4 in 5 daters fancy someone who’d make them laugh

Have you ever hesitated to tell a joke or even refrained from doing so, fearing your date’s reaction? Well, for many women, this is a concern, with 1 out of 7 being convinced that men are the funnier gender, and only 1 in 13 believing women are naturally funnier.

In time for World Laughter Day observed on the first Sunday of May, I would like to share with you new research by the sex-positive dating app Pure. It was conducted while developing its new features ‘Pure Queens’ which empower women to set their own dating rules. They surveyed 2,000 people about the importance of a shared sense of humor in their love lives.

In fact, when choosing a partner, 83% of people are on the lookout for someone who can make them laugh. Women, in particular, value a date with a good sense of humor, with 64% stating that it’s very important to share a similar sense of humor with their partner.

With humor highly valued in the dating scene, 73% of people worry that others won’t find them funny. Moreover, 53% admit to altering their sense of humor to impress a date.

Anna Hintsyak, Pure’s dating & relationship expert, commented: ”Our sense of humor reveals a lot about our personalities. For many of us, it’s one of the most attractive traits in a potential partner. Genuine connections often occur when we can laugh and joke with each other. However, it’s important to understand that being overly ironic with your date can lead to misunderstandings. Therefore, it’s essential to start slowly and observe how your partner reacts to your jokes, and gauge the vibes accordingly.”

However, one must still be cautious about which jokes are better kept to oneself. About 66% of men have said the wrong thing, with 1 in 5 admitting they’ve upset a partner “loads of times”. Women tend to be more thoughtful, but still, 51% admit they have gone too far in the past.

When a joke is not well-received by the date, approximately 36% of men brush it off as a harmless quip, while 3% get offended. In contrast, 76% of women prefer to acknowledge their mistakes and apologize.

But what happens when a woman hears an unpleasant joke? Some 20% of women would laugh along with an offensive joke. Yet, while 47% are willing to shut down a bad joke, 33% don’t feel comfortable telling a date that they really aren’t that funny.

There are topics that are never funny – like homophobia or sexism. While 29% of men feel comfortable calling out the joker, many women don’t feel they have the same luxury. In fact, to avoid conflict, 15% of women wouldn’t say a word.

Approximately 68% of people admit they laugh at jokes that don’t really amuse them while dating, whether it’s because they’re feeling uncomfortable or they’re just too polite to express their true feelings.

You can see the full study here.