How to make sure your joke does not fall flat

Whoever laughs last did not get the joke. Is that humour? What actually is humour? To stay in the Netherlands for a moment: one person is delighted by Arjen Lubach, another by Niels van der Laan and Jeroen Woe, while a third makes themselves scarce the instant Van Roosmalen & Groenteman appear on screen. An all-encompassing definition of humour therefore cannot be given. You can name the types, ranging from slapstick and toilet humour through to dry and black humour. Each of them can make a more than positive contribution in its own way to the atmosphere in a working relationship or any other relationship.

But there is a but

If you want to avoid your joke or other expression of humour turning into a flop, you have to know what activates the laughter muscles, and perhaps the belly laugh, of the person opposite you. Especially at the start of a relationship it is important to find out what someone's preferred humour is. And to be able to park your own favourite form of humour when the other person does not share it. Otherwise the two of you may quickly have laughed your last, and you move from a mutual relationship to mutual frustration. That is by definition the case when you try to save the situation with one final ’funny’ remark that lands completely wrong. Just try finding your way back from there.

Typical humour of the blue, green, yellow and red driver

The seven-colour theory of MyDrives and the analysis linked to it also give you crystal clear insight if you want to work out how people with different drivers view humour. The structured blue driver appreciates dry, factual humour containing a logical irony. The harmonious green driver likes friendly, non-hurtful humour that creates a relaxed atmosphere and brings people closer together. The creative-analytical yellow driver enjoys wordplay and irony with a deeper layer, falling under the heading of intellectual humour. Direct, sharp and even provocative humour is more up the street of the decisive red driver.

Orange, purple and turquoise driver

The performance-oriented orange driver feels at home with humour that radiates energy and optimism. Jokes at the expense of others do occur when the orange driver feels the need to present itself as a strong person. For traditional and respectful humour you should turn to the conservative purple driver, because it does not want to endanger the calm and safety within the group. The holistic turquoise driver, finally, has no time for banal, cynical and negative humour. It does have time for humour that puts earthly matters into perspective and softens them amid the unfathomable turning of the planets.

A man walks into a doctor's surgery

In summary: a sense of humour is highly sensitive. The more knowledge you gather about it, the more constructively you work on healthy relationships in your working and private environment. On that note: a man walks into a doctor's surgery. ’I have not seen you for such a long time!’, the doctor opens the conversation. ’That is right’, says the man, ’I was ill.’