A sense of humor is one of the most positive and generally appreciated psychological characteristics. In the end, those who have a highly developed sense of humor are able to find reasons to laugh in almost any context, simply because of the ease with which they see that comic side of life. And fortunately, it is something that can be acquired throughout one’s life.

In this article we will focus on the topic of how to develop a sense of humor and apply it to our way of seeing life .

How to develop a sense of humor?

The ease with which we come to develop a sense of humor depends in part on the context in which we grow up. If we are surrounded by extreme poverty and other forms of misery, it is more difficult, though not impossible or rare.

Knowing this is important because otherwise we can blame ourselves for not constantly smiling at the events we are observing. Our mental processes do not depend only on ourselves, but are linked to the stimuli we are receiving.

Having said that, let’s look at a series of tips for developing a sense of humor by applying small changes to our habits and our philosophy of life .

1. Get used to taking a distance perspective

It may sound paradoxical, but to enhance one’s sense of humor, a previous step is necessary in which we distance ourselves from ourselves, adopt a neutral (or relatively neutral) perspective, and observe what is happening around us as if all this were not part of the reality in which one lives.

What’s the point of that? Well, that knowing how to find the right mood in the most varied situations is partly knowing how to break reality down into parts in order to be able to draw connections between ideas in a way that breaks the pattern.

If we omit this analytical vision of reality, it is more difficult to lose the fear of not blindly following social conventions and making the odd act or comment that leads to exposing oneself to a risk of appearing eccentric. Which leads us to the following advice.

2. Learn not to be afraid of what people will say

Anyone with a good sense of humor takes the risk of not being funny and looking like a weird person or saying meaningless things. It is inevitable, for example, to meet people who will not understand a reference needed to understand an improvised joke . To achieve this, it is not bad to work on maintaining good self-esteem and correct social skills.

Having a sense of humor and keeping it to yourself is good, but it’s better, and it develops faster, if it leads us to relate to others in a different way, by acting out.

3. Learn to laugh at yourself

This is possibly the most important rule for promoting a sense of humor. Knowing how to joke about yourself is fundamental, because it shows commitment and consistency with a philosophy of life based on the idea that practically nothing is solemn enough not to laugh about it in certain circumstances.

4. Culture yourself

This is an aspect that many people overlook, but the quality of our sense of humor can be greatly enhanced if we get used to reading and learning about different areas. Why? Because this makes it much easier to create funny and interesting connections between seemingly far-flung concepts .

It should be remembered that one of the pillars of humour consists of breaking expectations, going beyond what is considered normal and coming back having created associations that would not be expected at first but that we can understand instantly. That is why culture allows us to navigate in a sea of knowledge in which if we know enough it is possible to create funny jokes and comments from the most varied ideas.

5. Don’t learn jokes

This is the seemingly easy path that some people choose in the belief that it will allow them to access a sense of humor through memorization. But there is no sense of humour that is based on memorising things: by definition, this quality is based on spontaneity and on the way we react to our context in real time.

It is clear that learning a few jokes does not hurt anyone and can be useful to have a few laughs, but it is advisable not to confuse this with a sense of humor, although the latter element will probably influence our ability to tell one.

On the other hand, linking the sense of humor to jokes can lead us to the exact opposite, to encourage a way of understanding the funny based on the “technical” application of jokes, something that remains very rigid and can even become boring for everyone.

6. Learn to differentiate when it is appropriate to use it and when it is not

There are situations in which joking is out of place . Not because the situation itself doesn’t have a funny component for us (if it didn’t, we wouldn’t have thought of any funny comments in the first place), but basically so as not to hurt other people who are having a hard time or for whom it is important that the moment is solemn. We should respect their will and let them have those spaces free of comments that would be inappropriate for them.