How to Be Funny (Even if You're Not)

Aug 26

4 min read

I have good news: you can learn to be funny.

Or, at the very least, you can learn to be funnier than you are right now.

Whenever I talk about humor, there are always a few people who tell me, “This all sounds great, Paul, but I’m just not that funny.”

And maybe you’re right. I don’t know you.

But what I do know is that being funny isn’t some magical personality trait bestowed upon a lucky group of class clowns at birth.

You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room. You don’t need a naturally hilarious personality. You don’t even need prior experience as a regular clown or rodeo clown.

Because here’s something people often misunderstand about comedians: we don’t automatically see something and immediately know the funniest thing to say about it.

Usually, we notice something interesting, frustrating, awkward, uncomfortable, or weird—and then we work on it.

There’s a process.

And in this episode of Laugh or Death, I’m teaching you three of the comedy techniques I use to turn ordinary observations into something funny.

1. Comparison: Ask, “What Is This Like?”

One of the easiest ways to find humor in something is to compare it to something completely different.

For example, I wanted to write a joke about couples therapy.

One thing I noticed was that there always seems to be one person who is much further along in their therapy journey than the other. They know all the terminology. They understand what the therapist is talking about.

Meanwhile, the other person is sitting there thinking, What language are you people speaking?

That led me to a comparison:

Couples therapy can feel like traveling to another country with someone who speaks the language when you don’t.

Once I had that comparison, I could start playing with it. What does an American who doesn't speak the language do? Speak louder. Speak slower. Start throwing random Spanish words into sentences.

Suddenly, I had somewhere to take the joke.

And you can do the same thing with ordinary frustrations.

Something goes wrong at work? Ask yourself:

What is this like?

The comparison doesn't have to make perfect sense. In fact, finding an unexpected connection between two seemingly unrelated things is often where the humor lives.

2. Exaggeration: Take It Somewhere Ridiculous

The second tool is exaggeration.

Take whatever is happening and push it to the most ridiculous possible extreme.

And this one isn't only useful if you're trying to write a stand-up joke. I've found that exaggeration can actually help take the edge off stressful situations.

Imagine your car breaks down.

You've been waiting for a tow truck for an hour. You're annoyed. You're getting increasingly stressed, and you text your family:

Car broke down. Been waiting for a tow for an hour. I'll be home as soon as I can.

Fine.

But what happens if you deliberately catastrophize it until it becomes ridiculous?

ell the kids I love them. Wish them luck in college. Send me pictures when they produce grandchildren.

Now you've taken the situation so far beyond reality that it becomes absurd.

And weirdly, that can give you perspective.

You're reminded that yes, this is annoying—but you're probably not going to miss the birth of your grandchildren because AAA is running behind.

Sometimes making a situation more ridiculous actually makes it feel less overwhelming.

3. The Comic Triple: One, Two… Kangaroo

The third tool is one comedians use constantly: the comic triple.

Our brains like patterns, and we especially like things in threes.

The comic triple uses that expectation against us.

Give people two things they expect—and make the third thing surprising.

One. Two. Kangaroo.

You weren't expecting kangaroo.

That's basically the mechanism.

I even use this in my professional bio:

Paul's work has been highlighted in The New York Times, on the Today Show, and on his mom's refrigerator.

The first two establish the pattern. The third breaks it.

And because the funny part comes at the end, you can stop talking and let people laugh.

That's another surprisingly important comedy lesson: don't step on your own laugh.

If the funniest word in a sentence comes halfway through it, people start laughing while you're still talking.

Whenever possible, move the funniest or most surprising part to the end.

A briefer joke is usually a better joke anyway.

Stop Trying to “Be Funny”

Here's the bigger point.

When I write something funny, I don't sit down and think:

How can I be hilarious today?

I notice something.

Maybe it's frustrating. Maybe it's awkward. Maybe it's a little weird.

And then I play with it.

What could I compare this to?

What happens if I exaggerate it to an absolutely ridiculous extreme?

Can I create a pattern and then break it with a comic triple?

That's how a normal observation starts becoming comedy.

So the next time you catch yourself thinking, I'm just not funny, try something different.

Don't try to magically become a funny person.

Start practicing how funny people look at things.

Because you don't have to be born funny.

Maybe you just have to start looking at life like a comedian.

Links:

FREE GIFT! Download the Fun Over Funny Guide For Leaders! https://www.paulosincup.com/freegift

If you enjoyed this episode and want to build your own humor habit, make sure to follow the podcast and share it with someone who could use a little more levity in their life.

To learn more about Paul’s work, book him for speaking engagements, or explore the science behind humor and resilience, visit: 👉 https://www.paulosincup.com You can also dive deeper into the tools discussed in this episode in Paul’s book: 👉 The Humor Habit

All Links For Paul: https://stan.store/PaulOsincup

Episode Minute-By-Minute: