This article was co-authored by Susan Pazak, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Dr. Susan Pazak is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist & Professional Life Coach. With more than 21 years of experience, she specializes in treating adolescents and adults with psychological issues using cognitive behavioral therapy, symptom reduction skills, and behavior modification techniques. She has been featured in numerous media outlets and shows, including “My Strange Addiction". Dr. Pazak holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in Communications from The University of Pittsburgh, an MA in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University.
There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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If you feel like you don’t have a sense of humor, you may want to think again. People naturally have an innate ability to find things humorous, and it’s likely that you just haven’t found the right brand of humor for you yet. But even if you actually don’t have a sense of humor, that’s okay too, and we're here to help! In this article, we’ll break down how you can cultivate your sense of humor, deal with social situations where you want to be funny, and learn to accept who you are.
Things You Should Know
- Take the pressure off and don’t judge yourself for not meeting whatever imagined standard of humor you have. You’re perfect the way you are.
- Immerse yourself in comedy by watching funny movies and hanging out with funny people to naturally cultivate your sense of humor. Make sure to allow yourself to laugh in these situations.
- Memorize a few jokes if you want a quick way to make people laugh in social situations.
- Remember, your sense of humor is not the sum of who you are. Everybody is unique and you’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.
- Read and study about how to adjust your attitude and release negative, bitter thoughts to learn to laugh again.
Steps
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about sense of humor, check out our in-depth interview with Fernando Campos.
References
- ↑ https://hbr.org/2021/05/stop-being-so-hard-on-yourself
- ↑ https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/147470490600400129
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/articles/200607/whats-your-humor-style
- ↑ https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/developing-humor-skills-project-success-5908
- ↑ https://practicalpie.com/how-to-be-funny-10-tips-to-improve-your-sense-of-humor/
- ↑ https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00123/full
- ↑ https://theconversation.com/how-children-develop-a-sense-of-humour-77028
- ↑ https://www.wisdomtimes.com/blog/how-to-develop-a-sense-of-humor/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4255480/
- ↑ https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/make-em-laugh-how-humor-can-be-secret-weapon-your-communication
- ↑ https://practicalpie.com/how-to-be-funny-10-tips-to-improve-your-sense-of-humor/
- ↑ https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/not-joke-cost-being-humorless
- ↑ https://practicalpie.com/how-to-be-funny-10-tips-to-improve-your-sense-of-humor/
- ↑ https://www.fastcompany.com/90741395/how-and-why-you-should-learn-to-laugh-at-yourself
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolution-the-self/200809/the-path-unconditional-self-acceptance
- ↑ https://www.regain.us/advice/general/my-partner-hates-my-dry-sense-of-humor-what-should-i-do/
About This Article
To accept that you have no sense of humor, try to remember that humor is totally subjective, and you're not a bad person just because some people don't think you're witty or funny. Instead of focusing on what you're not, try to embrace all of the things that you do like about yourself. You can pick up some new hobbies or teach yourself new skills to discover talents that you never knew you had. Additionally, if you're interested in developing your sense of humor, you could try watching comedy shows and stand-up performances or listening to funny podcasts. For tips from our co-author, like how to be less critical of yourself, keep reading!