your jokes.
Understand that it is a process.
I remember I got interested in comedy a few years ago.
And around that time, Toastmasters released a humor pathway, which piqued my interest.
Nowadays, I can’t get enough of humor.
I think it is one of the best ways to spread your message, build your social connections & leave a positive impact on the world.
You owe it to yourself to learn how to be funny.
But don’t only learn… DO!!
The power to make someone chuckle is huge & helps you boost your confidence like none other.
So begin taking this skill more seriously & apply the tips from this article!
If you are looking to improve your humor & become a more confident communicator, then apply for a FREE communications strategy call below!
– ArmaniTalks 
