commentr/StutterOctober 30, 2016

Content

being charming is not the same as being funny. being charming is easy: listen to people, ask them leading questions (not in the "legal" sense of the word) when they are talking about something they like, and state contrary opinions as questions or hypotheticals instead of challenges. stuttering changes none of those things (except in the case of assholes, and dont worry about them) being funny is also easy if you keep 1 simple rule in mind: no jokes. jokes require exact timing, exact wording, and exact cadence. this is not as bad as it sounds because, even for fluent people, jokes are a crutch non-funny people use to make others think they are funny. my brand of humor is to lace my speech with puns and double-entendres and just hope people pick up on it as well as a good amount of facial and body humor (not slapstick but you would be surprised by the effectiveness of a well timed shrug or glance around the room). I also have a family member who stutters and he is one of the funniest people i know. he pulls it off by simply making outrageously inappropriate statements (acting like a child demanding ice-cream while we were at a funeral, for example).

Themes

Identity & DisabilityEmotional Experience

Subthemes

Identity & Self-PerceptionHope & Motivation