[ISTJ] Hey ISTJ's, are you funny?

[Forever_Jung]

I was recently talking to some folk about ISTJ's, and they were saying ISTJ's are boring and lame. But I have a few ISTJ friends who often tickle me with their weird ISTJ humour. When I brought that up, someone tried to argue that ISTJ's CAN be funny, but they don't tend to be, since don't value humour as much as other types and have inferior Ne. The subject changed after that, but I was left with doubts...

So I have a few questions for ISTJ's:

1. Can you be funny?
2. Do you value humour, or even pride yourself on your wit?
3. Would you describe yourself as funny (is it a major part of who you are)?
4. What's your sense of humour like? What kind of jokes do you like to hear/tell, what kind of shows do you watch, who are your favourite comedians, etc.

I also open the floor for non-ISTJ's to tell me about their experience with humour and ISTJ's.

 

[brookeedesiree]

1. Can you be funny? Well, sometimes. Usually people don't find me funny, but rather, amusing because of all my weird quirks. I am laughed at for saying things that I don't even intend to be funny, but apparently they are. I also love facts, so I am constantly telling people super random - sometimes wrong - things, and that makes them laugh, but I would not say I'm funny.

2. Do you value humor? YES. I love laughing with/at people - even myself. I love people who are constantly making jokes about things, because I can be quite serious and cynical, so it's nice to be lighthearted for a change. I am not good at telling jokes though, because I end up mixing up my words/thoughts. I tend to think about a lot of things at once, so by the time I've started a joke, I'm not thinking about it anymore (if that makes sense). Probably some anxiety in there too.

3. Would you describe yourself as funny? No, because of reasons aforementioned.

4. What's your sense of humor like? I'm not sure...I laugh at a wide range of things...
What kind of jokes do you like to hear/tell? I really love internet humor, probably because it's so stupid, but somehow true. The problem is they don't always translate well out loud so well.

Another point I would like to mention is that I am a very literal person, so sometimes I don't pick up on sarcasm or jokes. I end up defending myself, and the person just laughs at me...

 

[starcatcher]

1. Can you be funny?
Yes, but generally it's when I'm not trying to be.
2. Do you value humour, or even pride yourself on your wit?
I value humor highly, and I find the people I most enjoy spending time with are the ones who can make me laugh. I don't consider myself to be an overly witty person, but I do like it when I manage to say things that are witty.
3. Would you describe yourself as funny (is it a major part of who you are)?
As said above, I'm generally funnier when I'm not trying to be. I find people acting surprised at my humor fairly often, but never when I'm actually intending to be humorous.
4. What's your sense of humour like? What kind of jokes do you like to hear/tell, what kind of shows do you watch, who are your favourite comedians, etc.
I have a very dry, sarcastic style of humor. I think this is what lends itself to unintentional humor. I don't really ever tell jokes. When it comes to comedy, I like shows that are either witty or dry, such as Gilmore Girls or The Office. I don't tend to seek out comedians. I often enjoy them when others take me to see them, but it's not a form of entertainment I care much for myself.

 

[Lady_X]

My ex husband was funny ish. We didn't always have the same sense of humor but I feel like he enjoyed humor a lot. I feel like he was pretty easy to laugh in social situations.

 

[citizen cane]

I allegedly am quite funny and have a very dry sense of humor.

 

[reckful]

My experience with ISTJs is that they're not likely to be class-clown types and they're more likely to be found telling a joke they learned previously than improvising funny banter on the spot — whereas I'm more prone to be an on-the-spot wiseass.

And I concur with two of the previous posters that ISTJs tend to have a "dry" sense of humor.

 

[Cimarron]

To me, there's an important distinction as to "a time and a place" to be funny. There's a time for humor and a time for seriousness. Or as Kiersey says, "work time and play time" that ISTJs separate. So if the person who says "ISTJs can't be funny" is a joker-type thinking of the times their ISTJ coworker told them to please focus and be serious when they were trying to finish a project at work/school/something, their perspective is situation-specific. Compounded with the way we often don't show emotions as vividly as others....

 

[Habba]

1. Can you be funny?
Absolutely! I'm hilarious!

2. Do you value humour, or even pride yourself on your wit?
I don't always have idols, but when I do, they are (intelligent) comedians.

3. Would you describe yourself as funny (is it a major part of who you are)?
Yes, being humorous is a large part of my persona. I use it to turn life's downs into ups.

4. What's your sense of humour like? What kind of jokes do you like to hear/tell, what kind of shows do you watch, who are your favourite comedians, etc.
Silly. Something like Conan O'Brian or Monty Python. But it's important to me that people are making fun of themselves, or "us" (as members of a larger group). I don't like making fun of others.

To me humor is an important part of anyone's persona, and I don't like people who are too serious. On the other hand, I don't like disruptive (something that creates chaos, like throwing food around the room) or attention seeking (mostly what Jim Carrey does, although he's still pretty funny at times) humor either. Witty remarks and contradictions are my thing. Especially if there's some hidden insight or wisdom attached.

Also, I don't do or like jokes. I just think they are lame. To me, humor is much more situtational and personal.

I think good example of my kind of humor would be this:
I'm having a discussion with at work: "...but that's just me. I'm a control freak." then casually point towards pile of gamepads on my desk (there's at least half-a-dozen game controllers).

 

[SD45T-2]

My ISTJ best friend is one of the funniest people I've ever met. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeadpanSnarker

 

[HongDou]

My family friend is ISTJ 1w9 sp/so and even though that stereotypically sounds really boring and dry he laughs a lot and is always one for humor and comedic relief. I'd say he's more about movement and motion than speech when he's trying to be funny and it usually works. His humor also comes in the way he points out logical fails and stuff like that. Oh, and inside jokes or things about him that only we'd understand. I'd say he's well-integrated into 7 too which helps. I'm not sure if he would describe himself as funny, though. Silly, yes, but I wonder how he assesses himself when it comes to being funny. Maybe not, because he's so used to taking charge or being the leader whenever he's with me and his siblings.

 

[Forever_Jung]

Great answers guys!

I have an ISTJ 1w9 friend who is also surprisingly funny, in a flat sort of way. She loves deconstructive, sarcastic stuff, but her baby Ne likes to come out and play sometimes too. She loves puns, although she doesn't usually make them herself. She doesn't mind going along for the free association ride with her ENFP girlfriend either. She also has an amazing memory for sitcom quotes. However, she absolutely hates people who get their kicks being disruptive and irresponsible in a work/academic setting.

I have an ISTJ 6w5 guy friend who is definitely more unintentionally hilarious (he's very serious and easily flustered, which makes for a humorous combo), but he occasionally is funny on purpose in a biting, cynical way.

 

[chubber]

My experience with them is, they can rip you off while making you feel good about it

 

[zulidadwi]

I can be funny and I like good humor but apparently not all people understand my good sense of humor, many people may called boring but some people always call me funny, freak, and full of contradiction

 

[chubber]

I can be funny and I like good humor but apparently not all people understand my good sense of humor, many people may called boring but some people always call me funny, freak, and full of contradiction

do you like dark humour?

 

[zulidadwi]

I prefer light humor, if you watched 2 broke girl series i like the humor in it but I didn't quite catch the humor in 'how i met your mother'

 

[chubber]

I prefer light humor, if you watched 2 broke girl series i like the humor in it but I didn't quite catch the humor in 'how i met your mother'

How about the movie Pulp Fiction or the series, Bashee or Shameless?

 

[zulidadwi]

How about the movie Pulp Fiction or the series, Bashee or Shameless?

Pulp fiction and Bashee, never watch it. But i've watched shameless, I do like the actor and how he played his part. Another reason why i want to become a psychologist

 

[Stansmith]

Jk.

 

[Jstrazz]

1. Can you be funny?
Yes, I can be very funny. I grew up in a household riddled with conflict and often used comic relief to ease the tension. I am also very melancholy and cynical, which adds to my humor. I think all ISTJ's are different: those that are very comfortable with themselves and confident tend to be the more stereotypical serious people and those who are not comfortable with themselves (like me) tend to use humor to ease the tension.
2. Do you value humour, or even pride yourself on your wit?
I do value humour, I think it is extremely important when people around you are being too serious. My wit is tough because many people I am around do not pick up on it.
3. Would you describe yourself as funny (is it a major part of who you are)?
I would definitely describe myself as funny. Many of my friends and acquaintances think tell me so. It is a very important part of me, mostly because I can use it to lighten the mood when there is conflict. I don't personally feel threatened by conflict, I love win/lose conversations and debating, but most other people hate it and feel uncomfortable by it and so I use it to "ease their pain" or whatever.
4. What's your sense of humour like? What kind of jokes do you like to hear/tell, what kind of shows do you watch, who are your favourite comedians, etc.
I do impressions of things both real and fictional, I love on the spot humour and improvisational humour. I love Louis C.K. and Kevin Hart. Funniest two men on the planet.

 

[Fox]

It is said that once you get to know an ISTJ they have an acute sense of humour!

1. Can you be funny?
Yes, very I think.

2. Do you value humour, or even pride yourself on your wit?
Yes.

3. Would you describe yourself as funny (is it a major part of who you are)?
When asked, I wouldn't describe myself as funny. But I do see myself as having a good sense of humour, but I wouldn't say that it's a major part of my personality.

4. What's your sense of humour like? What kind of jokes do you like to hear/tell, what kind of shows do you watch, who are your favourite comedians, etc.
I don't have any favourite comedians because I don't find myself watching any comedy shows, but I watch quite a few movies that make me laugh. My sense of humour is somewhere along the lines of puns and somewhat dark humour, but I also make people laugh just in the way that I talk sometimes and the stories of my childhood that I also speak of.