“What’s Funny?”

My nephew is almost two years old, and I gotta tell ya’, this is one cute kid. A little while ago, my mom developed a little game with him that we can all learn from.

The game is real simple: My mom says, “Jay, what’s funny?” and Jay starts laughing.

That’s it. Doesn’t take much when you’re not even two.

It doesn’t matter what the kid is doing. He can just be sitting there, or staring intently at a Cheerio he is trying to eat, or trying to get his hands on something he should not be touching. When my mom asks, “Jay, what’s funny?” he smiles and laughs.

Now that is a lesson all of us grown ups can learn from. There’s no joke, no funny content, no witty observation. Just ask him what’s funny, and his mind provides the answer.

I dare you to spend a day just asking adults (who aren’t already laughing) this question. You will most likely get two responses:

1) Self Conscious Confusion

“Huh? Why? Do I look funny? Is there something in my teeth? Why do you ask? was I laughing? What’s wrong with me?!?” (Note: If you want to continue to mess with them, don’t say anything back; just shrug your shoulders and walk away. They will be self-conscious all day…)

2) Anger
“What? Nothing’s funny. What’s wrong with you? Why do you think I am thinking of something funny? These times are too serious for that!” (You can have some fun here too if you just shrug and walk away, but just be careful that the person is not so angry that they throw a stapler at the back of your head)

It’s sad really. We all know that funny external stuff will make us laugh. But why rely on that stuff alone? Why not make up your own “funny” as you go along?

It’s possible that Jay had just conditioned himself to laugh when he heard “what’s funny?” and that his mind wasn’t really supplying him with answers. But here’s a little “insider secret”: Comedians, people who are quick witted and naturally funny, ask themselves this question all the time. They may not even know it consciously, but they process everything that happens to and around them by asking “what’s funny about this?”

The Lesson: Carry your own humor around with you. Frequently ask yourself “what’s funny?” Even when things are going wrong – heck especially when things are going wrong – ask it. Pretty soon you’ll be cracking yourself up – and feeling much better for doing it!

About

By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+

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