Often after someone has lost a family member, they’ll say “I’ll always remember her smile, the way she laughed, the little jokes she would tell to lighten the mood.”

Could it be we love people who have a great sense of humor? I’ve always thought so. And now we have scientific proof of what many of us long suspected. Humor is one of the things we enjoy most about life and, frequently, the people we love are the ones who make us smile.

Fortunately for those of us who probably aren’t that funny, humor is most often in the eye of the beholder. The guys at work may not laugh at your wise cracks, but if SHE laughs, well that’s all that matters.

For a long time, nobody in the scientific world knew much about humor. But during the past 20 years, more and more research has been done. We know what parts of our brains deal with humor. We also know when a baby starts to develop a sense of humor.

So don’t hesitate. Let your funny bone show through!

* When you think something is funny, don’t be afraid to let it out. Just think first if your remark might be taken the wrong way by those within earshot. Humor is great — foot-in-mouth is less great.

* Use humor to ease uncomfortable situations. When the mood starts to get tense, an appropriate chuckle and humorous side remark can get everyone back on track.

* If you’re not naturally funny, read cartoons, joke books, the laugh lines at the back of Reader’s Digest, and pay attention to how script writers set up funny situations on TV. You CAN learn to be more humorous than you are. Pay attention to humor and your sense of humor will develop.

Above all else, be someone who APPRECIATES humor. Try not to make someone feel bad when you don’t find their attempt at humor to be all that funny. As long as the humor isn’t in grossly poor taste, give your humorist a smile. And be one who isn’t afraid to chortle and guffaw when someone really pushes your funny button. A good laugh can be the best medicine you’ve had all day.

But for many, laughter doesn’t come easy. Making your special guy or gal laugh can be difficult, and if you’re nervous, or awkward, around them, it’s going to be even worse. What can you do?

Well… it’s not easy. And it’s something that you need to practice at. But making your partner laugh can not only be the most satisfying part of the day, but you’ll make’em feel like a million bucks.

So, where do you start, and how can you put a smile on their face for sure?

Something to Keep in Mind Before Continuing…

This is something that no book, report, article, or movie will tell you.

Everyone is different. They laugh differently, they love differently, and they endure hardship differently. And because of that, each person will laugh at something different.

There is no one way to make someone laugh – and there is no one way to make someone not laugh. Knowing your partner, and knowing what they like, really is the key to making them laugh.

That being said, this article is here for informational purpose only. These are ways that I, and other men and women, have found to make their partners laugh, from what not to do, the foundation of the laugh, and more.

I’m not saying that you’re going to become the next Dane Cook with this article – but you should have a better idea how to please your lover in the funny department.

What Not to Do to Make them Laugh…

I thought that we would start this off right – by putting things to avoid in here, before anything else. You can be the funniest person in the world, after all, but if you don’t know when to stop, you’re going to get annoying.

Pranks are Not Cute

Yeah, yeah, we’ve seen the old throw-ice-down-their-pants-when-they’re-sleeping prank a hundred and two times… but has your partner ever, once, thought it was at least a little funny?

The answer to that question is a resounding ‘no’. Remember that pranks are only funny on television, and that your partner is not going to appreciate you cementing their car, throwing ice on them, or jumping into bed at two in the morning drunk. No matter how funny you find it to be.

What Works on Your Friends…

What’s funny with your friends often isn’t funny with your partner, no matter how ‘with it’ they are. Many times, your partner won’t want to be considered ‘with it’ – they want to be your ‘it’. Most people have more friends of their own gender than the opposite, so your humor will be both from them and aimed to make them laugh.

Take the time to learn what your partner thinks is funny, you will quickly pick up cues as to what they find funny when you start trying, and then you can improve on what works and cut out what doesn’t!

Don’t Be Funny by Being a Jerk/Jerkess…

It’s not cute to flirt with the waitress or waiter when your partner just made a joke about you going home with him or her. They made that joke not to be funny, but to cover up their insecurities – so flirting with that person is going to make it worse.

Being cruel and saying things that are meant to undermine your partner while you pretend to be joking are a surefire way to being single not to get a laugh!