January 3, 2026: The Kind Joke

A little wisdom nugget.

Joke yourself instead of someone else.

If anyone has to be the butt of your jokes, make it you. Punch up at yourself, not down at others.

If your wisecrack leaves a person feeling smaller, rethink the punchline.

Self-deprecation is a superpower for diffusing tension in a room. And your own flaws are an infinite goldmine. No need to spotlight someone else’s.

A laugh earned at your own expense costs nothing.