Humor, Seriously summary

It can be helpful to start by taking a look at what kind of humor is out there. There are traditionally four different types of funny people, the stand-ups, the magnets, the sweethearts and the snipers.

The stand-ups are the expressive, thick skinned people who can take as good as they give. If you’re edgy, a fan of roasts, and have been known to enjoy darker humor, then this might be for you. 

So how exactly does “funny” work? According to the authors and the many professionals they approached, you don’t just pull something funny out of thin air. Instead, you make note of and use the absurdities of the world around you, and then point them out. Take a second to look back on the last few days. Did you forget an acquaintance's name? Did you tell the waiter that you hope he enjoys his meal, too? Maybe your kids pointed out that you’re the CEO at work but grandma is the boss at home? 

These are real-life moments that you undoubtedly share with others. The truth creates an opportunity for shared recognition and at the heart of humor lies – you guessed it – truth. Meaning that if you tap into your own life – your likes, dislikes, opinions, feelings, all the things that make you you – you will allow for moments of shared levity where a colleague might say, “Hey, I do that! She’s right! I’ve had that happen to me, too!” 

It would be great if humor was always as simple as, “I tell you this funny thing that happened in my life, you laugh, and we work together happily ever after.” Sometimes, making these simple observations is not quite enough to be funny. So what can you do to be prepared? Through speaking to professional improvisers and coaches from schools like Second City, in Chicago, and The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, in New York, the authors collected some simple tools to help get you from idea to punchline, successfully.

First, use exaggeration to your advantage. Take that life event and embellish and escalate it to surprise the listener. The funny comes when you say something they weren’t expecting at all. Consider the example from actor and stand-up comedian, John Mulaney: “Went to a spa to get a massage. I went into the room to get the massage and the woman there told me to undress to my comfort level. So I put on a sweater and a pair of corduroy pants and I felt safe.” Were you expecting him to say that he’d be putting on clothes? Probably not, and that is where it becomes funny. 

People like Amy Schumer or Hasan Minhaj spend months and years cultivating their humor: writing, rewriting, and testing their jokes on audiences. But most of us don’t have that kind of time, so when we’re using humor, in our lives or in the office, we’ll need to be able to create moments of levity spontaneously. 

One good way to go about it is to know your go-to stories, the ones you enjoy telling and have already proven to be funny. Then, as we’ve already learned, be observant. Use what you see in the here and now to find what’s funny to the people around you. Seth Herzog, a comedian who also happens to have the colossal task of warming up the audience for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, has some good advice. He suggests that you ask yourself, “What’s funny right now, to this group only? That’s the fastest way to get a group laughing.” 

People have different ideas of what is funny. Our humor varies depending on everything from our upbringing and personal experiences, to political views, hangriness, and more. Your long-term colleague may be a fan of “your mom” jokes – but the new guy in sales might think they’re distasteful. So, it’s critical to know what to do when these different ideas of funny arise.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that in all instances, you need to use humor responsibly. And have sensitivity, empathy, and hilarity all working together. It’s a matter of reading the room. And that’s not just about knowing what will make the audience laugh but how it will make them feel. Are there any cultural differences to take into account? Will it offend anyone?

Often, it’s as simple as talking like a human being. Stiff talk, be it in the boardroom or over email, doesn’t leave much room for connection. Like the authors put it, “If we write like corporate drones, then pretty soon we’ll start acting like them, too.” So, whether you’re talking face-to-face or writing an email, stop trying to rid yourself of a personality.

What may seem like essential formalities can actually prevent you from showcasing the type of person you are. See emails as an opportunity to invite genuine connection. If you know that a CEO just had a child, maybe start your email or conversation by asking how mom and baby are doing. If you know you and your client are suffering through the same heat wave, try signing off with a little joke acknowledging your shared experience. 

The leaders of old were a rare breed. All intelligence, bravery, moral superiority, and cunning resolve. Consider Ernest Shackleton drifting on sheets of ice in the Antarctic to rescue his crew. Or Marco Polo, who traveled across mountains to inspire generations of children . . . to play blindly in their swimming pools. 

But those days are behind us. In the wake of multiple wars, nuclear disasters, financial crises and more, we now share a collective lack of trust in our leaders.