"Shared laughter creates a bond of friendships. When people laugh together, they cease to be young and old, teacher and pupils, worker and boss. They become a single group of human beings." -- W. Lee Grant

It is true that shared laughter creates a bond. After Carole visits her most treasured friends she always says they laughed together a lot. That is why she enjoys spending time with them. I once saw a study that said the surest way to predict if a new couple would go on a second date was whether they had laughed together during their first date.

That is why motivational speakers are frequently advised to use humor in their presentations. It is the quickest way to unite a group. A united group is easier to motivate to participate in discussions and exercises. A united group is easier to persuade.

Performances by staff members at programs like California Clown Campin' are an important part of the curriculum. The initial Staff Bits performance introduces each staff member and allows them to establish their credibility as entertainers. That performance also starts to unite the group. The Staff on Stage performances in the morning and evening each day are excellent examples of entertainment that staff members can refer to during class sessions, but they also strengthen the bonds between the group. As a result the participants feel freer to approach staff members with questions and comments. Participants also begin to share ideas with each other. Those bonds of friendships were part of the reason Clown Camp ® was so successful for thirty years. I have heard more than one person say they felt like it was a family and they looked forward to returning each year for the "family reunion." That is a major reason why California Clown Campin' was founded by a group of people who had met at Clown Camp ®. They did not want those relationships and that kind of an experience to end.

Some people involved in ministry avoid using humor because they consider the lesson they are trying to teach to be serious and important. However shared laughter is part of the foundation for clown ministry and other variety arts ministries. Humor creates bonds that make the presentation more effective. Also, one of the goals in a group of believers is to create bonds between members. That way they will support and encourage each other. Everything in a ministry presentation does not need a message or spiritual application. There should be a lesson included in some part of the presentation, but the goal of parts of the presentation should be generating shared laughter.

While shared laughter creates bonds, humor targeting a member of the group or inappropriate humor shatters those bonds and fractures the group. It will alienate some members of the audience who then erect barriers between themselves and others, particularly towards the person making the inappropriate comment. They start to resist participating with the group. They refuse to be persuaded by the presenter.

Another type of humor to be cautious of, especially if you are running a meeting, is inside jokes. One year the officers of a magic club I belonged to had several inside jokes that were understood by a few of their friends. They referred to those jokes frequently at meetings. The majority of the members felt excluded from the leadership clique and attendance at meetings plummeted.

How can you use shared laughter to create bonds with others? What can you do to avoid inappropriate humor that may break those bonds? How can you create opportunities for shared laughter that unites a group? How can you take advantage of a united group?