How to Cultivate a Sense of Humor
1. Catch yourself in some amusing inconsistency and then laugh at yourself. This is the foundation of a healthy sense of humor.
2. Note the inappropriate or funny things people say or do in public, and draw parallels between those silly behaviors and your own. Positive humor goes beyond mere criticism to a recognition of our common plight as less-than-perfect human beings.
3. Include in your regular reading diet published collections of wit and humor, humor columnists, comic strips, and stories by writers with a well-developed sense of humor.
4. Occasionally do something harmlessly absurd and totally out of character for your spontaneous entertainment.
5. Avoid sarcasm, ridicule, and excessive teasing. They hurt rather than heal.