How we change what others think, feel, believe and do

Using Humor

Humor is a surprisingly useful and subtle way of persuading, and can be used in all kinds of situations. Here are a few notes about using humor:

Benefits of using humor: Have fun whilst building communication and more.
Becoming a child: Have fun whilst building your leadership status.
Humor in selling: For happy customers?
Laughter: Open expression of humor.
Politically-incorrect humor: Non-PC humor is mostly not a good idea. Mostly.
Take-back gag: To be non-PC 'safely'

The bottom line of humor is to be always genuine and to have fun! Forced humor sounds forced, and even though a false smile is difficult, a forced laugh always sounds particularly hollow.

Freud saw humor as based in the rush of pleasure comes from sudden release of tension. Tension is released when because repressed impulses suddenly allowed expression when the punch-line evades the internal censor (or anti-cathexis) via the element of surprise. The preponderance of sexual humor also supports a Freudian view.

Using Humor

See also