Nobody is perfect when it comes to humor.

Similarly, old jokes can be great because there’s something that’s classically funny about them.

They can be consistent, but you have to use them carefully.

Learn the difference between a classic joke and a “clam”.

There’s a reason they’ve stuck around.

But a lot of old jokes are simply dated.

They were funny once!)

Everything has its life cycle.

Know which jokes are relevant and which aren’t.

If you recently saw it on TV, it’ll probably expire in a few weeks or months.

Watch other people in the group and learn from their missteps, too.

But before you speak, ask yourself:

Can you explain it concisely?

Will appeal to the people you’re speaking to?

Is the timing appropriate?

Sometimes, your joke or funny thought requires too many mental steps.

Alternatively, it could also just go right over people’s heads.

Shut up and let it marinate.

They just don’t have the same context to understand it.

Wrong audiences can cause the most volatile or cringeworthy mistakes.

Your humor won’t resonate with absolutely everyone, and that’s okay.

You Didn’t Escalate Enough

Connecting related jokes can be funny.

However, it can also sound repetitive if you don’t build on the previous joke enough.

Escalate the extremity or absurdity of the joke.

(Wow, I probably couldn’t make that sentence more humorless.

Also, “That escalated quickly,” willnotwork as a joke with every audience.)

It’s this skill that is, in the end, every comic’s bread and butter.

How does one develop it?

If you recognize one of these mistakes early on, just let the joke die.

Better yet, kill it yourself.

A quick, “Wow, you know what?

Hopefully, keeping your eyes peeled for these antipatterns can save you from cringeworthy moments.

Be careful with old jokes and tweak them a little bit.

ensure your ideas are fully developed, and you’re delivering them to the right audience.

Escalate jokes if you’re going to continue them.

Don’t stick to a script or routineadapt to the situation as it unfolds.

Photos byDeux Rondo,Julia,Marco Arment, andAngel Breton.