Can Humor Bring People Together?
Opposites attract, but what happens when you and your partner have a completely different sense of humor? This is something that probably doesn’t come to mind immediately, and you probably won’t notice the differences right away. But over time, your senses of humor may begin to mesh or you will slowly notice you don’t find the same things funny.
If you don’t find the same things funny, is that a dealbreaker? For some, it can be. Let’s face it, sharing good times together is essential in a relationship. When you strip everything away and its just the two of you, you want to know you can enjoy each others company beyond sex and small talk. Many times, having a similar sense of humor means you think more similarly, and thus will have more to share with each another. It is easier to talk to someone who finds your jokes funny and not only laughs, but throws a joke back at you.
But is humor a make or break? It doesn’t have to be. People are okay with having their own sense of humor and can even learn to appreciate each other’s over time. Some couples also like having certain things to themselves, so maybe that means you save that new Netflix comedy show for a night you are on your own becuse you know your partner won’t care. For some, it can be comforting to have their own thing and space.
It ultimately depends on what the individual values. For me, a sense of humor is huge, so I need someone who can laugh with me and follow along. For others, it is at the bottom of their ideal traits, so if their partner has a dumb sense of humor but theirs is more witty, they don’t mind.
So let’s just say you meet someone new and off the bat you know you two differ in humor. What do you do? Instead of writing them off right away, try to find what you do have in common. Do you share similar values? Maybe you have similar hobbies? Or are they just beautiful, and you feel a sense of mutual sexual attraction? Whatever it may be, if all of that outweighs them just not thinking you are funny, you might be okay with that. And let’s face it, a lot of us aren’t funny to begin with, so maybe humor is a plus but not an essential item in a relationship. Once again, I cannot relate, but if your person checks all your other boxes, by all means go for it. You can only hope that overtime they get the hang of your humor and similar taste in jokes so that it is not something you ever argue over.
But if humor is one of the things you look for in a partner, and that person just doesn’t have it, or have the type you want, it can be something you take seriously and cut off before you get in too deep. While some will question why humor would be ranked so high up on someone’s list, you have got to think a step further. A similar sense of humor means enjoying the same movies and TV shows together. More silliness and openness with one another. And ultimately a better understanding of who each other is. But maybe that is me looking too deep into what a funny guy brings to the table. To each their own, and laugh together or apart — whatever works for you.
Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Christina aspires to be a public relations professional in a big city after graduation from James Madison University. In her free time when she’s not blogging away about dating and relationships, Christina loves to go shopping, watch Netflix and play with every puppy that crosses her path.