What makes things funny | Peter McGraw | TEDxBoulder

[@Fearofthemonster]

this is the best explanation of humour I've seen so far. mild violations are funnier when it is closer because mild violations happen to someone we don't know, all the time; therefore they stop being violations and become the norm. Someone out there is mis-stepping and falling, all the time but it doesn't happen around us all the time.

[@loan1311]

true

[@chloewinnaa1515]

Wonder what he'd do if nobody laughed in the beginning 😂 took the risk for a high reward, I respect that

[@jacobshirley3457]

He'd hold the pause longer, because somebody will laugh at the uncomfortably long pause. Then, everybody will join in.

[@Nicolas_Arencibia]

I really enjoyed the circular structure that this lecture had, starting by asking the audience to tickle themselves, and at the end, picking up the same topic but this time with sense after the whole explanation about humour. I didn´t realise before about what separate humour and being annoying or even cross the line, but after hearing about the bening violation I grasped it. Just to conclude, a very interesting and well explained speech.

[@real_fitness1209]

Some Ted speakers just speak about their research and don't actually provide the main core information. You gave out gold to everyone for free. Thanks a lot 🎉

[@austintrauth5820]

I watched this whole video without knowing what benign meant

[@D4rkLigHtLP]

You my Sir are a man of culture!

[@hemendrasahu7943]

your comment is a fine example of a benign violation. It's funny haha

[@libertys5635]

i checked the replies to this to see if someone told you what it meant to hide that I didn't know what it meant either

[@ayritebk8603]

Benign means not harmful/kind/gentle The thing I think we should learn from this talk is that there's limits to humor it may hurt people's feelings and we should respect these limits.

[@jfish032]

🤦‍♂️

[@rjStripes]

This will certainly makes me more considerate of others while cracking jokes . Thank you so much

[@l75rd83]

if you can deliver a joke without laughing or smiling, boom

[@JeffWarren47]

I tried this out at my first open mic.Any feedback is appreciated!!

[@NightSpid]

But sometimes the persons laugh telling the joke can make u laugh too

[@santiagoflores5126]

Actually laughing is more funny beacuse you share a feeling with the audience making them feel more secure by making that you create a safe space for the humor and laughter to flow.

[@DaBeezKneez]

I’m really good at this, which I hate cus people think I’m being serious 🙄🙄

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

It depends on the joke or gag. If it's the kind of thing that laughter would distract from the punchline, you should deliver it dead-pan. If it's too easy to assume you're being serious, you should at least present a timely grin... "the gotcha face"... to let your audience know it's not serious, and they will laugh. Some gags are entirely based on the context of delivery, so it really matters that you deliver an "over the top" sentiment with a deathly serious tone and expression... Others are just funny enough on their own merits that it doesn't matter how they're delivered. ;o)

[@42opendoors]

This is EXCELLENT. A couple of months ago that gal Nicole Arbour got a ton of attention for her "Dear Fat People" rant, which most people did not find funny. But also, very few people did a good job of being able to EXPLAIN to her why it wasn't. Hope the people at The Humor Research Lab (Really? Can I work there?!) sent her a link. This also gets at the heart of how different things for different people qualify as "benign". I love hidden camera jokes, but a good friend of mine can't stand them, as she internalizes that discomfort of personal boundaries being crossed as not being "benign". Love it! Great info!!!

[@AustinChambers302977]

That's a great example. I also don't care for hidden camera jokes, and you described exactly why.

[@guythellian4805]

I’ve learned why some things are funny. I can use this. Friends and family appreciate his talk!!

[@perpetualbeneath]

takeaways: -humor helps cope with pain, stress, adversity -it`s funny only when 3 conditions are met simultaniously: situation of benign, situation of violation and their intersection -Violation means put things out of norm -benign means be psychologicaly distant -pay attention to your audince -additional strategy - highlight what is wrong with normal everyday situations -example of algorith: start with violation, then benign (create a distance), provide an alternative interpretation

[@deadbabyseal3356]

benign means harmless, psychological distance is its own takeaway

[@Romashka_Sov]

He said being simultaneous is one of the conditions. You could mean intersection=simultaneousness, but why repeating in that this simultaneousness should be simultaneous?

[@yesreneau]

You can tickle yourself if you're ticklish enough. Trust me, I know.

[@vchicago2851]

YesReneau .

[@americanguy8431]

ohuuu verified

[@lxiaoqi6275]

I can tickle myself so I don't know what are they saying

[@gregoryscott3858]

100% true for me as well.

[@orianalopez2855]

Ikr, I couldn't wash my feet because I was so ticklish that it was a torture

[@TheSearchers1000]

Excellent explanation of what makes things funny. Wow. Good topic and good examples. The speaker is very deliberate and keeps it ...well....funny !!

[@27scole]

Humour research lab omg and I struggle finding a job

[@fourthmusketeer2745]

You’re British aren’t you.

[@drab7]

@@fourthmusketeer2745 lol

[@PsychBytes]

We love Peter McGraw and his Benign Violation Theory! A simple way to remember this theory is "if laughing at this is wrong, why does it feel so right?"

[@DrJones20]

Maybe you're immoral?

[@SelfimprovementDiscipline]

No, it’s funny because it seems harmless at the same time. To us or in general

[@KlaasVictor]

Excellent explanation of humor! Thank you 😄

[@Elemblue2]

This explains why I laugh when terrible things happen to me. My coping strategy is to look at myself from a distance. I have confused alot of people...

[@NachitenRemix]

Wow thats great advice!! If you take psicologycal distance from yourself, then everything is less serious, and consequently funnier.

[@pickleboi5548]

falling down stairs, not hurt: no laughter falling down stairs, hurt: laughter unless it happens to another person: EXTREME LAUGHTER

[@soslothful]

The way I heard it is- When you fall down the stairs its comedy. When I fall down the stairs its tragedy.

[@DrJones20]

That's sadistic.

[@Guys_Love_Each_Other]

Oh my! It is true that some people find it funny when someone falls into a staircase and gets hurt haha... But it is more due to the shock and surprise at something that happens completely unexpected like that. Laughter is just a way to express shock, something that is very normal in people, and not because we are laughing at the other person, we are only laughing because it happened in an unexpected way. This type of laughter is only a way of expression of a surprise, not of the pain that the other person feels.

[@ShyamkrishnanNair]

I completely agree! Understanding humor is crucial, especially since it shapes our interactions. I once took part in the Sense of Humor Improvement Program by Habit10x, which helped me appreciate how timing and context can change everything. One insight I gained: humor is subjective-what’s funny to one person might not be to another. Another is that humor often relies on shared experiences; a joke about a mutual struggle can be more relatable. Remember, laughter can be a bridge in social situations, so embrace the humor and enjoy the connections it fosters!

[@purronnaspaw]

So good...thank you! Needling more laughter in my life.

[@SpongeLorry]

Don't you hate it when a sentence doesn't end the way you refrigerator?

[@annaneedham9771]

Yeah. It sucks.

[@rico6546]

Hahahaha 😂

[@pork43]

this comment is 1 year old and i find it hilarious

[@gideonpalmer8809]

@@pork43 really? It left me cold

[@pork43]

@@gideonpalmer8809 pun

[@RightySnipeZ]

When nobody laughs at your joke so you violate them with your fart unexpectedly. I have achieved comedy.

[@Matias93128]

You’re sus

[@felipe6522]

6:16 also when nobody realized he said AMOGUS

[@harishskumar4491]

You made an achievement: oh thats funny..lol

[@technobladefan8565]

"When nobody laughs at your joke so you violate them."

[@marytyr3494]

"How do you make this a malign violation?" Laughed so hard.

[@AhmadAwais]

Marytyr coz it was benign to listen and not to actually see someone wear.

[@laylover7621]

This is actually a fantastic video. Thanks Peter!

[@rosewood9874]

I love this! Life is complex and ridiculous all at once. It's good to take a step back and see what's funny about it.

[@whatdidijustwatch1555]

This is clearly one of the greatest TEDx Talks, but then most of the people who wanted to watch it and invariably commented are sad people

[@Poppop-xl1jl]

If you're dissecting something it's already dead. If something dies in the process, that's vivisection.

[@jtsupersized]

Pop2323pop Unless its your friend. Then its comedy.

[@vincentmack37]

I think you just vivisected that joke

[@adkadatka244]

Pop2323pop hmm, very interesting

[@essennagerry]

+vincentmack37 Hahaha...

[@davinkim7930]

Youre a nerd if you laughed

[@Guys_Love_Each_Other]

There are many things that make things funny. It could for example be when someone says something that was unexpected or something we didn't expect at all happens. It could be due to a situation (or someone's actions) that can be funny because of its absurdity, or because of a misunderstanding. It could be humor that comes from something that is related to yourself, or that you can relate to (maybe because you've experienced something similar).

[@jacoolzi]

10:37 I had to pause the vid I was laughing so hard at that picture of seinfeld. A benign (normal picture of jerry seinfeld) violation (slightly scrunched and awkwardly placed in a TED Talk presentation) that’s specifically funny because of my idea of what a TED Talk presentation “should” look like in this context. Really mind-opening stuff!!

[@WillieBrooks-g6g]

Great. Presentation! You learn me something! Many. Thanks!🎈🎈

[@WedlerFineArt]

Fascinating. As I rewrite my comedy lines I will work towards benign-violation while keeping in mind my audience, the situation and "distance" and see if that generates more laughs.

[@florianinside5666]

Hi Edward, did it work?

[@michellete8545]

Edward Wedler worth a shot, let us know if you succeed or not

[@Melissa0774]

This is a pretty good explanation about what makes things funny. But what I'd really like to know is, why funny things make us laugh and how that reaction works in the brain. I wonder if they study that with fMRI.

[@michaeljackson5471]

Do you know the answer yet?

[@shcxatter2]

There's a vsauce video on the subject. Basically humour destroys a prediction on the outcome of something in our minds, and the change of context from this unexpected realization, is releasing quickly the electrical energy in those neural pathways, and the quickest way to do that, Is to dissipate the energy through the motor cortex which in turn, makes you move your muscles in a certain way.

[@pprehn5268]

Best unifying explanation I've heard so far.

[@julianwarmington1267]

Yeah, it is pretty good. - I'm not any funnier now though than I was 15 minutes ago, and dog-gone-it i want my money back!

[@desitunda]

Most humorous thing ever “people you date and mate”

[@Hushedveil2025]

WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU

[@JadeDRail]

Probably the best explanation I have heard

[@TheRynegade]

I will take what I've learned into the world! *starts tickling strangers* *several pending lawsuits*

[@holydeadknight]

7:22 - channelling Sheldon Cooper...heheh!

[@tonycarton8054]

irish humour is very accurate , of Oscar Wilde they said "being Irish he had a great sense of tragedy ,that sustained him through his temporary moments of joy"

[@syedsuhail4736]

Watched it 5th time, one of the best talk

[@drushasubhash1807]

Amazing. Very close to the truth. Bravo. Keep researching mr mcgraw..

[@berenikesdare]

Stellar stuff !!! Real dimension with feeling how pedagogic this was.

[@AhmadAwais]

Best TEDx talk ever.

[@QV1117]

the only ted talk assignment for english i enjoyed

[@yoursubconscious]

i love tickling my sugar glider to see her bark and shake with joy!

[@SAM-dm5qg]

Thank You For Sharing ❤

[@hanselfinn8946]

so every humor have a root to somekind of violation. thankyou

[@elkerobi8737]

What started out as a hobby, worked out to be something that brought lasting changes to my life. As a single mom I didn't have a lot to do when I wasn't cooking, cleaning the house or taking my son to school. I stumbled across binary options when I was looking for something to do that would give me extra money. I suffered losses due to scammers pretending to be legit brokers. I was about to quit when I stumbled upon a post from someone about Mr Jason McQueen, I had mixed feelings about it but still I decided to give him a try. He helped me resolve all my problems within an interval of 10 days. here's his Instagram page if there is anyone here with any problem write him up (@Jason_real.fx) OR WhatsApp: [phone]

[@DrJones20]

I don't like that notion.

[@drfunk444]

Benign retaliation is just one of 13 tools in the Comedy writers belt. This was very well presented

[@CalmNoises]

Well? Don't be a tool and tell us!

[@gensuave1]

Funny and informative. I think TED is making headway.

[@brunobanane8068]

thank you for this upload! :) i learned much about it.

[@sambarger3339]

he said over a long period of time. as a child, depressed people laughed and had fun, but over time they lost it.

[@Toastmaster_5000]

that last statement is true but so is the fact that you can only take offense to something, even if something is intended to insult you directly

[@Libbydoh]

Anyone who teaches or has to communicate with folks should watch this. It is a great repesentation of using humor to engage your audience -"*actively* - which causes them to pay attention and retain what they say. I love humor!

[@MsFelixKatz]

"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die." --Mell Brooks....A malign violation, and funnier because of it.

[@DrJones20]

Sure if you're a sadist. Are you?

[@artyshmunzuk5435]

I just had a Ted Talk ad in a Ted Talk video. They successfully tickled themselves.

[@mickeymuse2]

I just gave a 3 hour lecture on comedy. I could've just showed them this video. 😆

[@cheunky]

Lovely talk. Very benign😊

[@AliKhan-nq7hp]

The moment he said start tickling, i was done with the video 😂

[@SaifAlikhan-wy1zs]

We both have the same name bro.

[@hapiearning5222]

i need this FAST!

[@demianhaki7598]

Awesome, though so much more detail to get into. Great research subject!

[@charlesdumblewski9547]

Very true humor really helps everybody truly smile and get through a tough day and when you ask someone how are you it becomes sincere 5 star information . And i am going to order larg pens to hand out that say my pen is Huge with my business logo! To give out :)

[@FreiheitKampfer]

Laughter and happiness is an expression of superiority. You see in all animals. It is the nervous reaction to someone who is mildy intoxicated. A partner which is either an alpha male, or short-lived. An animal with rabies. The body auto-defensively conveys intimidation, to confuse the viewer which witnesses uncoordination.

[@phil6217]

6:33 somehow the missing of the hammer made this actually really funny

[@phil6217]

6:40 and this is even better

[@jeandatnikka12]

This Is the best talk ever

[@pork43]

this video is over 8 years old and i find it pretty interesting

[@johnnyknox7400]

This is my favorite video, more like it over here!

[@amair5403]

Amazing!

[@phongphong4640]

This Boulder guy is very gifted at Not Funny. I hope he is an exception among the rest of Boulder guys.

[@DrAdnan]

Hopefully I can up my humor using this technique

[@46Bax]

Hopefully you can cause this comment wasn't funny at all

[@alien2324]

This was like a math lesson , I was left more confused

[@kaoutermouslimhaliba7145]

Sheldon cooper had his own theory to tell jokes and be humorous, he would love this vid

[@swine13]

Sheldon Cooper isn't a real person, though

[@kaoutermouslimhaliba7145]

@@swine13 he was inspired out of a real one. That was not my point though.

[@SafetyMentalst]

No Funny bone is but a cruel joke Like an egg without the yoke Like no fizzling in your coke Like the smile that is broke Humor is something to provoke

[@alianna8806]

The opening statement let me know this video was made BC (before covid) 😆

[@Tubingonline1]

Someone really managed to dissect and analyse "humour" and what's more, it was funny as well! So the frog was not killed. Certainly benign!

[@swine13]

Youd hope it was. I dont trust any comedy advice that comes from someone who doesn't make me laugh. I mean it's self evident right there, isn't it?

[@LoneWoof8]

Not the guy in the beginning starting to stand up, and upon seeing no one else stood up, sat back down. 💀

[@ncooty]

@0:42: It doesn't "beg the question"; it raises the question. To "beg the question" is to commit a logical fallacy in which one assumes the conclusion. To raise a question is to pose it for consideration.

[@theomegaconcern9564]

There's 12 comedy structures and 7 laughter triggers

[@RH-zk8je]

Would you plot things on a number line, with negative numbers indicating level of violation, positive numbers indicating benign-ness, and zero as the sweet spot where they overlap? Or would it be more like a two-dimensional graph, with X and Y as the two qualities? In other words, are the two qualities opposite (line) or complementary (graph)? If the answer is that they are complementary: Does the intensity of the two qualities affect the humor, or does it only matter that they balance? In other words, if something is both intensely violating and intensely benign, is it funnier than something mildly violating and mildly benign? Can something be very benign and very violating at the same time, or does that balance out to neutrality? Can anything be neither benign nor violating? Also, does humor arise from the duality of something being both benign and violating, or, instead, from the uncertainty about which category it fits into? When a joke has both qualities, does the listener assess it first one way, then the other, oscillating between the two, or is it more of an instant comprehension that both qualities are present?

[@gobi2792]

Me tells a joke People:-laughs Me:-tells the reason why we laugh People:-laughs

[@TheAngryCanary]

why use the word violation? just say pattern mismatch. You can create a pattern mismatch through exaggerating something or minimizing it. Draw a human face. Give it a huge nose. Funny. Give it a small little chin. Funny. Its just a simple benign pattern mismatch. I reason that humans get pleasure out of pattern mismatches because we learn through identifying similarities and differences in patterns. So it would make sense for us to enjoy finding pattern mismatches and sharing these with friends. When its not so benign, the pattern mismatch still evokes curiosity and the need to discuss it.

[@shadow_of_thoth]

Because not everything is just a pattern mismatch. A violation can be a violation of your comfort zone, but still have a pattern. Like, if some creepy old man is licking his lips and breathing down your neck, then that's a violation. But if that creepy old man predictably opens his trench coat to flash you, and he's fully dressed with a flashlight, then it's benign. It ended the way you would expect, but it seemed like a violation at first. It would not have been funny had he actually been naked under there. Pattern mismatch would imply that something completely out of the ordinary should happen, which isn't what humor is a lot of the time. A lot of people also find dark humor funny. That's stuff that might simply be straight up violation to one group of people, but benign to another. Like racist jokes, rape jokes, or dead baby jokes. Not everyone finds those funny, but some people do. What is simple pattern mismatch to some people, is straight up violation to others. Violation covers everything under the same umbrella, so that the theory works just as well for any joke.

[@TheAngryCanary]

I was just hopped up on coffee that day. Don't know why I even left that comment. Violation is fine. lol

[@Keaze]

No Name Plenty of dark humor actually also relies on pattern mismatch. You're used to bad things being treated in a bad light so when they're not, it can be funny.

[@YouShouldRepeatThat]

Even if you were on a caffeine high while writing the comment, I think you were on to something. I watched a Vsauce video before this one discussing why things are funny and he mentioned how there is a theory that things are funny because they involve unexpected occurrences, just as a pattern mismatch is by nature an unexpected occurrence. With you describing the violation instead as a pattern mismatch, you unintentionally meshed the two theories together and provided an improved theory as to why things are funny. Also, side thought: could the guy's use of the word "violation" also be interpreted as a "violation of the expected"?

[@TheHadMatters]

+YouShouldRepeatThat 'could the guy's use of the word "violation" also be interpreted as a "violation of the expected"?' Yup, that is what it means. He very explicitly states that at 11:17, and it would not make any sense, if the term was limited to something like 'everything that causes someone else suffering.' Even with situations of physical violence, what is laughed about is that the person objected themselves to enduring pain, or that someone else did it, when both of these are things those people have been taught not to do, and we therefore do not want them to do. It is not the fact that pain is being endured that makes us laugh.

[@JDSigma]

he looks like the son of vision and mark zuckerberg

[@alllifematters]

Aww, he is adorable :)

[@Spookspek]

6:31 Tbh, this made it funnier in a surreal way.

[@tcveatch]

Peter McGraw, you rock!

[@lauradesommar434]

great talk!

[@user-fs5fc1vv7y]

This theory is basically the Push Pull tactic in practice

[@MAHAraaj1]

Excellent talk!

[@daiphongnguyenvan3464]

When you do an unacceptable thing in an acceptable way🙂

[@DrJones20]

Although what defines acceptable can be subjective.

[@operachild]

Tickling isn't funny. Humor is a celebration of a break from what is expected.

[@jessefernandez5261]

Tickling isn't funny, but a break from the expected is insufficient to produce humor. Horror is a break from the expected, and the only difference between that and humor is the "celebration," you mentioned (more specifically, the feeling of mirth), which is a result and not a cause of the humorous thing.

[@andrewschroeder4167]

Are you kidding? Am I the only one who laughs at horror movies???

[@puttputt524]

Joe Sielski I’ve thought about it and I agree with you but I still can’t place why cats are funny.

[@gregoryscott3858]

Andrew Schroeder You are definitely *not* the only one who laughs at horror movies :-)

[@Jay-kx5cb]

Horror is simply a violation but humor is a benign violation

[@nfcoard]

I know that many dogs respond with excitement, friendliness and happiness when you laugh. But I don't know if they have a sense of humor. Dogs and many other animals can immediately know if you are feeling fear or feeling love or joy. No matter what your body language is or if you're back is turned to them a dog can sense if you're feeling fear or feeling happiness or love. They literally feel whatever emotion you are feeling. Most of us humans need body language or tone of voice indicators.

[@angelicwarrior118]

I can't believe I'm watching this video on its tenth anniversary.

[@elkerobi8737]

What started out as a hobby, worked out to be something that brought lasting changes to my life. As a single mom I didn't have a lot to do when I wasn't cooking, cleaning the house or taking my son to school. I stumbled across binary options when I was looking for something to do that would give me extra money. I suffered losses due to scammers pretending to be legit brokers. I was about to quit when I stumbled upon a post from someone about Mr Jason McQueen, I had mixed feelings about it but still I decided to give him a try. He helped me resolve all my problems within an interval of 10 days. here's his Instagram page if there is anyone here with any problem write him up (@Jason_real.fx) OR WhatsApp: [phone]

[@Whitegoogle]

at the end i was expecting: "now please stand up"

[@zaveeramini9712]

Finally someone cracked the secret of what make something funny

[@scottashe984]

A not funny person should not lecture on comedy.

[@danaputera7197]

One thing is certain, it's hard and takes a genius to be able to explain humor humorously.

[@m0000ry]

SO SMART, SO SIMPLE

[@SoulSugarJoint]

If I were in the audience, security would have to carry me out bc I kept laughing at the fact this man asked us to tickle each other at the beginning of his speech

[@abrohamproductions8263]

Talk Summary: Take a violation and make it sound casual or take something normal and make it catastrophic. Create a benign violation.

[@swine13]

So Joe Wilkinson vs James Acaster. Gotcha.

[@ConceptHut]

This was fantastic.

[@jorsc5158]

he totally paid people to laugh that hard in the audience, smart guy

[@jorsc5158]

+Jordan Scruggs (jordan scruggs) HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH

[@noahway13]

+Jor Sc (jordan scruggs) Just because you didn't get the jokes, it does not mean he had to pay people to laugh.

[@fuckthismusic]

+JustKeith His jokes are awesome,and it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm rich

[@mollyprice3568]

No he didn't. Go look-up TED cult.

[@biglloyd5870]

Jor Sc I was dying the whole time and I'm broke. And u can't b the funniest urself since ur here

[@ThePillowGrabber]

It's still tickling yourself. But I get your point and it's true, too.

[@JxSTICK]

HI I LIKE CATS, thank you for listening to my TED talk