The ability to laugh — yes, even at yourself — is a non-negotiable in many people’s books.
Without a sense of humour, you take everything too seriously, fail to see the silver linings in the dark clouds that creep into your life every once in a while, and you’re just… not that fun to be around. Could this be you? If you relate to any of the following, you need to cultivate your funny bone a bit more.
1. People often ask if you’re okay after they’ve told a joke.
You’re fine, really. It’s just that your face doesn’t seem to get the memo when something’s supposed to be funny. Your friends have stopped expecting a laugh and now just check if you’re still breathing.
2. You’re always saying, “I don’t get it.”
Jokes seem to fly over your head at supersonic speed. While everyone else is in stitches, you’re left wondering what on earth just happened. You’ve become the group’s unofficial joke explainer — not because you understand them, but because you always need them explained.
3. Sarcasm is your mortal enemy.
When someone says something sarcastic, you take it at face value. You’ve found yourself in more than one awkward situation because you didn’t realise the other person wasn’t being serious. Sarcasm detection just isn’t in your skill set.
4. You think puns are a sign of poor vocabulary.
While other people groan good-naturedly at puns, you find yourself genuinely annoyed. You don’t see wordplay as clever or funny — just a waste of perfectly good words. You’ve been known to lecture people on proper language use after a particularly groan-worthy pun.
5. You’ve ruined more than one joke by fact-checking it.
“Actually, that’s not historically accurate.” Sound familiar? You can’t help but point out inaccuracies in jokes, even when you know it kills the mood. Your need for factual correctness overrides any appreciation for humour.
6. You think practical jokes are just mean.
April Fools’ Day is your least favourite day of the year. (Though to be fair, it’s many people’s least favourite day, even those with a great sense of humour!) You don’t understand why anyone would find it funny to trick or embarrass someone else. You’ve been known to give stern lectures on kindness and respect in response to harmless pranks.
7. You’re always saying, “That’s not funny.”
This has become your catchphrase. Whether it’s a silly meme or a stand-up comedy show, you’re quick to point out when something fails to meet your (apparently non-existent) standards of humour. You’ve become the unofficial fun police of your friend group.
8. You take everything literally.
Figurative language is lost on you. If someone says it’s raining cats and dogs, you’re the one looking out the window for falling pets. Idioms and figures of speech just don’t compute in your literal mind.
9. You’ve never successfully told a joke.
Your attempts at humour usually end in awkward silence or confused looks. You’ve tried to memorise jokes, but somehow the delivery always falls flat. You’ve resigned yourself to leaving the joke-telling to other people, which is a shame!
10. You think comedy films are a waste of time.
While everyone else is quoting “Anchorman” and “White Chicks”, you’re wondering why anyone would watch something so silly. You prefer documentaries or serious dramas. The idea of watching a film just to laugh seems pointless to you.
11. You’ve been accused of being a party pooper.
Fun parties or get-togethers often leave you feeling out of place. While other people are laughing and joking, you’re the one in the corner wondering when you can politely leave. You’ve been called a killjoy more times than you can count.
12. You don’t understand why people share funny memes.
Your social media feed is a mystery to you. Why do people keep sharing these strange images with text? You don’t get the jokes, and you certainly don’t understand why anyone would spend time creating or sharing them.
13. You always choose ‘truth’ in ‘truth or dare’.
‘Dare’ seems like an invitation for people to make you do something embarrassing or silly. You don’t see the point in purposely making yourself look foolish. Truth is safe, predictable, and doesn’t require you to understand anyone’s sense of humour.
14. You’ve been told to “lighten up” more times than you can count.
This phrase follows you like a shadow. Friends, family, even colleagues have all told you to take things less seriously at some point. You try, really, but you just don’t see what everyone else finds so amusing about life.
