Yes You Do
A lot of people I know tell me they suck at making jokes. Everytime I hear them say that, I’ll laugh right in their face and tell them “Dude, that’s a good one!”. It’s easy to understand why I did that right? No, it’s not that I want to avoid hurting their feelings or make them feel better.

It’s because they just made a totally awesome joke!

I’m not trying to impose anything on anyone, really. It’s just that I believe that every single person that knows how to speak is blessed with a sense of humour. If it’s one feature that God didn’t leave out from our schematics, is the ability to appreciate funny things and show our appreciation by laughing. Everyone is capable of laughing, and this is a well-known fact.

However, a lesser known fact is that everyone can also make others laugh. By this, I mean every single person that walks this earth. Yes, even you.

Humour is Self-Esteem
It’s not hard to make people laugh. You just tell them something funny, and they will laugh. It really is that simple. Unfortunately, you might just be too afraid to do so. Why?

You’re afraid that your joke is not funny.
You’re afraid that no one will laugh at your joke.
You’re afraid that they will laugh at you instead of with you.
You’re afraid that your joke would offend them.
You’re afraid that you might get in the wrong places after telling your joke.

You’re afraid that you’ll regret telling that joke.

Ultimately, you just end up keeping that joke to yourself and before you know it, the joke goes away and good laughter just went to waste.

I believe that having a sense of humour shows that you’ve got a good self-esteem. The reason is very simple; if you’re going to make people laugh, you have to make them think you’re funny. To do so, first, you have to believe that you yourself are funny. It’s so easy, many of us do it unconciously. Yet, there are also many who shy away from themselves, yes, unconciously.

The key to having a sense of humour is first to have confidence in yourself and in your abilities. Convince yourself that you’re capable of coaxing laughter. Poke fun at things, joke with it and say something funny.

Humour is Comfort
It’s sucks to be under pressure. As a student, I should know. To work under pressure is not a good thing. Oh no, not at all. It’s hard to process trains after trains of thought while under pressure. You just keep thinking “There’s not enough time! There’s so much to do! So many things incomplete! Why are these things so difficult!?” and concentration gets harder and harder to maintain.

The slightest disturbance, say, a door creak, or a phone ring.. anything will set you off into a blazing frenzy lashing out at the closest living objext near you. You’ll become so scary even Dracula would think twice before coming any closer.

All because you’re working under stress. The point is plain and simple; Stress is bad. Humour is good.

I can’t bring out any statistical research number or that sort of crap, but I can say this much from experience. Humour calms you down. It helps to you to stay cool. It re-establishes your self-confidence. One friend I know said something like this [conversation between him and another friend];

P: I studied until I’m really sinked in the mood.
P: You don’t ask people to tfk halfway and then just stop there, rite?
S: Are you studying or tfk-ing?
P: its the same

[read more here]

To be able to say that studying is the same as tfk-ing, man… that’s a shitload of self-esteem right there. And you know what? That crazy bastard is a 4.0 guy, I kid you not. Most of the time people laugh at him rather than laugh with him, but he just laughs with them all the same. That’s because he respects himself enough to laugh and in that way he managed to get people to respect him, and laugh with him too [in certain ways, that is, heheh].

Humour Makes You Happy
There really is nothing that feels greater than a sincere hearty laughter [okay, which is easier to achieve, a good laugh or a multiple orgasm? Now shut up before I smack you silly].

Great big laughs are awesome.
Laughter that gives you a six-pack.
Laughter that makes your cheek ache.
Laughter that makes your face go red.
Laughter that reminds you that you’re alive.

You can only laugh if you appreciate the funny things. You can only appreciate the funny things if you have a sense of humour. And you will have a sense of humour only if you allow yourself to.

Humour is Easy
It’s easy to be funny. Just think of yourself as funny, even if you’re not. Tell jokes, even if they’re not yours. Make faces, mimic voices. Even if it fails terribly, that just makes it all the more funnier. All you really need is the ability to smile and laugh happily at the person you see in the mirror.

I can’t possibly teach you how to be funny, because I myself don’t know how to. All I know, is that I can make myself laugh and I allow people to laugh at me, and before I knew it, they were all laughing with me. And they have continued to do so ever since.

So, the next time you hear a good joke, do share. I’m running out of good jokes to tell when I go out and get to meet chicks :D