THE ROLE OF SENSE OF HUMOUR IN SUCCESS

  

THE ROLE OF SENSE OF HUMOUR IN SUCCESS

OBJECTIVES:

In this chapter we will understand:

ü  The meaning of sense of humour

ü  Humour is the key to success

ü  Why funny people are more success

ü  What are the ways to improve sense of humor?

Everybody wants to be likeable and center of attention in every gathering. For this your personality matters a lot. There are a lot of charismatic traits in a person’s personality, which make us so admirable and likeable the top of the list is the sense of humor.  The sense of humour ensures the success in our practical life and makes our life charismatic and highly influential.

The Sense of humour

It is very important to understand that what does "a good sense of humor" actually mean? Is it the ability to memorize and tell jokes? Is in the ability to understand jokes and laugh at them. Is it the ability to do something stupid and laugh at yourself for it ? What exactly is it? And why is it considered a very important aspect of one's personality?

Being going in details first we need to understand that what a sense of humor is. The dictionary says the word sense means “perception or awareness; and correct reasoning; or sound judgment.” The word humor means “turn of mind; to sooth temper or mood; or the mental quality that produces absurd or joyful ideas.” So we can say that a sense of humor is to be aware that you have a mental quality to turn your mind in an unusual way, or a need to produce joyful or absurd ideas that can sooth your very being.

 I want you to take a few moments right now and think of the challenges you are faced with every day, personally and professionally. Now I want you to focus on a particular problem you may have at home or at work: health issues, financial problems, divorce, job security or anything that is a current cause for concern. Pay particular attention to the emotions you are feeling as a result, such as worry, anxiety, anger or fear, and notice how difficult it is not to take your problems from home to work and vice versa. 

Not only is it important to know you have a Humor Being within you, it is essential that you unleash its power every day throughout your entire life. Your Humor Being will save you from despair time and time again, and before you know it. Invoking your Humor Being as a habit will turn you into a better person with a brighter outlook.

We go through our lives and we allow unfortunate situations, unlucky circumstances and foul people to suck the energy right out of us, because we don’t know that we have the tools that can help us cope well or even heal ourselves after bad encounters. One such tool is your Humor Being. Those who make the shift and live in harmony with their Humor Being always see the brighter alternative to a negative situation. They embrace change and cope with stress more easily. And they make conscious choices to enjoy themselves during the process of whatever they are trying to achieve.  

Humor Is The Key To Success

The ability to just laugh something off – or get someone to laugh, all the same – is among the most powerful tools you can be born with. Side note: ladies love a man that can make them laugh ;). Funny people have the ability to sway crowds through humor and, a lot of times, if you can keep them laughing, then you’ve already won half the battle.

Realistically, life – or more importantly, success in life – is all about connections. While that might be a far cry from a lot of the fairy tales you’ve heard in a classroom, or what makes a person successful, from what I’ve gathered, it’s also true. One quote that has always proven to be true for me is, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” and you’ll only get to know more and more people if you can entertain them. If you’re able to make good first impressions and say the right things, you’ll almost always be able to surround yourself with the right people. People, who have a sense of humor, moreover a good one, will always be able to lead and direct conversations to their advantage.

“A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. Every pebble on the road jolts it.“, Says Henry Ward Beecher

Surveys results about humour and success

·       75% of respondents in a survey said the number one kind of workplace they’d be most reluctant to leave is one that was fun, with good working relationships and high levels of trust

·       Robert Half International Survey found that 91% of executives believe a sense of humor is important to career advancement

·       Robert Half study found that 84% of executives believe that a person with a good sense of humor does a better job

·       A Bell leadership study found that the two most desirable traits of leaders were a good work ethic and a healthy sense of humor

·       Several studies show that people with a health sense of humor tend to be more liked, trusted and respected

Why funny people are more successful in life

Having a good sense of humor is an essential social toolset. A perfectly placed and executed joke can get you out of a tight corner. It can help you get away with things that most people would not be able to get away with. It makes making friends easier. And, it also is likely to help you become successful. Here’s 10 reasons why funny people are more successful than most.

1.         They are more likeable. It’s true, think about it. Who are you friends with? Chances are that it is the people who you have the most in common with — who you have the most fun with and who make you laugh. Laughter and comedy play larger roles in our lives than most people realize or would like to admit. Funny people are easier to like because they make us happy by making us laugh. How can you not like someone who makes you happy?

2.         They are more detail-oriented. Humorous jests are not easy to come up with — they cannot be planned, but random, in the moment. We’re not talking about standup comedians here, but regular people like you and I who happen to be very funny. In order to be funny, one must pick up on certain details — whether physical or in conversation — and work on them. The funniest of jokes are those that are focused on a minor detail or phrase that a person says rather than focused on a general topic or larger concept. Funny comments in the workplace are usually funny one-liners and not long-format dialogues. Focusing in on such details transfers over into the rest of your life and becomes habit. Funny people basically have trained their brains to pick up on detail and are more detail-oriented than the average person. It’s obvious how such detail orientation can come in handy when put to use while working.

3.         Comedy allows for bonding. When you meet someone who knows how to make you laugh, you immediately begin to feel as if that person understands you. You begin to feel that you share a similar sense of humor and therefore most likely have other things in common as well. When in a business meeting, cracking a quick joke or two will allow your audience to feel more comfortable.

4.        The funny guy is always invited. When creating a list of people you are going to invite to any event, I am sure the majority of the people you have on there are those who you find to be funny. Funny people tend to be the life of the party, and without them, events tend to be mediocre. Likewise, people like to hang out with funny people — those that can put a smile on their face. Funny people are more likely to be invited to dinners and events, as well as being more likely to be introduced to other people. In the business world, having a good sense of humor is a great networking tool. If you are funny and are able to entertain others, then you are more likely to meet the people you want to meet. Would you not prefer to introduce your friends to a colleague who is funny rather than a colleague who is boring?

5.         Humor increases productivity and group effectiveness. Humor creates a cheerful atmosphere — an atmosphere that is easier to work in. If small mistakes are lightly poked at instead of scolded for, then people will be less afraid of making them and will be more likely to think outside the box. Not to mention that the psychological effects themselves increase productivity. When we smile or laugh, our brains release dopamine, which in turn literally increases productivity and engagement. When a team of employees is happy they are happier to work as well.

6.         Facilitates trust. You are much more likely to trust someone who knows how to make you laugh than someone who you feel has an awkward sense of humor. Humor, in a way, reveals the authentic person within. A person’s sense of humor says a lot about who they are and if they share your sense of humor then you find that you are getting a good look at who they truly are as a person. Making others laugh will likely get them to trust you, which is very valuable. Of course, if you are a lying, scheming, untrustworthy person yourself, then you at least know to be on your guard the next time a colleague makes you spew out your coffee from laughter.

7.         Relieves stress. Dopamine is a magical, naturally occurring chemical in our brains. It makes us feel good and gets rid of our stress. Stress does an incredible amount of damage on our psyche and makes producing exceptional work near impossible. Being funny not only makes others laugh, but will make the person delivering the joke laugh too. Not to mention that it will boost your confidence. Being funny feels really good.

8.        Boosts morale of the team. Being successful in our day and age is no longer a solo mission — it requires a strong team. Being a leader means that you are responsible for your team and are responsible for making sure that their productivity and performance is at a maximum. Being funny as a leader will put your team at ease and allow them to feel more comfortable around you — their boss — and at the workplace in general. Cracking jokes during uncomfortable or unfortunate situations will make your team members remain calm and continue working to fix whatever issue arises.

9.         Boosts creativity. Being funny requires outside-the-box thinking. It gets you to look at things differently, from a different angle and under a different light. Humor puts your mind into a calmer mood, allowing you to better focus and be creative. Being funny requires much creativity in itself. Be funny regularly and that creativity is likely to spill over into other areas of your life.

10.      Funny people are more outgoing. Being funny gives you more confidence. It allows you to feel more certain about yourself and more certain about your social skills. If you know that you have the ability to make people laugh, then you are more likely to interact with people. Knowing that you can avoid awkwardness by making people smile will make you want to talk and interact with more people. Being outgoing is one of the most important characteristics of successful people. Feeling comfortable enough to approach people that you do not know is great for networking and for picking up clients or potential customers.

Ways to Improve Your Sense

Laughter is essential to make life worthy. Whatever may be the situation in your life, a heartfelt laughter can make life livable and healthier. The pleasure of laughter is beyond all rewards. Humour helps reduce the stress and strengthen the immune system helping an individual to overcome any pain with utmost ease. Humour also brings relationships to life. Without it most relationships become lifeless and meaningless. The following ways will help you improve your sense of humour in life.

 1: Get back your smile

 Always adore a good smile on your face. There are many things in this world that demand a smile. A toddler’s activities and talks, lush green surroundings with chirping birds, a task completed successfully at work or home, the news of a friend or loved one coming, watching a funny movie or humorous serial are just a few examples. A person who smiles often is more likely to feel less burdened with the pressures of work and life and hence revive his/her sense of humour. Absence of smile is considered as a state of depression or stress where a person misses many joys of life.

 2: Learn to laugh at yourself

When your start to laugh at your own situations, others begin to laugh with you too. Try to find humour in some of the most embarrassing moments you remember from the past and learn to tell them like stories with a funny side added. Self-deprecation will slowly become a way you create a light environment around you and open yourself to humourous aspects of your life. As you learn to see life in a different light positively and humourously, you shall learn to make humour in most situations.

 3: Try to laugh at annoying or frustrating situations

Certain situations annoy you or spoil your mood. A sudden fall amidst a crowd, a hole discovered in your favorite shirt that you are just about to wear for a party etc. are some situations where you are likely to get angry. It is expected about how you feel and thus very normal for you to act annoyed. But the fact is that nothing is achieved or nothing can be changed about what has been done. There is an easy yet funny way to get out of such situations.

4: Read Comics and joke books often

Cut out the jokes from joke books that make you laugh the most and put them on the notice board or on some place like your office table where they are on your horizon.

Frequently seeing those jokes and comics will help you feel relaxed. Even if you read more comics, it has a very positive influence on your humour and helps enhance the humourous outlook you keep towards situations in life.

 5: Listen to funny stories of friends and colleagues

When you meet friends or colleagues at workplace ask them to tell you some funny things of past week that happened to them. Listening to humourous true stories is far better than hearing to gossip and people will remember you as someone who has a penchant for humour.

6: Watch Comedy shows

Watch the late night popular comedy shows where hosts and comedians make everyone laugh with their well-timed and humourous talks. Their expressions and style must be noted to see and understand what is it that makes people laugh every time they mark a statement. It is way they put forth funny statements that makes them more interesting and you find them humourous. You can even use their one-liner jokes in your own talks and try to note how people react.

 7: Don’t go overboard with humour

Finding humour in awkward and offensive situations isn’t the right way to have fun. If you try to force humour into situations, it will only ruin your image as a person and people will try to stay away. Humour is spontaneous and unplanned and that is why it makes people laugh in the most

8: Share fun with family

Any time you sit with your family members for dinner or supper, make sure that you share your funny moments of the day with them. Sharing some light moments with family will reduce your stress levels and bring a cheerful and humourous person out of you who does not see embarrassment in things that go wrong in life but instead seeks fun and humour in it.

 9: Spend time with children

Children love fun and have the attitude of finding humour in small things. Spending time with children can give you the sense of seeking fun in strange situations, which you take very normally otherwise. A light-hearted approach is an alternate perspective that you can learn from children’s humour that can be refreshing and different from occasional jokes that are developed for adults.

 10: Laugh and make others laugh

As you learn to find fun in your own situations and see how it eliminates the undue pressure that you face everyday, most of your worries and stress fades away with a heart-felt laughter. Laughing may have to be practiced to begin with until it becomes a part of your personality. People who laugh often are counted as socially active and tend to succeed with their attitude and sense of humour. Your laugh will remove the toxins that you can never get rid of with any physical exercise or any diet.

Conclusions

1.         In today's personality stakes, nothing is more highly valued than a sense of humor. We seek it out in others and are proud to claim it in ourselves, perhaps even more than good looks or intelligence. If someone has a great sense of humor, we reason, it means that they are happy, socially confident and have a healthy perspective on life.

2.         Laughing has natural wonders on your body and mind, which cannot be neglected. Our mistakes become trivial when we shoo them away with a laugh.

3.         People who laugh often are more confident and have lesser insecurities and fears in life. You shall find yourself more competent and capable with a smile around the corners of your mouth.

4.         Sense of humour can be developed as easily as any other skill in life and bring a positive change in your life and relationship. We are confident that following this humour kind day- by- day makes you a more charismatic person with an enhanced sense of humour.

5       Don’t take life too seriously .You are not all that important for everyone around, so never take yourself so seriously. Making you the target for jokes and humor can be inevitably funny. Poking fun at your quirks and eccentric manners in a humble way and with a smile on the face can make you seem approachable and amusing. It is important to be able to laugh at yourself in a non-defensive way. Also, it is healthy to do so and can give you a very light and happy feelings