How to develop a good sense of humour to help you through tough times
Vivek Mahbubani, who is a successful Hong Kong comedian, offers tips for finding fun in everyday life.
Vivek Mahbubani is a bilingual stand-up comedian in Hong Kong. Photo: Xiaomei ChenEvery week, Talking Points gives you a worksheet to practise your reading comprehension with exercises about the story we’ve written
Award-winning comedian Vivek Mahbubani understands the stress of being a student in Hong Kong because he grew up in the local school system. But he has also learned how to face life’s challenges with a funny new perspective.
The 42-year-old stand-up comic shared his tips for how to develop a good sense of humour that can get you through tough times.
Making life a game
First, having a good sense of humour is not the same as being funny.
“A good sense of humour is your ability to see something most people don’t see or find an angle of ... a situation that makes someone laugh,” Mahbubani explained.
“Being funny means being able to tell someone that angle.”
The comedian said that a good sense of humour could help you see life in a more positive way.
“You might say: ‘I’m lonely during recess. No one is playing with me. My life is miserable,’” he said.
“Or you could say, ‘Everyone is giving me the chance to be imaginative. No one is going to interrupt me. For 10 minutes, I get to be wherever I want to be, have fun and daydream.’”
He added: “It lets you turn something that was no big deal into something more fun.”
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Having this perspective can also make everyday life more enjoyable.
“You’re basically making your life into a game,” he shared.
One example Mahbubani gave was about elderly fares on public transport. When they pay with their Octopus card, it makes a higher-pitched noise than the card of someone paying the full fare.
“It makes my day because it’s a higher-pitched ‘doot’. Their Octopus is like, ‘Yay!’ while mine is like ‘Ah, come on!’” he said.
“The ‘doot’ is not a transaction; it’s a sign of ... happiness.”
Creative exercises to try
If you want to try writing jokes, find ideas from your life. Gently poking fun at yourself can help others to understand you.
“For example, if I have really bad Mandarin, I can make fun of my bad Mandarin speaking,” Mahbubani said.
“It lets people know you. When you show them, ‘Hey, I’m harmless and vulnerable, let’s all laugh together’, then they invite you in.”
It is easier to get inspired if you aren’t distracted, so Mahbubani recommended putting your phone away. Instead, take out a pencil and paper and let yourself daydream.
“I write my comedy [on paper] because it takes longer and allows my brain more time to digest and simmer. The feeling of writing every letter goes into my brain better than just tapping away on my keyboard. When I’m writing something, I get excited,” he said.
“It’s magical to be able to get away from ... the phone and go the harder way. It’s like how you can take a bus to The Peak – but it’s so much fun hiking there.”
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Reflect: What is something that made you laugh recently?
To test your understanding of this story, download our printable worksheet or answer the questions in the quiz below.
digest 消化
to think about something so that you fully understand it
miserable 可憐的
very unhappy
poking fun 開玩笑
to make fun of something to make other people laugh
transaction 交易
business done between people, especially buying or selling something
vulnerable 脆弱的
weak and easily hurt physically or emotionally