If someone doesn’t find a joke funny, do you assume they have a lousy sense of humor or that the joke was flawed?

<p>(Trigger warning – there is a mention of suicide when a standup comedian’s bit is quoted in this conversation.)</p> <p> </p> <p>Humor is a touchy subject. What makes something funny or not funny? Is it okay to tell off-color jokes as long as you “know your audience” and everyone who happens to be in the room thinks it’s funny (I don’t think so).</p> <p> </p> <p>Ed Samuel started our conversation off by sharing that when he worked in the corporate world, he was scared away from using humor for fear of offending someone.</p> <p> </p> <p>Jim Tam talked about movies or videos where people do things that cause them to get hurt (slapstick humor?) – Is that funny?</p> <p> </p> <p>Bill Dolan said something I thought was pretty powerful: “We usually tell jokes because we believe they're a gift. And we believe we're contributing something to either a life or a group that brings them joy, that brings them temporal happiness.”</p> <p> </p> <p>But something that is funny in one context might not be funny in another.</p> <p> </p> <p>I took a stand against the idea locker room type humor – that it’s okay to make fun of or degrade other people/groups of people as long as they don’t hear you. (I am NOT saying any of the gentlemen on this panel were condoning this).</p> <p> </p> <p>I didn’t say it during this conversation but having been told growing up that I was “too thin skinned” I have a belief that I shouldn’t have to be so thick skinned that I am okay with you cutting me and laughing while I bleed.</p> <p> </p> <p>What do you think? How do you decide if someone doesn’t have a sense of humor or if something wasn’t funny?</p> <p> </p> <p>Connect with the panelists:</p> <p>Jim Tam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimtam/</p> <p>Is a Principal Client Director with Korn Ferry’s Digital group where he advises organizations on how to improve their sales effectiveness through using world-class sales methodology and technology. He is based in Dallas.</p> <p> </p> <p>Ed Samuel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edsamuel/</p> <p>Is a career c