Humor is powerful, but we've lost our sense of humor. The average 4-year-old laughs 300 times a day; it takes 40-year-olds 2.5 months to laugh that many times. Humor isn't about inventing the perfect one-liner from thin air: It's about noticing what's true in your life. At the end of each day, write down 5 observations from the day. Try exaggerating a third thing even further, like this. By far, the most thrilling part of my day is when I get dressed to the nines, leave my house and circle the block just to feel something.
Humor is no laughing matter. It inspires innovation, strengthens relationships, disarms tension, and makes you look smart. Seriously. Stanford professors Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas say the recipe for professional success and personal fulfillment is to lighten up, pack a little levity in your briefcase, and start living your life on the precipice of a smile. In today's episode, they dig into the neuroscience of laughter, share tips for crafting the perfect joke, and help Rufus improve his comic chops.
(This episode first aired in April 2021.)
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