Guidelines for Helpful Humor in Life and Business

Among the essential qualities, the successful entrepreneur must have a sense of humor. It’s what helps keep you sane. Finding humor along life’s roller coaster ride will make the path much more fun and entertaining.

The ability to use gentle, warm humor to diffuse a situation is a skill worth developing. You don’t have to be a Seinfeld to use humor. I often find the best way to use humor is to make myself the butt of the joke. This way, others generally aren’t offended when I’m the punch line. Also, since I do so many ridiculous things, I’m never at a loss for material.

One form of “humor” I avoid and don’t find funny is humor grounded in racism, sexism, bias or hatred. Jokes like this are distasteful. They not only say something about the person saying the joke, but also about those who feel comfortable to freely laugh in response. Although I’ve said or came close to saying things in innocence that could easily be interpreted as out of line, I constantly try not to let my tongue outpace my brain. Sadly, I’m not always successful.

The gentle use of warm humor helps disarm people. When encountering a tense situation, humor and a smile go a long way. I have found that you can say very strongly worded messages with a warm smile and, although the person understands the words, they don’t feel attacked.

You’ll find these tips equally useful at the coffee shop when striking up a conversation, and in a business meeting to ease an uncomfortable conversation.

What are your favorite ways to lighten a situation with humor?

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