Let’s face it, there are people in this world that were not blessed with the gift of humor, and sometimes these people are our teachers, bosses, ect… This means that when these people take a shot at a joke you have to take a shot at trying to laugh at it.

The whole reason you have to laugh at their jokes is because it is good etiquette, but laughing, and making it obvious that it’s fake, is just as bad. This is the reason I’m giving you pointers on how to make it look real, so that you’ll have good manners and maybe even score some brownie points with whoever it is your fake laughing at.
1.
First and for most make sure that what the person said was meant to be funny so that you don’t embarrass them or yourself.
2.
Once you have concluded that what was said was meant as a joke break eye contact, because no matter how good of a fake laugher you are it all becomes obvious when they see that your eyes aren’t laughing as well, and no one can do that by force.
3.
Try not to make the laugh loud. Simple bounces of the shoulders and/or (depending on how funny the unfunny person finds the joke) an airy kind of laugh should suffice in making them think you think they’re funny.
4.
Words of encouragement such as “That was a good one!” “You crack me up!” or maybe even something simple like “That was funny.”
5.
In the case that encouragement encourages them to try and add to the joke, or even worse, make a new one the best idea is to abort the mission. Just give a short, full hearted sounding laugh and change the subject as quick as you can.
6.
Lastly never tell ANYONE when or to whom you fake laugh. Try your best not to say thar he or she is unfunny to anyone because one slip of the tongue from said person could ruin the allusion for the unfunny person for the rest of their time knowing you.

Fake laughing is not lying, it’s a way to insure that exchanges between people are not as awkward as they could be. Not only can fake laughing make you look good in front of your superiors it can also be a real self-esteem booster for a friend or family member, so the next time some ones joke falls flat and you feel like rolling your eyes just “laugh.”