The Player's Dictionary

How To Be Funny

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How to Be Funny

Steps

1. Think beyond jokes. Jokes can be funny, but being funny is about much more than being able to tell jokes. While jokes are a valuable addition to your funny replertoire, if you simply repeat jokes that you've heard, you're not so much being funny as repeating something that somebody funny thought of. That said, joke-telling is an art itself, and there are good joke tellers and bad joke tellers. Most of the following steps can be applied not only to becoming funnier overall, but also to becoming a good joke teller.
2. Broaden your base of material. In everyday conversation, being funny is mostly about having something funny to say about something that comes up in the course of the conversation. Sometimes this can be a prefabricated joke, but more often you're on your own, and if you're to have any hope of thinking up something funny, you've got to know something about the subject of the conversation--the more you know, the better. If you know a tremendous amount about 17th century poetry, you've probably got a good chance of saying something funny when that comes up in conversation. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) 17th century poetry doesn't come up much. As a general rule, people who are very focused on one hobby, occupation, or sitcom are often very funny to other people who are also wrapped up in that particular pursuit. When they try to be funny around people who are not "in the loop," however, their humor often falls flat. In other words, they may come off as "geeks" or "nerds." How do you avoid this? Broaden your horizons so that you are tuned-in regardless of who you're speaking to. If you can find the humor in physics and Paris Hilton, for example, you're well on your way. In a way, being funny is simply showing that you are intelligent enough and know enough about something (hopefully a great many things) to find the humorous nuances that others miss.
3. Learn from the best. In the same way that good writers are almost always prolific readers, really funny people usually are familiar with the techniques of other funny people. Watch funny movies and shows, read funny books, and go see some stand-up comedians. If you have very funny acquaintances, pay attention to what makes them funny. Immerse yourself in humor and you'll develop a toolbox of techniques you can use to be funny.
4. Be observant. While knowing a lot can increase your capacity for humor, there's no substitute for seeing a lot. In fact, many very knowledgeable people are rather unfunny, mainly because they fail to see the humor in things. Look for the humor in everyday situations, and see what others don't. This brings up the old question of what is funny. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) researchers have looked at this and haven't found any hard, fast rules. There is some consensus, however, that the humor response is similar to the fear response, and thus the unknown, the surprising, and the incongruous are often funny. You can find these by looking, for example, for connections between dissimilar things or by looking for the unexpected in the familiar. On a more basic level, just pay attention to what people around you are saying and doing.
5. Know your audience. As step two suggests, different people find different things funny. You can, of course, be funny to yourself, but if you want to be funny to other people, you need to have at least some idea of what they find funny. When you're in a group of people you don't know, for example, just listen to what subjects they talk about and what makes them laugh. Generally the better you know someone the easier it will be to make them laugh.
6. Be quick. People can appreciate even a slightly funny comment if it's said at the right time (usually as soon as possible after the event that precipitated the comment). If you wait too long, however, even very funny comments will lose their impact. For example, if someone says something to you and you think of a witty comeback two hours later, you're probably better off just keeping it to yourself. It won't be funny anymore, and you'll look slow, and sometimes, really stupid.
7. Develop a comedic personality. Be yourself. You can't be all things to all people, so you should develop your own unique brand of humor. In other words, learn from comedians and friends, but don't try to duplicate them (unless you're doing impressions, which can be funny).
8. Forgive yourself. Sometimes a joke will fall flat, or an observation that cracks you up will just make others groan. Don't be discouraged. Learn from your comedic errors, and keep trying. Even the highest paid comedians don't always get a laugh, and no one expects anybody to be funny all the time. If you feel like you're temporarily off your game, though, don't try to force humor.
9. Take it easy. Don't tell 10 jokes over a 2 minute period. Be conservative and tell the jokes at the right time.
10. "Class Clown" Try being/learning to be a class clown by following tips on how to at this link: [[1]]

Tips

• Practice callbacks. You may have noticed that many comedians will tell a joke and then bring it back in one version or another, usually getting as big a laugh (or bigger) on the second time than on the first. This is called a callback, and you can use this technique, too. If you come up with a joke or observation that gets a big laugh, subtly bring it back a little later. As a general rule, though, don't try to call something back more than 3 times.
• It's not all verbal -- sometimes doing a funny dance, or making a funny noise, can work in the right situation. Just make sure you're not making a complete fool of yourself. You want people laughing with you, not at you.
• Fantasize about the situation you're in and you might find something funny that you can then tell others. This works best with people that have a similar way of thinking with you
• Don't try to think of jokes. Let them come naturally during conversation. The more you practice the above techniques, the more naturally funny observations will come to you.
• Don't be afraid to make fun of yourself. Self-deprecating humor is a lot safer than making fun of others, and it can be really funny. Just be careful not to sound pathetic or whiny, especially if you're trying to impress a date.
• Try not to be funny. You should not try to tell a joke because you want people to think your funny. You have to go at your own pace. You need to say something at the right time and the right instinct. It will be funny.
• Choose a correct time for cracking a joke,if you choose the correct time when everyone is happy, you could end up making everyone laugh.

Warnings

• Try to make jokes about yourself as little as possible. This will display a healthy self-confidence. When you make jokes about others however, be sure to not insult them and if you are feeling angry: don't let it out through a demeaning joke.
• Make sure the time is appropriate for humor. No matter how funny you are, sometimes require boring, solemn, seriousness. Sometimes it can be hard to resist a joke at a funeral or when you're being reprimanded by your boss, but know when to hold your tongue.
• You can't be funny to all people. Sometimes you'll run into people who just aren't amused by anything you say or do. They're probably either sticks-in-the-mud or they just have a different sense of humor than you do. Don't let them get you down.
• NEVER laugh at your own jokes before at least one other person laughs first (unless they're the type who will laugh at anything). Doing so can make you look like you're trying way too hard to be funny. Remember that being funny isn't about what cracks you up, it's about what cracks others up.
• Don't try too hard. If you need some work to become funnier, do it a little at a time. Even if you're already the funniest guy or girl in the world, remember that conversations are not the same as stand-up comedy monologues, and people will tend to get annoyed if you're always trying to crack a joke or make a witty observation.
• Don't go too far! Don't make jokes or comments about peoples race, religion, and so on!
• Learn to overcome your failures and heal your wounds. This would keep you alert to percieve humor in any surroundings and express it appropriately.
• Never over use the term "just kidding". The ocasional use is okay but saying it too much is like telling a joke way to much.

Related wikiHows

• How to Have a Witty Conversation
• How to Be Sarcastic
• How to Socialize, Be Funny and Make Friends
• How to Be Funny Without Telling Jokes
• How to Be Fun to Be With

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