What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t come back? A stick.  It is a toss up as to which is more foolish, telling this joke or expecting you to laugh at it.  The problem with being foolish is that it often stems from ignorance, insecurity and discomfort.  Effective foolishness uses jokes which connect, encourages laughter which leads to learning and leaves your audience wanting more.

Your insecurity and your ignorance can cause you to behave foolishly.  Trying to hide either often results in you showing
more than you know, literally.  Wanting to have all the answers or at least project the confidence that you do can turn you in to an unwitting fool.

How often have you actually interrupted someone to point out that what they are saying is off the mark?  Rarely since if you do you can be seen as rude and, after all, you don’t want to appear to be a fool just in case they are not so far of the mark.  The result?  As a presenter, you mistake courtesy, no one disagreeing with you, for consent. Don’t be foolish simply say, “I don’t know and I will get back to you”.  This way you leave them at least wanting your answer.

Using a joke to distract your listeners from a weakness in your presentation may break the tension but it does not build your reputation. Make the effort to use jokes to endear and make clear the subject at hand.

There is a marked difference between using foolishness and simply being a fool. The word problem originally means to throw or lay before which begs the question who is doing the throwing?

When you stick to jokes that connect, laughter which leads to learning you won’t feel the need to exaggerate your expertise.  Your audience will come back to you and stick with you when they can learn and laugh with you and not just at your foolishness.