7 Ways to Laugh (and Not Blow Your Top) When Confronted With Idiocy

The key to unleashing your brilliance is to not allow other people’s idiocy to get in your way. If you get easily angered when people to stupid things, then you will constantly be setting yourself back. Here are 7 simple ways you can laugh instead of getting angry the next time you are confronted with idiocy:

1) Ask Yourself, “What’s Funny About This?”

This is my primary technique for getting people to learn to look at the lighter side of things. Condition yourself to ask, “what’s funny about this?” or, “what is good about this?” and when idiocy rears its ugly head, your mind will automatically go to fun, not anger. It takes a little practice, but it’s incredibly powerful.

2) Make Up a Wild and Crazy Story to Explain the Idiocy

Sometimes people do things that defy explanation. A great deal of our frustration comes from wondering just what in the heck these other people were thinking. As a result, we make up stories that make us even more mad.

For example, you see a driver weaving in and out of traffic like a madman. You think to yourself, “what a jerk! Where does he have to get to in such a hurry?” Then you notice he is driving a BMW. “Oh, I get it. Mr. BMW just thinks he is so much more important than everyone else. He’s probably late for his 9AM tee-time at the golf club. What a jerk!” Now you are angry at the situation, at him, and at all BMW drivers everywhere.

(Side note: Not all BMW drivers are jerks. They’re not. I swear! And I’m not saying that just because I am one…)

The story you’re creating just makes you angrier. So make up a different story. What if you thought, “Wow, that guy is driving like a madman! I wonder if he is a secret agent racing to diffuse a bomb. With a pregnant woman who’s in labor in his back seat!” Then you notice it’s a BMW. “oh, maybe it’s the Motivational Smart Ass, Avish Parashar! He drives a Beemer…”

The story you tell won’t change the situation at all. But if you have fun making up the story, you will find it harder to get angry.

3) Write it Down

Sometimes we just need to get stuff out of our heads. The simple act of writing it down, on paper or electronically, releases it from our minds and allows us to let go. As a bonus, you can revisit your writings and start a blog where you post all the idiotic things you encounter for all the world to see.

Not that I would know anything about that.

4) Breathe

The simplest, fastest way to head off an anger explosion is to breathe deep. This advice has been around so long it seems like a worn out cliche. But it has been around for son long for one reason: it works! The next time you are about to lose control, take a few deep breathes, pause, and let it go. Yes, sometimes it really is that simple.

5) Change Your Language, Version 1: Soft

The words we use can have a tremendous impact on how we feel about something. “I’m pissed,” creates a different feeling than, “I’m perturbed.” By simple choosing to swap out strong words for soft ones, you can control your emotions before you pop your top.

Try it. the next time someone does something idiotic and you find yourself saying, “I am so !@#$ing pissed off!,” say, “I’m peeved.” Instead of, “G%$ D%$n!,” try, “Oh bother.” Replace, “This sucks!,” with “This is unfortunate.” (I actually use this last one a lot). This technique may seem ridiculous, but it works.

6) Change Your Language, Version 2: Funny

On the other hand, rather than softening your words, you can use expressions that make you laugh. I use certain insulting words that I have heard standup comedians use in routines that i find hilarious. So when I need to express anger, I use one of their terms and I find myself laughing instead of getting angry. (No, I can’t tell you what some of those words are, because they are far too offensive. Even for a blog titled, “Motivational Smart Ass”)

For a tamer example, when someone does something I find stupid I will often refer to them as “Dumas Aswipe.” This is a double reference to The Shawshank Redemption, where a character pronounced Alexendar Dumas’s last name as, “Dumbass,” and a Saturday Night Live Sketch where Nicholas Cage obsessed over what to name his child because his last name, “Aswipe,” pronounced, “Ah-sweep-ay,” was always mispronounced as “ass-wipe.” Rather than saying “dumbass asswipe,” I simply say, “Dumas Aswipe.” You may not think it’s very funny, but it makes me laugh, and it’s hard for my anger to take hold when I say that.

(Note: I don’t use these terms out loud where the other person can hear me, because that would just make the situation worse. These are terms I use to express my anger to myself or to my friends who get the reference.)

Pick a funny insult and when you find yourself unable to not express your feelings, try swapping in the goofy term and see what happens.

7) Switch Your Focus to Something Fun

You know what’s worse than anger? festering anger. Someone does something stupid to you, and that incident lasts for 47 seconds. You then proceed to let the anger you feel fester for hours, days, weeks, or even months. At this point, you now become the “Dumas Aswipe” for letting a small incident so dramatically impact your life.

A good way to move on, whether in the short or long term, is to simply shift your focus. Do something you find fun. in the car? Throw on some music that makes you happy (May I suggest some Great Motivational Rush Songs?). At home? Watch a comedy that makes you laugh. Out with friends? Switch topics of conversation to something fun.

Whatever you do, don’t fester. Nothing good ever comes of it.

Take these seven ideas out for a spin. The less time and energy you waste on being angry, the more time and energy you can spend on pursuing your dreams, making the most of your relationships, and simply enjoying life!