What Kind of Funny Are You?

Read to the end to take my Humor Persona Quiz.

A few years ago, my brother David and I were co-presenting on the importance of humor in leadership at an event in Morocco. 

After our presentation, a woman approached us and commented on how different our humor styles were. She told David, "You have such a warm, conversational style of humor," and then turned to me and said, "And yours is more... cold." Ouch. But I knew what she meant. David's humor is off-the-cuff and performance-based, while mine is more calculated, crafted through writing and workshopping jokes.

This interaction in Morocco sparked a realization: just as our family’s diverse personalities shaped distinct humor styles, individual quirks and characters in a workplace create a wide range of humor, a mosaic of mirth, if you will.

Understanding and harnessing this diversity can transform not just our work environments but our effectiveness and enjoyment in our roles (and lives!).

Why Humor Matters

You already know that humor isn’t just about cracking jokes; it’s a tool that enhances communication, cements relationships, and defuses tense situations. As a member of a community dedicated to exploring these very topics (aka this newsletter), you're well aware of how important humor can be at work and in your day to day life. 

But recognizing and refining your unique style of humor is where the real magic begins.

What Does It Take to Effectively Use Humor?

What do you think it takes to effectively use humor? I’m curious to hear your thoughts—feel free to share in the comments.

Based on the responses we’ve heard in the hundreds of workshops we’ve led, you might mention aspects like delivery, timing, reading the room, or knowing your audience. These are fundamental components of your humor skillset.

Notice that these skills aren't inherited; they don't depend on your height, your eye color, or whether someone has called you “funny looking.” Rather, these are skills you can learn and refine through practice.

Not every attempt at humor will land a big laugh, and that’s okay—it's part of the learning process AND it’s not always the goal. While you might not reach the comedic heights of a Richard Pryor or Ali Wong, anyone can learn to be funny–er. Okay, maybe you won’t become a stand-up comedian like Richard or Ali, but you can get better regardless of your current skill.

This leads us to a more pertinent question, instead of asking yourself “Am I funny?...” what you really should be asking is:

What kind of funny am I? Or what kind of funny do I want to be?

This question isn't just about identifying with a specific type of humor; it's about recognizing and nurturing the type that best suits your personality and goals.

And that brings us to the various humor personas we can explore.

Unveiling the 7 Humor Personas

For the past 4 years I’ve been studying, researching, developing, and talking about the Humor Personas. Understanding the different ways we can express humor helps in refining our personal style. 

Here are the seven humor personas, each with unique qualities that might resonate with your natural inclinations or inspire you to experiment with new ways to bring levity to your life and work:

1. The Enthusiast: Finds humor in the simplicity and absurdity of everyday life. They remind us of the joy that can be found in small, everyday moments.

2. The Curator: Collects and shares humorous content that resonates, building connections through shared laughter.

3. The Inventor: Crafts original humor from personal experiences, turning everyday observations into comedic gold.

4. The Entertainer: Uses charm and delivery to captivate audiences, ensuring that their performance enhances the humor's impact.

5. The Engineer: Strategically uses humor to solve problems and improve the atmosphere, employing wit as a tool to lighten tense situations or enhance communication.

6. The Advocate: Encourages the use of humor to promote a positive environment, inspiring others to find their own funny sides.

7. The Skeptic: Critically evaluates the use of humor, ensuring it is appropriate and effective within the given context.

Can you intuitively tell which humor persona you are? Identifying your primary humor persona is like selecting your avatar in a game of workplace wit—a choice that can shape your interactions and even define your day.

As you read through the various humor personas, you might have seen a bit of yourself in each one. Perhaps you nodded along thinking, “That’s so me!” or maybe you hesitated with a “No way, that’s not my style at all.”

It’s common to embody different personas in different situations: you might be the Curator among friends, sharing the latest meme that made you chuckle; an Entertainer at home, delighting your kids with impromptu puppet shows; or even a Skeptic in meetings, raising an eyebrow at attempts to lighten the mood.

Most people fall comfortably in one humor persona because that is what comes naturally to them. Remember, however, these personas are not humor personality types, or fixed labels but flexible roles that adapt to the context and company, or even how caffeinated you feel.

The first step to harnessing your humor potential is pinpointing which persona feels most 'you.' At the end of this post, I’ll provide a link to my free Humor Persona Quiz that can help confirm (or deny) your hunch.

When someone is able to master all 7 humor personas, we call them a Whole Humorist. They are great at:

• Mastering the art of finding joy in the every day as an Enthusiast.

• Curating and sharing humor that resonates as a Curator.

• Inventing original, witty content as an Inventor.

• Captivating an audience with charm as an Entertainer.

• Applying humor strategically to solve problems as an Engineer.

• Promoting positive and responsible humor as an Advocate.

• Critically evaluating humor for its impact as a Skeptic.

Remember, humor is a skill which means it can be learned.

Imagine the results you’ll attain and how confident you’ll feel when you’re able to seamlessly move from one persona to the other. You could even tap into all of them in a single meeting.

The meeting starts, and you advocate for a member of your team to share a cool project they’ve been working on. They start to present and you become an enthusiast to support them by listening and nodding along. Later, when it’s your turn to speak, you take on the entertainer, delivering the content you created as the inventor all with the purpose you had in mind as the engineer. After the meeting you follow-up as a curator, sharing key highlights from the meeting and possibly including an image, quote, or meme that summarizes what needs to happen.

That’s the skill of humor at work.

You can even use it as a litmus test for your work culture. That doesn’t mean every meeting has to be hysterical, but if people never laugh or smile at work, they aren’t fully engaged and they most likely don’t feel psychologically safe. 

Remember, the ultimate goal isn't just to be funny—it's to use humor as a tool to enhance connectivity, creativity, and joy in your life and the lives of those around you.

Ready to Dive Deeper?

The truth is, you’ve just scratched the surface of understanding the seven humor personas. Each persona is rich with layers and nuances that can transform not just how you laugh but how you think, work, and connect with others. 

For example, are you intrigued by the creative process behind humor? The Inventor is a master at crafting curiosity into comedy—perfect for those who love to dissect jokes and understand what makes them tick.

Interested in how humor can solve real-world problems? The Engineer explores strategic uses of humor in overcoming challenges, ideal for those looking to boost productivity and engagement through levity.

For each persona, I’ve created a treasure trove of content—from detailed case studies and anecdotal evidence to targeted exercises that can help you refine your humor skills in specific areas.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, go ahead and take the free Humor Persona Quiz here and uncover your dominant humor style. I recommend that you embrace this opportunity to not only identify which persona resonates most with you but also discover how you can improve your other humor personas.

What if the secret was, indeed, so simple, so… human?

It’s almost as if we had this built-in system to help ourselves relieve stress, increase our self-confidence and forge stronger connections. Who knew??? Well… me, and now you.

I’m curious to know what your Humor Persona is and if you think it fits, let me know in the comments.