If you had a choice between dating hot vs. funny, what would you choose? Both. No, both is not an option in this exercise. My guess is you’d say funny, as long as his appearance doesn’t have the same affect as ipecac syrup or two fingers down the throat.
So why do you want a man that makes you laugh? It’s not all about the one-liners. You could watch Comedy Central all day for that and still not find your match.
A man with a good sense of humor can make the tougher times more livable, an evening out more memorable, and keep you smiling. And when we genuinely smile, we look our best, take things in stride, get a healing endorphin release and open up to others. When we fake it, our faces hurt, we look insincere and we actually look our worst.
So how do you know if your guy is really funny?
• He doesn’t try too hard.
• He doesn’t put others down to make himself look better, unless they really deserve it, like car dealers who insist on appearing in their own local TV commercials with fake smiles that make their faces hurt, or anyone who defends big oil.
• You connect. It sounds obvious but someone who makes you laugh isn’t just a clown. He’s someone who finds absurdity in the same things you do, and it makes you laugh and brings you closer.
You want a guy who doesn’t take himself, or his appearance, too seriously. He’s ok with his flaws (they’re not hang-ups) and he’s not enamored with his own attributes, like naming his biceps Smith & Wesson or Cagney & Lacey. He’ll check himself out in a carnival mirror for grins, but not in every reflective surface between your home and the restaurant to make sure sector 9, row 32, hair 22B is still in place.
I always try to be straight with you, so in the spirit of full disclosure, I’m really funny. No, what I really mean is a sense of humor and funny are both part of a well-balanced social makeup, but it can’t be the entire deal. Be sure you’re not just an audience. If he always needs to be on and doesn’t seem interested in listening to what you or others have to say, keep him on the list of guys to invite to parties but off your list of potential mates.
