Why Do People Tell Jokes When They’re Nervous?

When people feel nervous, they tell jokes because it helps them feel better. It’s like when you’re scared of a monster and you start laughing, it makes the monster seem smaller. Jokes are like magic tricks that help your brain say, 'I’m not as worried as I thought.'

Jokes make people laugh, and laughter feels good. When you feel happy, being nervous doesn’t hurt as much. So telling jokes helps the brain forget about stress for a little while.