To write comedy professionally, you can't rely on inspiration. A systematic process, like 'joke farming,' allows for the reliable creation of humor by breaking down the unconscious creative process into deliberate, replicable steps that can be performed on demand.

Nostalgia is a low-risk strategy for incorporating humor into a business context. Recalling outdated practices (like finding jobs in a newspaper) makes people laugh while also demonstrating historical knowledge of an industry, making the speaker seem both funny and wise.

Brands, particularly in B2B, are often too serious and miss the power of humor. Laughter releases bonding hormones like oxytocin, creating an instant connection with an audience. It's a universal language that can dissolve conflict and make a brand more human and memorable.

Author Mary Roach's humor is a deliberate strategy to keep readers engaged with intimidating or seemingly 'boring' scientific topics. By anticipating a reader's potential insecurity or disinterest, she uses humor as a pedagogical tool to make complex subjects accessible and prevent them from feeling like a 'slog.'

A successful joke's core isn't the punchline but its 'point'—the underlying message or meaning. This foundation is often a serious observation. The humor is then built by creating a premise and structure that leads the audience to this point without stating it directly.

A story's core mechanic for engagement is not just emotion, but the constant betrayal of the audience's expectations. People are drawn to narratives, jokes, and songs precisely because they want their predictions about what happens next to be wrong. This element of surprise is what makes a story satisfying and compels an audience to continue.

In a tense meeting or interview, focusing on summarizing the other person's points serves a dual purpose. It makes them feel heard, but more importantly, it gives your own nervous system time to settle. This shifts focus outward, reducing internal anxiety and allowing you to respond more calmly and effectively.

Engaging controversial figures through a comedic lens serves as a powerful humanizing agent. It punctures their self-serious persona and tests their ability to laugh at the absurdity of their own position. This can disarm audiences who expect confrontation and instead reveal a more relatable, self-aware individual.

When leading a gratitude circle with teenagers, Matthew McConaughey found generic prompts led to rote answers. He broke the ice by sharing a specific, humorous, and slightly personal point of gratitude, which unlocked authentic and meaningful sharing from the group.