You Can Be Funny and Make People Laugh

Suggested on Reddit along with The Conversation Code, also by Peart. A book about small talk, useful for light conversations. And I have to say, excellent. An underrated gem. It unlocked a few simple tricks for me on how to keep a conversation going, with plenty of examples. Some parts were a bit repetitive, with similar tips, but overall a very solid book, a 4.5.

Notes

• Smile more!
• Don’t be Literal Larry: stating the obvious is not funny, tap into your inner child. E.g., “How’s it going?” “Good.” Boring. Exaggerate, extend, play along. Give the other person something to use.
• Laugh at yourself first. Be aware of your flaws and joke about them; it’s the first step to being confident.
• Nonverbal gestures often make the difference between funny and meh.
• Don’t be an energy vampire. Do your gestures give energy? Are you stiff or do you move your hands?
• Details. Adding details to what you describe makes it much more interesting. Incorporate visual cues, colors, sounds, specifics.
• Use metaphors to enrich the narrative. Keep a few stock ones on hand.
• Exaggerate with humor; it rarely hurts. Exaggerations get laughs.
• React to the world like a YouTuber.
• Everyone has opinions; make sure yours are not boring. Don’t be afraid to offer controversial takes, even playfully.
• Use labels. E.g., “I dress like an alternative type.” People like to sum up complex ideas in a word.
• “This looks like…” compare things in your stories.
• Hypothesize. You can create endless funny beats by imagining something absurd happening in this situation.
• This is especially strong when you place your hypotheticals in mundane, relatable situations.
• Talk about the “almost”: “it could have been something big” is funny, and lets you work in a hypothetical.
• Same goes for hypothetical solutions, the more absurd the better.
• Lead with a hook: a line that grabs attention right away.
• A key part of a story is contrast: for example, a calm setting where someone is doing something wild. There should always be contrast in the story.
• Use contrasts to disagree and bring a different point of view so you are not predictable.
• An easy way to create contrast is to exaggerate your reaction to something. A very safe strategy. Remember YouTubers.
• Another kind of humor is observational. You can comment on something by asking why it is that way and spinning a funny theory. Sweat the small stuff.
• Sarcasm can help, in small doses, for lighter topics.
• Add hypotheticals everywhere, even to your opinions (he repeats this often, spinning dozens of exaggerated mini-stories).
• Reveal your “secrets” (e.g., a hidden quirk) and joke about it; it does not even have to be true.
• Be a partner. If someone gives you an assist, return it; it is a two-person game. Do not block the conversation with flat answers.
• Use the meta. Meta jokes are particularly effective.
• Pop culture: always useful for easy, effective humor.
• Label + reference: a very effective combo.
• Ask questions about things that will never happen, and riff on them.
• If your story is only 10 seconds, add more. The key is to be enthusiastic about your story.
• Structure: paint the scene, normalize, contrast, reaction, conclusion.
• Drop a side comment (like this).
• And have fun. You are in a group, kick things off and then keep the dialogue going.