How standup can make you a better person
A former comedian now sees his failure as "the best thing that ever happened to me."
What I Learned From “Failing” At Comedy is a great post by
. Here he is on how standup created a tolerance for failure:This tolerance for failure also makes me more likely to take risks. I find myself more willing to speak up at work, volunteering for assignments and sharing ideas that I have. When you do this in an office environment, it projects an image of being invested in the job, which brightens your career (read: financial) prospects. But eliminating that fear of speaking up is half the battle. The thick skin I developed through comedy has allowed me to do that.
And how it made him a better person:
Cultivating the skills I needed as a comedian (Being observant, asking questions, probing and going deeper to find something resembling honesty) had the unintended side effect of making me a better overall person. I was trying to use these skills to write jokes about how annoyed I got when people said “Happy Friday” at work, or whatever other nonsense I thought was funny, and instead it bounced back on me and caused me to confront my own shortcomings. I saw where I was lacking, which led to me making efforts to improve myself.
The whole thing is worth a read. Check it out here.
That’s one way to negotiate
Youn posted about finding humor in dark things. The "Is it too soon" factor. I found plenty of humor in the funeral and subsequent burial of My Sainted Mother. When they wouldn't take my check or card at the cemetery, we unloaded her and laid her and her $3,000 box at the front door of their office. There's more. And they laughed till they cried.