The unsung hero behind humor, leadership, and lifelong growth.
What if the real key to being funny… had nothing to do with being funny?
That might sound like a setup to a joke, but I mean it seriously. When people ask if humor can be learned (and yes, it absolutely can), the conversation usually jumps to timing, wordplay, delivery. All of that matters. But those are surface-level skills.
The real foundation—the thing that makes those skills work—is curiosity.
Think about the funniest people you know. They’re not just quick with a joke; they’re sharp-eyed. They notice things. They make you laugh because they’ve picked up on some oddly specific, weirdly accurate detail about life and held it up to the light. They shine a spotlight on what you’ve seen a hundred times—but never quite like that.
That’s the work of a curious mind.
Curiosity is the starting point not just for humor, but for almost everything worth doing well. It’s the engine behind learning, leadership, resilience, and even empathy. Curious people tend to ask better questions. They pay better attention. They’re less likely to assume they already know everything, and more likely to discover something new—whether it’s in a conversation, a spreadsheet, or a stand-up set.
“Be curious, not judgmental.”
Attributed to Walt Whitman… but also Ted Lasso 🙂
The Stoics, despite their reputation for seriousness, understood this deeply. Epictetus taught that “it is impossible to begin to learn that which one thinks one already knows.” And Marcus Aurelius often reminded himself to observe without judgment. Those are the seeds of curiosity: humility and openness.
So how do we cultivate that mindset?
Start by admitting you don’t have all the answers. Not as an act of self-deprecation—but as an invitation to grow. Curiosity is what allows us to say, “I don’t get it… but I’d like to.” And from there, all sorts of good things follow: better questions, better conversations, and, often, better punchlines.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.” That’s not weakness. That’s strength. That’s a worldview built on curiosity.
And maybe even a little humor.
Because once you open your eyes to the quirks, inconsistencies, and odd little truths of life, you realize the world is already writing the jokes—you just have to be curious enough to notice them.
Want to be funnier, wiser, or just more present in everyday life?
Start by getting more curious. Everything else gets better from there.