How to Take a Joke (9 Steps)

- Fun is fun. But when the joke's on you, sometimes it's hard to know how to react, respond, and continue having a good time. If you want to know how to take a joke, then you have to learn to stay calm, be more easygoing, and understand that it comes from a good place. But if the joke is really meant to hurt you, then it's time to stand up for yourself. Keep reading for detailed instructions on how to take a joke after the jump.

Steps

1. Just laugh. Try to remember that most jokes are good-natured attempts at being funny. Sometimes, we take the cheapest route to funny, and usually that takes the form of taking a shot at someone. If the shot's aimed at you, try to remember that person is just trying to be funny - it's probably about him more than about you.

2. Control your temper. It's a bad idea to respond to a joke with anger. Calm yourself and tell yourself over and over that you do not need to be angry.

3. Ignore it. If you are offended by the joke, ignore it. Don't laugh at it. If the joker says, "Oh (your name), you can't take a joke!" just ignore it. You can actually end up having a bit of a laugh on him or her just by looking confused and saying something like, "Oh, was that a joke? Huh." Showing the others that you didn't get the humor there can give you a little leg up on the joker without making you look like a jerk. 

4. Try to remember, most of the stuff they say isn't to hurt you. Jokes are about just trying to have fun. Instead of getting mad about it, you can even laugh along and join in, and even add your own joke about that person, or even continue the joke on yourself (you look like an excellent sport, and as a bonus, others think you are very confident when you do so). But only do it for fun, not as a form of revenge on the instigator.

5. Express your feelings calmly. Sometimes, you feel that enough is enough, or you just aren't in the mood to be the butt of a joke. If you feel that you just can't take anymore, or you find yourself boiling up inside,then tell the person how you feel, and chances are she/he will understand. 

6. Consider the source. Some people make inane jokes simply because they like to hear themselves talk. Some people have the wrong idea that all insults are funny, and so they insult you, and the insult may or may not even be true. Saying a joke that obviously isn't really true is just a lie - example: "You're like a dumb blond." Know that you are not whatever negative things said; if you know you aren't a dumb blond, whatever is said is meaningless.

7. Smile and play along (sometimes). There are a few scenarios where this response might be appropriate, such as at school when those making the jokes don't know you well, or don't realize they're annoying you. At times, if you can show yourself to be a gracious good sport, you can win respect from those making the comments, and make new friends out of the deal. Another scenario where this is a good response is when you actually do something funny to prompt the joke, such as spilling water on yourself. Everyone will laugh and some doofus will turn around and say, "Oh, check it out - taking a swim!" or some other nonsense, as if you weren't already embarrassed and uncomfortable enough. But instead of getting mad, realize that you will still be wet whether or not you can just relax and get over it. Laugh, point at the wet spot and say, "D'oh! And I left my beach towel at home." The others will laugh along, and you'll have had the last laugh. Bonus points for turning to the prettiest girl (or handsomest guy) in the room with a little eyebrow wiggle and suggestive smile, and saying, "Can I borrow yours?" 

8. Be easygoing. Going with the flow of things is often the best way to deal with idiots. There are a lot of (especially young) people who haven't really understood the finer points of real humor. They find "random" things and insults funny, and so say "random" things and insult people without realizing that a random response is only funny in those circumstances where a remark is made that is totally unexpected, or that an insult is only funny if it isn't so pointed that it hurts someone. The best way to handle these people is to laugh along a little bit, and then find ways to adjust their attempts at humor (by making your own, better jokes).

9.  Don't be a doormat. There's a difference between being a nice, easygoing person who can take a joke, and being a doormat. If someone is always using you for a punching bag, it gets old. You will need to speak up for yourself. If this is necessary, try taking the person aside and saying, "Hey man, I've been a good sport for a while, but it's getting old. The things you're saying are hurting me. Please, stop. Don't choose someone else to pick on, just stop." If s/he gets defensive and/or continues to pick on you, don't bother trying to keep it between the two of you any longer. Stand right up in front of everyone and say, "You know, when I talked to you about this privately, I thought I made it clear that I am tired of you picking on me. I told you it hurts my feelings, and now it's just making me mad. Please stop it." It's a virtual guarantee that s/he'll be mortified that you called him or her out in front of everyone. Either s/he'll mumble an apology and leave you alone, or pick on you again. This time, you won't have to do anything— everyone else will jump to your defense, because you'll have made your discomfort known. If they don't, consider finding better friends. 

Tips

• Read up on jokes - if it's an actual joke (i. e., a specific blond joke) directed at you it always helps to have heard the joke a billion times before, and possibly be able to say the punchline before someone else does. That will either amuse the person, or show him or her that joking about you is pointless.
• If all else fails, try saying, "I got the bullseye tonight - all right. Go ahead, do your worst." Let this person make his or her jokes. Then say, "Is that it? Is that all you got?" Hopefully, this person gets the point that you've had enough. If the jabs continue, walk away with a smile, and a shake of your head that tells everyone watching that some people just don't know when to quit. You will end up looking better out of it than the other guy.
• Always try to blow it off at first. If it continues, you can talk to the perpetrator.
• A smile and a mock expression of affront are a great defense.

Warnings

Be able to tell the difference between a joke and bullying. Sometimes, very offensive jokes or slurs are enough, and should be dealt with in a positive manner. Do not let them get the best of you, if telling them about it leads to more "joking", ignore them and get some help.

• Be aware that sometimes it's best to just walk away from certain situations. Standing up for yourself, unfortunately, may make you an even bigger target if there's a serious bully involved.

(Source)

 Further Reading:
5 Things everyone gets wrong about being offended

How to stop taking jokes seriously

40 Mind Blowing Pokemon Secrets and Facts

(gameranx.com) - The ever-popular Pokemon series has done an amazing job of garnering one of the largest followings of any franchise to date. The games have provided something that the trading card game and popular anime series can not: true interactivity. The Pokemon video games are probably the closest gamers will ever get to actually training, breeding and battling their very own "Pocket Monsters."
All of that said, this doesn't mean we can't delve a bit deeper into the Pokemon canon. We've compiled a list of some of the coolest and most intriguing Pokemon facts, secrets and rumors we could find.
Without further ado, and in no particular order, let's begin!

40. Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee are based on Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, respectively.

39. If a Pokemon existed that had every type, it would be weak only to Rock types.

38. Ekans spells "Snake" backwards, and Arbok "Kobra."

37. Poliwag’s swirls actually resemble a real-life tadpole’s intestines.

36. Arcanine was originally intended to be a legendary Pokemon, but was replaced by Moltres.

35. Tangela wasn’t actually able to learn Vine Whip in Generation One.

34. Every Spinda has a unique pattern of spots; there are over 4 billion combinations in-game.

33. The names for each of the three legendary birds ends in Spanish: ArticUNO, ZapDOS and MolTRES.

32. Mr. Mime can also be a girl, even though the female Pokemon's name would still include "Mr."

31. Azurill has a 25 percent chance of changing gender when it evolves.

30. Wailord can breed with Diglet...

29. Pikachu (Mouse Pokemon) has a pokedex number of 25, while Meowth (Cat Pokemon) has one of

52. Reverse those, and you can see that they are the opposite of one another, just like cats and mice.

28. Gengar is a Shadow type Pokemon and this "shadow" may be related to how similar it looks to Clefable. 

27. "Pokemon" is not a Japanese word, but rather a combination of the two English words “pocket” and “monster.”

26. In the original Red and Blue versions of the game, you could tell the gender of a Pokemon by its Attack Rate and Defense Rate; this did not apply to legendary Pokemon.

25. In the original games the player could cut a tree down, stand where it used to be, save/restart and end up on top of the tree.

24. If a Pikachu from Pokemon Yellow is uploaded to Pokemon Stadium, it will be voiced by Ikue Ohtani and have unique sound effects.

25. In Japan, the Pokemon move "Splash" did not exist; it was called "Hop," which explains why Splash is a Physical ability and not a Water one.

24. In the original Pokemon Red and Blue, it was possible to fish in any of the big statues inside Pokemon gyms.

23. Secret wallpapers for the Pokemon Storage System exist throughout the series.

22. Diamond Dust is a special kind of snow unique to Snowpoint City, Mt. Silver's Summit and Icirrus City; it appears only on certain days.

21. It’s rumored that the music in the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town prompted young people around the world to become suicidal.


20. Hypno, a Pokemon with the ability to hypnotize his opponents, has been known to kidnap children.

19. If the player speaks to Dawn or Lucas on their birthday, they will wish the player happy birthday; this can only be done once the player has beaten the Elite Four.

18. In Pokemon Red and Blue, a scary man appears on top of the Cinnabar gym if you surf along the East coast and don’t have the key to the town's gym.

17. Deino and its evolutions have the german numbers of one, two and three in their names: DEINo, ZWEIlous and HyDREIgon.

16. Doduo can learn fly, apparently by moving its legs around very fast, as evidenced by Pokemon Stadium.

15. Parasect is actually two Pokemon, but the mushroom portion is controlling the crab part of it as a parasite.

14. Rumors indicate that Giovanni’s Persian is a shiny, evidenced by its pink ears.

13. In 2008, Japanese scientists discovered a protein and named it “Pikachurin” because it worked very well with electricity.

12. Munna is referenced in Pokemon Red and Blue by a female Pokemon trainer standing outside of Rock Tunnel; it is also referenced in Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald.

11. Yamask Pokemon actually contain the souls of humans who lived long ago; the faces they carry are said to be those humans’ actual faces and cry when reminiscing of memories.
10. The first Kadabra was actually a boy with psychic abilities who awoke one morning transformed.
9. Rumors suggest that Genesect is actually a modified Kabutops.

8. Speculation by fans show that because your rival in Red and Blue had a Raticate during your battle on the S.S. Anne and did not in Lavender Town, that Raticate was actually killed during your battle.
7. Banette was a plush doll that came to life after being abandoned by its owner, whose main goal is now to seek vengeance on that owner.

6. Though proven to be untrue, it was believed that players could collect a Poke Ball containing the legendary Pokemon Mew underneath a truck on the port in Vermillion City.
5. Documents inside the Pokemon Mansion on Cinnabar Island show that Faraway Island was conceived long before its actual implementation.

4. The theme music for Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald was remixed and left in the game code for Platinum Version.

3. Bonsly is the first Generation Four Pokemon that can be caught and used in battle in a generation before it was introduced properly.

2. The theme music for the three legendary Dog type Pokemon - Suicune, Entei and Raikou - was remixed and left in the code for Ruby and Sapphire.

1. Though these aren't in any particular order, we saved one of our favorites for last: it’s rumored that Mew and Ditto are nearly one and the same, but that Ditto is a failed version of Mew. They both weigh 8.8 lbs, know Transform naturally, are pink but blue when shiny, and can learn every move – if only temporarily for Ditto.

So there you have it - 40 rumors, facts and secrets about the Pokemon franchise!

(Source)