Detached Ability

Some people can be really funny when they apply themselves. They can sit down, think about a joke or concept and work on it to craft comedy. Some people get in a funny mood. They tell a funny joke which helps them to make another one and the momentum just keeps going. I have detached comedy. Even when I am tired or cranky or sad, my brain just comes up with jokes.

Between me watching Comedy Central stand-up since I was a small child, and my dad making the corniest jokes possible, I am so completely immersed in comedy that my mind thinks in jokes. I don’t have to be in joke mode. Frankly, I can’t turn joke mode off. It ends up being a blessing and a curse, especially if you are in a very serious situation like a wedding, funeral, or a big fight.

But this kind of thing doesn't happen with just making jokes. This applies to any ability. It works for my proofreading skills, too. If I am walking around and I see a poster or flier, I cannot help but find every typo in it. It is another detached skill. I can't turn it off. And it, too, is both a blessing and a curse.

Still, I think that detached skill is a good thing. It's like breathing; because you do it automatically, you never have to remember to do it (though you can always switch from automatic to manual when you want to). Keep practicing your skills and thinking about them. Immerse yourself in your skills and they will eventually become a detached ability. They can make certain parts of life much easier.