What Comedy Teaches Us About Business with Dr. Peter McGraw

Want to hear a joke? So does Dr. Peter McGraw, behavioral economist and humor researcher.

An author and director of the Humor Research Lab at the University of Colorado – Boulder, McGraw’s career has focused on the scientific study of humor. On this week’s episode of the Start With a Win podcast, McGraw joins RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos to share how humor is at the forefront of conversation with the presence of social media, and how it ultimately weaves into business.

According to McGraw, researchers have been trying to crack the code of humor for more than 2,500 years, stemming back to the times of Plato and Aristotle.

McGraw is part of the movement to use science in identifying the root of humor and how it evolves across society through time. Within his research lab, he runs A/B tests on subjects with the goal to find out what’s so funny.

“We laugh at, and are amused by, things that are wrong – and yet, OK,” McGraw says of the mentality and social implications behind humor.

He believes that comedy is a powerful tool. And those who practice the art walk a very fine line to ensure they create engagement without being offensive.

“It’s not a matter of being funny, it’s a matter of thinking funny,” he explains.

In its application to business, McGraw shares an idea that entrepreneurs can adapt for their own creative processes.

In a manner of what he describes as the opposite of brainstorming, McGraw suggests coming up with “truly terrible ideas” to get the creative process going. Sometimes with this method, he says, people find an idea that’s off-the-wall – and it just might work for themselves and their business.

Tune into this week’s podcast to learn more about the science and psychology behind humor from McGraw.

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