How a Sense of Humor Helps Us Deal with Criticism

By Derek Neighbors on December 8, 2022

There’s something about a sense of humor that gives us the capacity to be able to take an intense amount of criticism and pressure. We’ve lost the ability to have a sense of humor. A sense of humor is being able to perceive that are offensive or aren’t very palatable as a joke.

Things that are oddities, but have some ring of a truth to them tend to make for the best sources of humor. They require a level of observation by the teller and a level of self-loving by the person targeted to process. You don’t see big companies, or very rarely do you see big companies with a sense of humor. And the reason why is because a sense of humor is too dangerous. Because you might offend. You might step past someone’s comfort zone.

If your audience is all of America and you say something that is offensive to 20% of America. Then your likelihood of saying that goes down tremendously. What is the political correctness and the DEI elements that it are creeping into all forms of companies? What is that doing to the individuals within those companies? Being able to joke and have fun and create a way to have outlets or steam valves or release valves for the criticism it takes to be great.

This isn’t a call for people to be mean, nasty or oppressive. However, we are likely foolish if don’t figure out how leverage all aspects of humor in our development.

Further Reading

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Radical Candor

by Kim Scott

How to be a great leader by caring personally while challenging directly, using feedback as a tool for growth.

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Daring Greatly

by Brené Brown

How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead.

Cover of Born Standing Up

Born Standing Up

by Steve Martin

A memoir of Steve Martin's stand-up comedy career, exploring how humor served as both shield and sword.

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Thanks for the Feedback

by Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen

The science and art of receiving feedback well, even when it's off-base, unfair, or poorly delivered.

Cover of Man's Search for Meaning

Man's Search for Meaning

by Viktor E. Frankl

Frankl's memoir of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival, showing how humor preserved human...