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           Most workplaces could do with a bit more humor. Not only does it best mood and morale, but levitycan enhance team performance and even your bottom line. Humor boosts sales and productivity. It makesadvertising memorable. Leaders who use humor appear more competent and likeable. It transformstraining and chores into something enjoyable, increases employee retention and attracts eager newhires. It flattens hierarchies, enhances collaboration, heightens bonding and encourages people totake positive risks. Humor lowers stress, builds resilience, reduces hostility, deflects criticism,improves morale, creates engagement and helps management communicate difficult messages.Humor essentially costs nothing and provides terrific returns—indeed, a 2011 study by researchersat Pennsylvania State University found that a good laugh activates the same regions of the brain thatlight up over a fat bonus check. Perhaps best of all, it makes coming into the store or office moreenjoyable for everyone. So what’s the punch line? The rather depressing one is that many bossesand workers, especially those in more “professional” settings, think humor is a bad idea … at leastin their particular circumstances, at their particular place of work. And that mindset is growing. Inboth the workplace and society, we are increasingly shying away from levity. According to some studies, wespend about a third as much time laughing as people did in the 1930s. Another study found that 90 percent ofcorporate emails are completely devoid of humor, not even a chirpy sign-off. What could explain this?There are three main reasons, all of which you can probably guess. First, humor is often viewed asinappropriate for the serious discourse of business, particularly in health and wellness industries.Second, it’s hard for many of us to do comedy well (it can feel like a divinely bestowed gift—youwere either the funny kid in school or you weren’t). Third, it’s dangerous. Jokes are about a sharedview of the world, an understanding of the same cultural and linguistic touchpoints and, crucially, awillingness to violate the same norms and laugh at the same things. When they bomb, it’sostracizing. If a quip or story is viewed as offensive, it can damage the teller’s professional standingby making them appear lacking in judgement and intelligence, or worse, possibly even bigoted orsexist.
         “The violating nature of humor is what makes it risky,” says Maurice Schweitzer, a professor ofbusiness at the University of Philadelphia’s Wharton School and the author of several studies onworkplace humor. “Jokes that go too far over the line of appropriateness cause an ‘eeeek’ reaction.Rather than thinking that the joke teller is intelligent and competent (as happens when someonelands a good one), observers think, ‘What an idiot!’ Or, ‘I can’t believe he just said that!’” In short,humor is one more wonder drug that can kill you. It’s not unwise to be wary of its power. Theargument for avoiding humor because it somehow betrays your professionalism is widespread. Butin contrast to the very real risk in telling jokes, that view is built mostly on falsehoods. “Theresearch is clear: Humor can be one of the most powerful tools we have for accomplishingSERIOUS things. Gravity and levity aren’t at odds,” says behavioral scientist Jennifer Aaker,co-author of Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life.
【題組】38. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
(A) The pros and cons of humor
(B) Humor and professionalism
(C) Humor in the workplace
(D) The paradox of telling jokes