It's Not OK To Make Fun Of Yourself — How To Be Funny In A Healthier Way (And Stop Using Self-Deprecating Jokes Or Bullying Humor)
It's time to change how you get your laughs.
Jamie Brown on Unsplash Have you ever heard a “knock-knock” joke? Or how about why the chicken crossed the road? Of course you have. These are two of the most basic jokes that everyone knows. But beyond these common cracks at humor is an entire foray of punch lines and funny bits that make people laugh.
Whether it be accidentally tripping over something or intentionally quoting a funny line from a movie, we all have this great thing within us that we want to use: humor.
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Trying to make people laugh is something that, at the very least, goes as far back as Shakespeare. Over the years there’ve been a plethora of comedy movies and TV shows, videos on YouTube and of course the everyday comedian. Humor has always prevailed, because let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a good laugh?
Modern day humor has admittedly gotten a little weird, though. There’re still your typical shows and movies, but there are also memes, and if you’re a self-proclaimed “meme queen” you know exactly just how bizarre some memes can get. But memes aren’t really the focus here.
What is the focus is really more about is the content that these memes and individuals provide.
A lot of the funny memes and humorous quotes seen on the Internet are self-depreciating. And to be honest, it works. People laugh, so what’s wrong with it? Well, a lot.
The problem isn’t that people find it funny, but it’s the material you’re using. The biggest issue of all is when you tell a joke like that, people don’t really think much of it.
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For example, if you’re having mental health issues and you joke around with your friends about it, they’ll just think that you might have a little something that you're handling — but it’s not serious. The real case could be, though, that even though you're joking about it, your mental health is not in a good place. What you're going through could actually be very serious and your jokes could be very real.
I know how easy it is to make fun of yourself, but it’s just going to make things worse for you the more you make light of it.
Instead, start taking a healthier approach to humor — one that doesn’t involve putting yourself (or others) down.
It starts with something simple, but also difficult. If your humor is coming from a place of mental health issues, you’re going to need to get that sorted out. Even if you don’t like talking to a therapist or counselor, at least talk with your friends, family, or someone else you trust. Make it clear that there is, in fact, something bothering you.
Then, once you have things cleared up at least a little mentally, it’ll help you to start using humor in a way that’s not so hurtful for yourself. You won’t find the need to hide behind jokes about your problems anymore, because they’ll be a lot smaller than before.
Being able to get a good laugh starts with getting yourself better.
Humor is something that’s natural for all people, believe it or not. Some are obviously better at it than others, but we all have the ability to joke. The kinds of jokes we tell change with who we are as a person.
If our mindset is that were broken people, we’ll laugh about how sad we are. But, if we change that mindset and start fixing ourselves, our sense of humor will change with us. When it comes to healthier humor, it’s all a matter of mental perspective.
Jesse Oakley is a write who writes about love, relationships and self-care.