EED Classic: The Value and Risk of Humor

Twenty years ago, ExchangeEveryDay had this to say:

Humor eases tension and speeds learning at work, says Peter Desberg, a professor at California State University, Dominguez Hills, in the Wall Street Journal (September 16, 1986). According to Desberg...

"Nurses who can joke about death are better at coping with the stress of dying patients than nurses who can't appreciate such humor. But a businessman who tells great jokes won't get more information across unless the humor is related to his point. Joking in the workplace usually backfires if it's hostile or in poor taste. Puns often damage communication because they're aimed at proving the punster's cleverness and get in the way of making a point."

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