Say it with humour

Business Recorder

21-05-2025

Stress. Tension. Friction. Conflict. Strain. Pressure. Everybody is on the edge. There is venom. There is anger. There is fire. There is furor. And, in this boiling, fuming environment, somebody cracks a harmless joke. Many, taken unawares, burst into laughter, others suppress smiles, some become even more incensed. This is as true for individuals, companies, and countries. Case in point is the menacing war environment that took place between India and Pakistan. While the Indian government and media were spitting threats, with mudslinging at its highest, Pakistani public almost disarmed them with memes that have become more popular than the warring statements themselves. Memes are now part of the micro propaganda in wars. They colour perceptions and actions. They mock fake stuff. They create caricatures of the most thunderous claims. The Indians are totally baffled. They do not know whether to laugh or lash out. They are speechless. They are 'disarmed'. They do not know how to deal with this laugh it off meme war.
The use of humour to defuse situational stress is well recognized in psychological studies. Jokes and witty conversation can make you feel closer to the people around you. In addition, a key element of jokes is that they force you to look at the same situation in different ways. Humour done well, tends to make people think that it is not the end of the world. Humour conducted with respect brings people closer. Think of that witty friend you have, who always sees the funny side of the situation and gives such funny remarks that everybody has to smile and respond. Think of the fun Uncle you have who defuses a family conflict by telling a hilarious story. Think about a witty boss who bridges the gap between two conflicting team members by doing creative mimicry. Humour needs to be used sensitively. It can backfire if it is used not for fun but to make fun of somebody. Humour with a negative intent includes sarcastic or taunting repartees, belittling comparisons, mocking imitations, etc. These are intentional attempts to put somebody down. Let us look at some ways of using humour positively:
Humour as a cultural norm — While most cultures have their own laughing traditions, some cultures by nature nurture funny interactions. Pakistani humour is part of our culture. The tradition of having a court jester has influenced this region. We have a lighthearted community culture where 'bhand' (the street joker) would visit houses during weddings or childbirth and would create laughter as part of celebrations. Pakistan film and theatre industry has produced giants like Munawwar Zareef, Amanullah, Lehri, etc. The Punjabi tradition of juggat bazi is almost a household tradition. People tend to throw funny repartees at each other as a norm. In today's world, some of it may be termed discriminatory or defamatory, but it was the best way to bring a chuckle in a normal conversation. The use of puns, the use of wit, the use of mimicry were all part of this culture of self-deprecating humour that made people grin and chuckle. In more recent times, the late and great Omar Sharif had become a recipe of laughter in the subcontinent. The satirical humour of Anwar Maqsood is still the most looked forward to session in literary events. Pakistan despite its terribly depressed economy and oppressive government continues to fare better on the World Happiness Index than all its subcontinent neighbours. Humour may have some part to play in it.
Workplace culture that smiles — Organisations constantly strive to make their companies a fun place for their people. They work on building café corners, gyms, games room etc. However, the ability to have fun is more in the style of management prevailing in the organization. If people come in looking serious and strained, these facilities will be just ornamental. Many organizations introduce the 'happy hour' where weekly teams get together and become a Hyde Park corner type gathering where staff is allowed to do fun stuff. There is always a jester in the team. Use him to defuse tension in meetings. There are humour bulletins sometimes that are used for people to post fun stuff. For all this to happen the boundaries have to be very clearly spelled out. Humour should not be used to make snide personal remarks. Humour should not be used to target people. Humour should be used to ease up the daily grind. Humour needs to lighten up the dreariness of routines.
Leaders with sense of fun — Humour when used with courtesy can make leaders more charismatic. It not only helps in ice breaking, but reduces stress, increasing the creativity and engagement of the team. A smile is way better than a frown, and a laugh is way more effective than a yell. Even if you are not naturally witty, learn a few humour tricks. Firstly, a good leader will start by making a joke about himself. Instead of criticizing a complicated IT presentation, the leader may say, 'My IT illiteracy has just set a Guinness Book record'. Start with a short fun personal story of how you misunderstood your wife's/son's message, etc. It has to be something everybody can relate with. Do some fun stuff on time management. When making rules for team meetings, include the team in the rule making. Instead of being sarcastic to late comers, ask the team to decide what penalty to give to people who are late and let them execute it. This switch of boss to team creates hilarity as late comers are asked to sing a song or give money, etc.
Everybody is not born with a sense of humour. Everybody does not possess wit. So can humour be learned? Yes. It is a skill. Skills need knowledge and practice. There are certain techniques that need to be learned. Start by making fun of yourself. Have a few light, short, harmless funny stories. Learn some witty quotations. Try some funny puzzles. Keep the audience in mind. Be culturally sensitive. Keep adding to your harmless one-liners. Remember, you are not acting in Sitcoms or doing Standup comedy. All you are doing is creating a lighthearted banter that keeps things alive and kicking.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025