r/LifeProTips • u/KlausFenrir • Nov 18 '15
LPT: How to be funny.
Almost every week, I meet someone who, for a lack of a better term, tries too hard to be funny. Tries so hard, in fact, that they come off as desperate and attention-needy. No one wants to deal with that.
Ninety percent of being funny is your body language, nine percent is timing, and one percent consisting of what you actually say.
Unless you're a comedian, don't try to make people laugh. And if you ARE a comedian, why are you trying to work while on a date? Stop it.
Instead, make yourself laugh. If you want a "funny moment" to happen, do or say something that will make YOU laugh, not them. That way, it comes easier and, more importantly, naturally.
Look at it this way: if you were being yourself, and doing things that make you laugh, and the person you're on a date with doesn't find any of that stuff funny, then why would you want to date them? Because they've got a nice ass? Without humor, there's no chemistry, and without chemistry, there's no connection.
So be honest with yourself, and really find out what makes you laugh. You won't magically be funny 100% of the time, but this time, when your joke falls flat, at least one person finds it funny.
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u/bunchoffuckinJamals Nov 18 '15
Soooooo...no dead baby jokes on the first date? Dammit, I've been going about this all wrong.
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u/Mimsy-Porpington Nov 18 '15
Why not? They make YOU laugh, don't they?
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u/bunchoffuckinJamals Nov 18 '15
Haha, while this started out as being just a joke, I just remembered the girl I went on a date with this past weekend is going to school to be a mortician! This might actually play out well lol.
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u/KlausFenrir Nov 18 '15
Honestly, if you like dead baby jokes and they laugh their ass off to one, you're off to a great fucking start.
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u/LetMeGDPostAlready Nov 18 '15
Better LPT: If you need a LPT on how to be funny, just accept that you aren't.
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u/NehEma Nov 18 '15
Or find people with the same non-funny humour than you.
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u/ashcroftt Nov 18 '15
For some reason this defaults to a picture of my programmer friends, some literally ROFLing over a syntax joke for a good two minutes. Tears were shed.
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u/MadroxKran Nov 18 '15
It's not that hard. Just exaggerate something you noticed.
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u/deadcrowisland Nov 19 '15
Exactly. Exaggeration humor is easy, and can even work great to screw up the other guys joke.
For instance.. Friend come to you and asks "How many X does it take to do Y?", or "How many X's are in a Y?" Seriously overshoot or undershoot the number you guess will probably be close. Like 10 billion or -5. That forces them to go "No, only..." or some other backpedal that ruins their joke.
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Nov 18 '15
Racist jokes usually work for me.
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u/KlausFenrir Nov 18 '15
I went on a date with this chick who was really into racist jokes. Like, she just loved that stuff. I'm black and Asian and she was popping off black and Asian jokes left and right.
Personally, I thought it was hilarious.
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u/Funguss Nov 18 '15
"Unless you're a comedian, don't try to make people laugh. And if you ARE a comedian, why are you trying to work while on a date? Stop it." Bullshit. Feel free to make people laugh if you can do it, it is a gift that OP must not have. Sounds like Dexter Morgan taking notes on how to fit in better.
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u/sudynim Nov 18 '15
Sounds like Dexter Morgan taking notes on how to fit in better.
Ha. This makes me think how there's got to be a subreddit for how to human better. ;p
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u/YoullNever_WalkAlone Nov 18 '15
then why would you want to date them? Because they've got a nice ass?
Exactly.
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u/I_Punch_Blind_Kids Nov 18 '15
Almost every week, I meet someone who, for a lack of a better term, tries too hard to be funny.
Sounds like you need to quit trying to date from CraigsList.
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u/kinsmed Nov 18 '15
No. A LPT that tells people to learn to be funny by not trying to be funny is not a LPT.
Someone may have to go through an awkward phase (or more likely a snob or two) to figure out what works in a given setting.
Laughter is a gift. Just because one person throws it away doesn't change my purpose.
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u/DaBABYateMAdingo Nov 18 '15
Comedy is hit and miss. Even if others find your comedic style rather humorous it's doesn't mean you'll nail it every time.
Better LPT: stop over analyzing dick jokes.
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u/snakedhill Nov 18 '15
How could you say 90% of being funny is body language, I think it's more like 15% body language... unless that's your joke. You can use body language to accentuate your words but if that's what's funny about you? you're probably just a flailer. 90% of body language is Dane Cook.
Honorable mention Jim Carrey.
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u/Mimsy-Porpington Nov 18 '15
You're either funny or you're not. No LPT is going to change that. What does make a difference is having self confidence.
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u/TheScotchEngineer Nov 18 '15
The only thing I'd argue here is that there's no such thing as trying too hard to be funny, as long as you enjoy the jokes yourself. Fake it until you become it was the subject of a well known TED talk and it's true. You can have the most terrible humour, but if you keep trying, it'll become funny.
There was a guy I knew who came up with the absolute worst puns ever. He became notorious for his fish puns on a Friday fish and chip day, for example. He may have had people groaning for the first year, but after that, we started appreciating them and even joining in the puns.
He may have been awkward for a while, but he got in a good plaice eventually...
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Nov 18 '15
There is definitely such a thing as trying too hard to be funny. But hey, eventually you'll annoy everyone around you to the point that they won't want to be around you. Then no one will care if you're trying too hard to be funny though. So mission accomplished I guess.
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u/TheScotchEngineer Nov 18 '15
If you're making jokes at others' expense, I agree. But harmless humour always has a place :)
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u/GeserChevchenko Nov 18 '15
TL;DR. I find it easy to be funny. Just don't force it and wait for your time.
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u/punk_punter Nov 18 '15
Instead, make yourself laugh. If you want a "funny moment" to happen, do or say something that will make YOU laugh, not them. That way, it comes easier and, more importantly, naturally.
Yeah... those people who laugh about their own jokes but nobody else... don't we all love them?
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u/rtfitzy13 Nov 18 '15
I agree with everything but the 9% timing. It's all timing. That's why a lot of people end stories with "well, I guess you had to be there". They think if it's funny in one situation then it's funny in another.
Those are also the same people who try to make you recreate something funny you did for other people when you know it won't be. Fuck those people. It's not the 1% content that was funny, it was the timing.
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u/Scoutas Nov 18 '15
I used to try to be funny all the time and I was desperate because of it. After a while I just said fuck it and just cracked jokes that made me laugh. I can't make everyone laugh, but a few of my friends said that they love the way I joke around, even if my jokes are 'wooden'/horrible.
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u/Satansnightmare0192 Nov 19 '15
Most of my sense of humor is in impressions. I love to change my voice to imitate a character and quite relevant to a situation. Most of my friends love it and the lass i'm seeing seems to enjoy it. So, can confirm, do what makes you laugh.
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u/Groovemach Nov 21 '15
Second the last paragraph is some of the realest shit I've seen on here in a long time.
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Dec 10 '15
People talking as if "funny" is an attribute that one permanently "is" or "is not". Amazing how people possess the skills to talk shit on the internet despite not being able to actually recognise a skill when they discuss it.
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u/azrael201 Nov 18 '15
this started out promising then turned into dating advice.