Humor
smoothes the way with friends, family members and
coworkers. Here are some tips for using humor as a
positive tool in potentially uncomfortable situations.
- Make fun of your
own imperfections. When people know you don't
take yourself too seriously, they're more
comfortable and relaxed around you, and more
likely to open up.
- Whenever
appropriate, use humor to defuse anger, provided
the humor isn't directed at the person who's
angry.
- Use humor as a
memory aid. Incorporating the information you
want to remember into a joke or silly rhyme helps
you remember it.
- Humor and
creativity go hand in hand. Give people
permission to come up with silly ideas or
solutions to problems. Some of these evolve into
very good solutions, or defuse tension so that
good solutions can be found.
Take a few moments
and think about humor in your own life:
- Describe a time
when you laughed so hard you cried:
- It's OK to
laugh at yourself. Choose two of your
imperfections and say something funny about them:
- Think of a
favorite comedian or comic actor. What is it
about that person that makes you laugh?
- Recall a time
when an unpleasant situation was turned around
through humor.
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