HUMOR (or how much we need it)

HUMOR (or how much we need it)




                   In the end everything works out. If it did not is because not reached the end." Jean Rostand



Humor is a good thing. Everyone knows.

I do not want to replace doctors, but the effects that Endorphins have on our bodies are well known and I can’t resist to copying from WWW some of the advantages that they do to us.

What do endorphins do to our body?

• Improves memory;
• Improve the state of mind (mood);
• Increase resistance;
• Increase the physical and mental health;
• Improve immune system;
• Block the lesions of blood vessels;
• Have anti-aging effect, because they remove super oxides;
• they relieve pain.

All good things. Enough?



We talked about Mood / Humor that we use when we want to capture people's attention, whatever the situation. It can be a presentation to an audience, at a business meeting, a casual professional meeting, etc..

If we receive a smile, even a slightly one from the other side, things are underway.


I’m going to tell you two stories. The first one it happens with me; the second from the book: "Everyone communicate; few connect" of John C. Maxwell.

1) - I remember a situation I experienced in Évora (take a look at the website www.cm-evora.pt). I had several meetings scheduled. Some clients I had already known and the others were only prospects. The first ones I was glad to recover. It allowed me to get in touch with then again. I was away from this industry for a while and lost contact with then. The contacts made with new prospects were completely uninteresting.

I remember arriving to Évora, on the way to my second meeting of the day, and saw a Design Office in the noble zone of the city. I thought to myself: at the end of the day I go there. “Well said, made even better.” I was tired at the end of the day, all day walking through the city, but I had a felling. I knocked at the door, as usual I had with me some samples of my work, and when they opened it I said:

- Good afternoon. It may seem that I am selling bibles. It’s not the case. I Work in graphics industry and I think I’ve work / solutions for you.

-I got a smile, they let me in and present my Company. I left with a serious budget request which we answered the following day. Three or four days later I had that “job”.

I do not know if the joke at the beginning helped me. But I do know that my conversation went on much better because I did it. The truth is that with my little joke I recharged the batteries; I modeled my tired voice for a more pleasant tone and did a good and humoristic presentation.


2) - A speaker at an extremely boring and long banquet goes on stage telling the following story: "With 8578 words, the inaugural speech of President William Henry Harrison was the longest in history (U.S.). He read it in his first day as a President. It was a cold and rainy day. He refused to wear jacket or a hat. As a result he caught a cold that turned rapidly into pneumonia. He died one month after the inaugural speech. “Sad story, no doubt!

But our speaker starts again: "As a speaker I learned a lesson from this story. I will remain clothed and my speech, I promise you, will be short." The audience erupted in laughter and everyone knew that the session would be fun and everyone stayed connected.

But to do (good) Humor is not easy. We live together (or almost) with people who have a dull Humor, repetitive and always with the same focus. Often sex or using bad language. And look, I know what I mean.

One technique is to conquer the audience at the beginning. The speaker can do Humor with himself. It shows that he is also human, that he fails. That can bring the audience closer to him.

But be careful, as I said; previously, think of the kind of humor you want to use. Do not use, especially with audiences that you do not know, jokes about sex or sexual orientation, religion, politics ... topics that may offend those who are listening to you.



João Paulo Marques

Time doesn’t stop; don’t stop you too.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/joaopmarques