Humor as a Thinking Technique

By the way.

Doesn't business need more "humor"? Especially the "vision" presented by executives is often overly serious and boring. Much of it doesn't serve as a guiding principle for concept development. Can't we do something about this? I've written about this before, and it's the theme that troubles me most right now.

What makes this so difficult is the very ambiguity of "What is humor?" Apparently, the French comparative literature scholar Fernand Barthes wrote a paper titled, bluntly, "Why Can't We Define Humor?" based on extensive research. Honestly, this might be beyond someone like me to tackle. When I asked a renowned management scholar, "Why do executives need a sense of humor?" he replied, "It's for communication, both internally and externally." Well, that's true... but I want to explore "humor" not just as a communication technique, but as a technique for thinking.

The "vision" a manager should present is often described as "fundamental values and purpose that transcend mere profit-making" or "realistic idealism." It requires articulating a unique path, not just an extension of the status quo. But from a manager's perspective, being suddenly asked to speak in such lofty terms is bound to be disconcerting. Management textbooks may rightly state that "leaders must cultivate the ability to discern truth, goodness, and beauty amidst ever-changing circumstances—that is, phronesis (practical wisdom)." Yet a different, more accessible guideline is needed.

The term "humor," defined in the Kojien dictionary only as "refined wit or humor; jest," is certainly not mere pranks or vulgar jokes.

During a time when Britain was suffering from recession, a reporter asked economist Keynes about the uncertain future of the country's economy.

Reporter: In the long run, what will happen to us?

Keynes: Yes. In the long run, we'll all be dead.

Sociologist Shinya Morishita points out that humor's true nature lies in the "discrepancy" from the countless "schemas" accumulated in daily life—those assumptions like "if we do this, that should happen" or "if this happens, that will likely follow." He then outlines three principles for becoming a humorist: ① Be knowledgeable (because you can't start without knowing the "schemes" that create the deviation), ② Actively challenge yourself to "deviate" daily (by employing various techniques), and ③ Accept deviations with a broad-minded attitude.

What if we said, "To present a vision, managers must consciously apply these three principles"? That would make things much clearer, wouldn't it?

Literature on humor can be quite dense. Seeing books like Lessons in Humor, An Introduction to the Science of Laughter, Esprit and Humor, Laughter, and Laughter as Healing lined up on my desk feels a bit embarrassing—like I'm desperately clinging to a manual to become funny. Still, if I ever stumble upon hints for innovative thinking techniques, I'll share them in this column.

Enjoy!