Chances are we all have this kind of experience, and it’s okay— you should even have a laugh about them.
Laughing at yourself means embracing who you really are.[1]
Most of us have insecurities, or feel bad about ourselves because of past mishaps. However, it’s normal to be imperfect—it’s our imperfections that make us humans. That being said, you should stop worrying about having to convince others of your worth, or maintaining an ideal image of yourself. Let them worry about how they judge you instead. What’s important is that you are honest with yourself about who you are, and accept yourself despite your flaws. Self-acceptance is key to self-confidence, and you won’t be able to laugh at yourself without first accepting yourself!
Being a little sceptical about yourself actually helps to boost your confidence.
Usually, people who are able to laugh at themselves are the optimistic ones; and optimistic people tend to be more successful in life.[2]. This is because poking fun at ourselves contributes to our mental health and helps lift our mood in the face of difficulties or embarrassment. More importantly, it helps us realize our own weaknesses so we know which areas to do better. Another study indicated that joking about your own mistakes means you are able to move on from them.[3] This is a personality trait that is beneficial to your mental well-being, helping you perform well in stressful situations, contributing to your general happiness. So, knowing how to joke about your weaknesses actually means you’re happy and confident about yourself — no one is more attractive than a confident person!
When you laugh at yourself, people will probably like you more because you’re being real.
While laughing at someone else may hurt their feelings even if you didn’t intend to, laughing at yourself does not—you might even bring a smile to their faces (surprised?). Don’t worry about losing respect from others, because people actually appreciate it when you laugh at yourself.[4] Laughing at yourself shows that you have the courage to do so and you’re being real about your imperfections, making people think you are likeable instead of cranky and uptight all the time. You don’t need to take yourself seriously all the times, just laugh about yourself more. Don’t know how to start with that? Try this:
Try to laugh about your past experiences, that’s how you find materials for some good jokes.
Laughing at yourself isn’t always easy, but you can start with some past experiences or little flaws in your. Try to understand yourself better, think about the things you’re bad in. Think about some past mistakes you made — was it the time you messed up a document with another colleague? or the time you forgot about an important appointment? Instead of criticizing yourself all over again, spin the mistakes in a positive way. Think of some small details of that experience that you also find them silly to laugh at until today. Just remember: it is human to make mistakes; and you have to accept yourself just as you are—a perfectly flawed person. Learn to laugh at yourself, and you will be so much happier.
