Everyone wants to date someone who’s funny and has a great sense of humor, right?
I’ve viewed countless online dating profiles that require that their match have a great sense of humor, or admit that they’re funny, but how can you tell without hearing their voice or meeting IRL?
You may of heard about the The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts from Gary Chapman’s bestselling book. It’s a terrific read and helps you to identify your love language to communicate better with your significant other, but did you know there different humor types that help you find a compatible date while looking for love online?
eHarmony Tested 6 Types of Humor
Our friends at eHarmony decided to put humor to the test. In a survey of over 1500 members, they got to view gifs and memes to rate which humor type they were the most comfortable with.
The humor categories, ranked in order are as follows:
- Physical Humor
- Bodily Humor
- Self-Deprecating Humor
- Wordplay Humor
- Surreal Humor
- Dark Humor
In the study, it revealed that not all types of humor are created equally.
It came to no surprise that physical humor ranked at the top of the dating humor totem pole, closely followed by bodily humor.
I spoke with Jonathan Beber, eHarmony’s Senior Research Scientist, who pointed out that participants who found Wordplay humor the funniest, sent out more messages than those who weren’t fans of Wordplay.
“Sharing a similar style of humor with a romantic partner could lead to more chemistry and better relationship quality during the course of the length of the relationship,” said Beber.
Dark humor was favored the least by those who participated in the study, where online and in digital conversations, the dark humor probably came off as creepy or insulting.
Women found self-deprecating humor, where they made fun of themselves and their shortcomings, significantly funnier than the men who were surveyed.
How do you find someone with a great sense of humor?
As a dating coach, my best advice is to show your sense of humor and be willing to laugh at yourself.
- In your profile, make a joke and promise your potential date you can make them laugh.
- Hop on a phone call, joke around, and keep the conversation light and fun.
- Meet quickly to see if you click. If your dark humor is a turn-off to someone, it’s better to find out sooner, rather than later.
- Remember that laughter is the best medicine. Say you’ll bring over chicken soup on demand if they’re under the weather.
Wishing you much love and joy in cyberspace, or wherever you may swipe or roam. xo
Julie Spira is America’s Top Online Dating Expert and Digital Matchmaker. She was an early adopter of Internet dating and has been helping singles find love online and on their mobile phones for over 20 years.
FOLLOW @JulieSpira on Twitter and Instagram
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Julie Spira is America's Top Online Dating Expert. She's an award-winning dating coach who's been helping singles find love online for 25+ years. Follow @JulieSpira on IG.
