Everyone has a sense of humor. Others might not seem all that funny to you, or they might not laugh at the things that make you laugh. But everyone has their own sense of what's funny to them.

Were you the class clown? The kid who was always on, always trying to crack everyone up? Or were you the quiet kid who mostly kept to herself and barely spoke, but when you did chime in, you would say something that was really funny?

Everyone can be funny — you just need to find your style. You need to figure out how to communicate what you think is funny to your audience, in your own way, and make them think it's funny too.

People also guard their sense of humor passionately. That's the blessing and the curse of comedy — immediate feedback. If someone goes to a play featuring an actress who isn't that great, she might make a snide comment to her friends after the show, but she won't stand up and shout, “You suck!” in the middle of Act One. But when comedy isn't funny, the audience will tell you. On the spot. You can count on it.

If you make a funny comment, professionally or not, people will let you know that they don't find you witty at all. They won't even hesitate; it's almost a defensive reaction: “How dare you assault my sense of humor!”