At work, humor creates joy and the pleasure of being together.
23 October 2013
Read by 2027 persons
According to the French dictionary, humor is a form of wit that highlights, with irony and detachment, the pleasant, funny, and unusual aspects of reality. Is this form of wit innate, or is it possible to acquire it? One thing is certain: people with a good sense of humor are pleasant to be around because they make people laugh, relax, and create a good atmosphere.
If this is true in a private circle, it is even more so in the strict confines of a company.How is humor so important at work?Without trying to imitate a professional comedian, what can a person do at work to be truly funnier? And the "truly" here has all its meaning.
Because between really off-color jokes that offend some ears – most often those of women – and jokes so subtle that they are difficult to understand, there is room for a sly, sarcastic, and ironic wit that takes malicious pleasure in "laughing at" others. When "laughing at the other" replaces "laughing with the other," humor becomes more malevolent than criticism and replaces "laughing at oneself."
"Laughing with the other" and not "laughing at the other"
Is it really appropriate to make people laugh at work? Doesn't the quality of work require a serious, focused mind, concentrated on the tasks? How can you work properly in an atmosphere that is too relaxed? Of course, the world of work is not the world of jokers, and clowns don't last long if they are not able to "produce." But why should one "take oneself seriously" to "work seriously"?
This confusion would be doubly sad, for oneself and especially for others. Let's not confuse someone who takes themselves seriously with someone who only appears to. The former is unbearable, while the latter often benefits from being known. Faced with these two profiles, true humor is an excellent tool: it prevents one from being intimidated by the first and allows one to quickly discover the second.
The benefits of benevolent humor
But humor doesn't seem to be given to everyone. Someone gifted with this talent easily makes those with a sense of humor laugh, while those who are not funny are only slightly affected. They possess a particular form of intelligence, linguistic intelligence, which gives them a quick wit, allows them to play with words, and tell stories. They look at reality in a décalé way and take contagious pleasure in translating and sketching their vision in front of others.
At work, there is humor that embarrasses and humor that relaxes, humor that divides and humor that unites, humor that breaks and humor that heals. Beneficial humor is benevolent: it doesn't put someone down, but rather offers them a real opportunity to breathe. Laughter is an excellent exercise for health, all the more precious when the situation is delicate and people are tense.
Laughter helps to alleviate stress
It helps to alleviate stress, relaxes the tension, opens the shutters of self-withdrawal, and extinguishes the fuse of a lit firecracker. It makes the passing time a good time, sometimes unforgettable, transforming tears of sadness into laughter and overworking the jaw muscles until they cramp.
It removes the heaviness from the atmosphere, short-circuits the electric atmosphere, and de-dramatizes the anxiety-provoking situation. It restores energy to someone who has suffered a setback and relativizes the guilty party's mistake. Above all, humor generates joy, allows escape not from reality but from rationality, increasing the pleasure of being together. As for the practice of self-deprecation, it facilitates the acceptance of one's own limits and imperfections.
The funny person at work is rare, therefore precious. They don't need to take themselves seriously to be taken seriously, because their mastery and detachment establish their credibility and professionalism. The truly funny person is free from the judgment of others. Of course, work implies a certain concentration: the precision of a figure, the relevance of a statement, the depth of a reflection, the originality of a creation, the meticulousness of a gesture, the maturity of a decision. But true humor doesn't need much time to be beneficial.
So what can be done to have more of it? One can take laughter classes, learn jokes, but above all, detach oneself from the judgment of others, from the situations and worries that stick to us and chain us to our work. This detachment does not reduce commitment: on the contrary, it is its measure, the condition for its maintenance and growth. No one should imagine themselves as the savior of their company: everyone is its guardian, especially the guardian of the spirit that gives enthusiasm and transforms work into an adventure.
Philippe Laurent.
Lexpress.fr
Posted online October 23, 2013.
If this is true in a private circle, it is even more so in the strict confines of a company.How is humor so important at work?Without trying to imitate a professional comedian, what can a person do at work to be truly funnier? And the "truly" here has all its meaning.
Because between really off-color jokes that offend some ears – most often those of women – and jokes so subtle that they are difficult to understand, there is room for a sly, sarcastic, and ironic wit that takes malicious pleasure in "laughing at" others. When "laughing at the other" replaces "laughing with the other," humor becomes more malevolent than criticism and replaces "laughing at oneself."
"Laughing with the other" and not "laughing at the other"
Is it really appropriate to make people laugh at work? Doesn't the quality of work require a serious, focused mind, concentrated on the tasks? How can you work properly in an atmosphere that is too relaxed? Of course, the world of work is not the world of jokers, and clowns don't last long if they are not able to "produce." But why should one "take oneself seriously" to "work seriously"?
This confusion would be doubly sad, for oneself and especially for others. Let's not confuse someone who takes themselves seriously with someone who only appears to. The former is unbearable, while the latter often benefits from being known. Faced with these two profiles, true humor is an excellent tool: it prevents one from being intimidated by the first and allows one to quickly discover the second.
The benefits of benevolent humor
But humor doesn't seem to be given to everyone. Someone gifted with this talent easily makes those with a sense of humor laugh, while those who are not funny are only slightly affected. They possess a particular form of intelligence, linguistic intelligence, which gives them a quick wit, allows them to play with words, and tell stories. They look at reality in a décalé way and take contagious pleasure in translating and sketching their vision in front of others.
At work, there is humor that embarrasses and humor that relaxes, humor that divides and humor that unites, humor that breaks and humor that heals. Beneficial humor is benevolent: it doesn't put someone down, but rather offers them a real opportunity to breathe. Laughter is an excellent exercise for health, all the more precious when the situation is delicate and people are tense.
Laughter helps to alleviate stress
It helps to alleviate stress, relaxes the tension, opens the shutters of self-withdrawal, and extinguishes the fuse of a lit firecracker. It makes the passing time a good time, sometimes unforgettable, transforming tears of sadness into laughter and overworking the jaw muscles until they cramp.
It removes the heaviness from the atmosphere, short-circuits the electric atmosphere, and de-dramatizes the anxiety-provoking situation. It restores energy to someone who has suffered a setback and relativizes the guilty party's mistake. Above all, humor generates joy, allows escape not from reality but from rationality, increasing the pleasure of being together. As for the practice of self-deprecation, it facilitates the acceptance of one's own limits and imperfections.
The funny person at work is rare, therefore precious. They don't need to take themselves seriously to be taken seriously, because their mastery and detachment establish their credibility and professionalism. The truly funny person is free from the judgment of others. Of course, work implies a certain concentration: the precision of a figure, the relevance of a statement, the depth of a reflection, the originality of a creation, the meticulousness of a gesture, the maturity of a decision. But true humor doesn't need much time to be beneficial.
So what can be done to have more of it? One can take laughter classes, learn jokes, but above all, detach oneself from the judgment of others, from the situations and worries that stick to us and chain us to our work. This detachment does not reduce commitment: on the contrary, it is its measure, the condition for its maintenance and growth. No one should imagine themselves as the savior of their company: everyone is its guardian, especially the guardian of the spirit that gives enthusiasm and transforms work into an adventure.
Philippe Laurent.
Lexpress.fr
Posted online October 23, 2013.
