One of the best things I did this year was to take a 10-week stand up course by comedian Logan Murray.
It culminated in a live performance before 100 people at the Museum of Comedy, which is located next to the British Museum in London.
When I invited close friends and colleagues to the show, most were shocked. “That is so scary. Why would you do that?” they wondered.
I didn’t do it for the reasons many do. I wasn’t trying to improve my public speaking skills or reduce stage fright. I certainly wasn’t preparing for a side hustle or career transition.
It was more philosophical. Humour is so fundamental to human nature. I wanted to understand what makes a joke funny and why people laugh. How is humour related to curiosity and inquisitiveness?
I knew my friends would understand once they saw the show.
They are all curious, intelligent people. What I love most about them is that they share a sense of humour. They don’t take themselves too seriously. Over the years, we’ve bonded over laughter far more often than over food, drinks or holidays.
There is something about “sharing a laugh” that’s both primitive and profound.
I took the stand up comedy course to learn about this eternal form of human bonding.
Over 10 weeks, I studied with a group of total strangers. There were three semi-pro comedians, one ex-talk show host, a former concert singer, one private equity analyst, an entrepreneur, a former professor, a body guard and me.
We were taught key comedic concepts of status, spontaneity and storytelling. We critiqued each other’s performances. Everyone had a distinct style. We rarely talked about what we did in “real life.”
It felt strange to know so much about each other and yet nothing at all.
But it was a wonderful bonding experience and a beautiful memory.
Like the memory of visiting Greenland with total strangers in 2016.