Comedy Quote by Jonathan Berent
““ Humor Humor is a great social lubricator—it can make interacting go more smoothly. If you are good at telling jokes, try a few. Telling jokes is risky, however; do not tell ethnic, racist, or off-color jokes. And as always, pay careful attention to interactive chemistry. One high school student who attended my program reported that, although he tried to become part of a popular social group at his new school, playing on the football team and joining several clubs, he was not invited to socialize with the other kids off the field. He had become known for telling joke after joke, in vain hopes of being accepted. When we examined things more carefully, it became clear that his style of telling jokes—sometimes irrelevant, sometimes just plain corny—was not appealing to the peer group he was associating with. Quite simply, the chemistry was off. If you wish to inject humor and levity into an interaction, it’s better to tell funny stories. If the funny stories are about yourself, great: People enjoy mildly self-deprecating humor. You can also find amusing true stories in the newspaper.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Comedy Workshop, 2022
Humor can ease social interaction, but jokes must be appropriate and match the audience's chemistry.
In simple terms: Funny stories help connect better than risky jokes.
Tell self‑deprecating stories, avoid offensive jokes.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- team building
- first‑date
- public speaking
- networking
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- When does humor become a barrier?
- How to read audience cues?
Humor that mismatches the group can backfire.