Sanctioned Foolishness

Comedians do this best. They put themselves in ridiculous situations on purpose—not just for laughs but because they know that leaning into absurdity unlocks creative freedom.

Imagine if you tried this approach.

What if, for just one day, you treated life like a comedy set?

Walk into a room and say something so offbeat that it forces people to think differently.

Pitch an idea so bizarre at work that it breaks your team out of a mental rut. Wear something so ridiculous that it forces a conversation.

What happens when you’re given permission to be ridiculous?

🤡 You stop fearing it.

And when you stop fearing it, a few things happen:

1️⃣ You stop self-censoring. 🛑🧠

How many ideas die in your head before you ever say them out loud? When you lose the fear of looking dumb, you stop killing off good ideas before they get a chance to live.

2️⃣ You become more original. 🎨✨

Every convention-breaking idea in history—from Picasso’s distorted faces to the Wright brothers’ flying machine—was absurd until it wasn’t. People who embrace ridiculousness are the ones who create what’s next.

3️⃣ You become more confident. 💪😎

Confidence isn’t knowing you won’t look stupid. Confidence is not caring if you do. When you lean into the absurd, you start to see that nothing bad actually happens. You survive. And then you do it again—bigger.

4️⃣ You unlock creative flow. 🔄💡

Overthinking is a creativity killer. The fastest way to get unstuck? Say the dumbest possible solution first. It tricks your brain into loosening up. Once you get the absurd stuff out, the good stuff follows.

5️⃣ You make things more fun. 🎉😆

Who do people love being around? The person who’s having the most fun. The one unafraid to say something wild, throw out a dumb idea, or wear a stupid outfit just because. The world is full of people trying to be cool. It needs more people willing to be ridiculous.

If you ever worry about looking ridiculous, let me introduce you to a man who made an entire career out of it: Steve Martin.

In his memoir Born Standing Up, he describes the moment he stopped fearing looking stupid. That’s when everything clicked. His comedy wasn’t about logic—it was about breaking patterns, forcing people to pay attention in a way they hadn’t before.

And he wasn’t alone.

Some of the greatest performers of all time made the same discovery. Meanwhile, most of us hesitate before pressing Send on an email.

The difference? They gave themselves permission to be ridiculous.

And when you do that, you’re not just playing around—you’re removing the limits on your thinking, your confidence, and your creativity.

Which, if nothing else, is an excellent excuse to show up tomorrow wearing a cape.

The Science of Letting Yourself Be Ridiculous

Here’s the good news:

Science says you should be making more of a fool of yourself.

Yes, really. Psychologists, researchers, and improvisational comedians—who, I assume, get their doctorates in a combination of neuroscience and rubber chickens—have all confirmed that acting ridiculous is a shortcut to creativity, confidence, and being someone people actually want to hang out with.

So, let’s take a look at the evidence.

1️⃣ Why We’d Rather Fail Quietly Than Succeed Loudly

You know that moment when you have a weird idea but don’t say it because… what if everyone stares at you like you just suggested replacing office chairs with inflatable pool floats? That’s self-handicapping, a fancy psychological term for getting in your own way so you don’t have to risk looking dumb.

Researchers found that people would rather not try at all than risk failure, which is basically the grown-up version of quitting Monopoly because someone built a hotel on Boardwalk. The result? A lifetime of playing it safe and wondering why nothing interesting ever happens.

🔎 Supporting Science:

• Berglas & Jones (1978): People self-sabotage to protect their egos, even if it makes them worse at things

Takeaway: If you want to be creative, stop treating ridiculousness like a crime and start treating it like a warm-up exercise.

2️⃣ People Like You More When You’re Slightly an Idiot

There’s a psychological effect that suggests people actually like you more when you mess up a little. It’s called the Pratfall Effect, and it explains why you root for the contestant who forgets the words to “Bohemian Rhapsody” on The Voice but still commits to the air guitar solo.

This also explains why comedians like Steve Martin and Robin Williams were so beloved. They didn’t just make jokes—they became the joke, willingly stepping into absurdity so you didn’t have to. And guess what? People adored them for it.

🔎 Supporting Science:

• Jecker & Landy (1969): People felt closer to those they did a favor for, proving that engagement—even awkward engagement—builds connection.

• Elliot Aronson (1966): Small mistakes make people more likable. So if you trip while carrying coffee today, congratulations: you’re now 15% more charming.

Takeaway: Looking ridiculous doesn’t push people away—it actually makes them like you more.

3️⃣ How Acting Confident (Even When You’re Not) Rewires Your Brain

There’s a sneaky little trick called the Confidence-Competence Loop, which basically means that if you act like you know what you’re doing, eventually, you’ll start actually knowing what you’re doing.

In other words, faking confidence in ridiculous situations—whether that’s speaking up in a meeting, attempting stand-up comedy, or wearing Crocs with formalwear—trains your brain to stop panicking and start seeing risk-taking as normal.

🔎 Supporting Science:

• Amy Cuddy (2012, TED Talk, Harvard Study): Acting confident changes your brain chemistry, making you actually more confident.

• Carney, Cuddy, & Yap (2010): Small, bold actions increase feelings of control, which lead to actual competence over time—which means your karaoke version of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” is just training for future greatness.

Takeaway: Pretend to be someone who isn’t afraid to look ridiculous, and eventually, you won’t be pretending.

4️⃣ The Secret to Making Everything Less Embarrassing

Want to know a hack for instantly making ridiculous situations less terrifying?

Reframe them as an experiment.

If you walk into a room thinking, “Oh no, what if I look dumb?”—your brain treats it like a threat.

If you walk into a room thinking, “I wonder what happens if I say the most absurd idea in my head?”—your brain treats it like play.

This is called Cognitive Reappraisal, and it’s been shown to literally reduce stress and make social risks feel safer.

🔎 Supporting Science:

• Gross & John (2003): People who practiced reframing experienced less anxiety and greater resilience.

• Kross et al. (2014): Thinking of yourself in the third person (like a character in a story) reduces stress in high-stakes situations.

Takeaway: If you treat ridiculousness like an experiment, it stops feeling scary and starts feeling fun.

Why This Actually Matters

You don’t have to quit your job and become a stand-up comedian to apply this. You just have to:

✓ Break small invisible rules. Say the weird thing. Wear the dumb outfit. Pitch the ridiculous idea.

✓ Reframe fear as a compass. If it makes you nervous, it probably means you should try it.

✓ Train your brain to tolerate social risk. Start small, build up to bigger ridiculousness.

✓ See it as a game. Experiments remove pressure, making it fun.

Every time you choose ridiculousness, you’re training your brain to be more creative, confident, and charismatic—which, frankly, is a lot better than sitting quietly and waiting for someone else to say something interesting.

So go forth. Do the dumb thing. Start the weird conversation. Be the person who makes life fun. Science says you should.

How to Give Yourself Permission to Be Ridiculous (Without Ruining Your Life)

Let’s be clear, I’m not suggesting you show up to work in a clown wig and tell your boss you’re “just leaning into absurdity.” That’s a great way to be escorted out of the building.

Instead, giving yourself permission to be ridiculous is about breaking small, invisible rules—the ones that keep you playing it safe, avoiding attention, and stifling your best ideas before they even exist.

Here’s how to actually do it:

1️⃣ Start Small: Say the Slightly Weird Thing

Most people don’t fear being ridiculous in an objective sense. They fear being ridiculous alone—the one person in the room saying something bizarre while everyone else nods along with their PowerPoint slides.

So don’t start with grand acts of absurdity. Start with something simple:

Say the weird thought out loud.

In a meeting, when someone asks for ideas, throw out something dumb first. “What if we just replaced all our customer service reps with sock puppets?” People will laugh, and boom—you’ve broken the ice. Even better? Someone might actually build on it.

With friends, say the random thought in your head that you’d normally censor. If you’re thinking, “Wouldn’t it be great if giraffes could be domesticated?”—just say it. See what happens.

Why this works: 

It chips away at the fear of being judged and trains your brain to associate absurdity with fun instead of danger.

2️⃣ Wear Your ‘Ridiculous’ Ideas Proudly

Here’s a question: how many ideas have you abandoned because they seemed too dumb?

A lot of people think creativity is about being brilliant. It’s not. It’s about being unembarrassed.

Have an idea that sounds a little ridiculous? Don’t dismiss it. Write it down. (A shocking number of successful businesses started as jokes.)

Share a half-baked thought before it’s “fully formed.” (Most people wait until their ideas are perfect. But the best ones evolve through play.)

Be the person who pushes past the obvious. If everyone in a group is suggesting the same solutions, deliberately take it in a weird direction just to see where it goes.

Why this works: 

The more you practice putting "bad" ideas into the world, the faster you realize that nothing bad actually happens.

3️⃣ Get Comfortable with Looking Slightly Stupid

Want to stop fearing ridiculousness?

Walk into a coffee shop and order in an overly dramatic movie-trailer voice: “One grande latte... for JUSTICE.”

Say “You too!” when a waiter says “Enjoy your meal” and then just own it.

Dance in public for no reason.

Answer the phone like a game show host: “CONGRATULATIONS! You’re the lucky caller! Who am I speaking with?”

You’ll quickly notice that nobody cares as much as you think they do. Most people are so trapped in their own little thought loops that they won’t remember what you did five minutes later.

Why this works:

It desensitizes you. The more you deliberately choose ridiculousness, the less afraid you are of it happening by accident.

4️⃣ Give Yourself an Alter Ego (If That Helps)

If full ridiculousness feels like too much, create a persona that gives you permission.

If Beyoncé can have Sasha Fierce, you can have Ridiculous You.

Instead of thinking, “Ugh, I don’t want to look stupid,” think: “This is something Ridiculous Me would do.”

Tip: If you need to, frame it as an experiment. “For the next 24 hours, I’m trying life as a person who just does dumb things on purpose.”

Why this works:

It distances you from the fear, making it feel like something you’re playing with instead of something that defines you.

5️⃣ Reframe Fear as a Compass

Most people run from the feeling of “this might be stupid.” But here’s the thing: that exact feeling is where all the interesting stuff happens.

Instead of avoiding the cringe, start following it.

Feel embarrassed about speaking up in a group? That’s a sign you probably should.

Think your idea is too silly to be worth sharing? That’s a sign it might be onto something.

Nervous to be the first one to dance? That means you’re in the perfect position to make everyone else feel safe enough to join in.

Why this works:

Fear isn’t a stop sign—it’s a neon sign flashing THIS IS WHERE THE FUN IS.

The Real Payoff? You Stop Taking Yourself So Seriously

And when you do that, a few things happen:

✓ You become more creative because you’re no longer filtering yourself into blandness.

✓ You become more confident because you realize looking dumb isn’t fatal.

✓ You become more fun to be around because nothing is more contagious than someone who doesn’t care if they look a little ridiculous.

So go ahead. Give yourself permission. Do something stupid today. Just to see what happens.

You might discover you’re a lot braver (and funnier) than you thought.

Dumb Word of the Day: ‘Grok’

Grok is a sci-fi word from Stranger in a Strange Land, and if you don’t know what it means, congratulations—you’re already halfway there.

To grok something is to understand it so deeply, so completely, that you don’t just get it—you become it. Which means if you truly grok ridiculousness, you won’t just be the person who occasionally blurts out an absurd idea. No, you’ll be the person who lives in the strange, who thrives in the unexpected, and who walks into a room radiating the unsettling confidence of someone who has fully committed to wearing a cape in a non-costume context.

Most people fear ridiculousness. But the ones who grok it? They make life interesting.

Dumbify Your Day: The Permission Slip Challenge 📝✍️

If you need permission to be ridiculous, write yourself an actual permission slip:

"I, [Your Name], hereby grant myself full permission to be ridiculous today. I am allowed to say bizarre things, try dumb ideas, and make people laugh at my audacity. Signed: My Best Self."

Now, go do something that makes Future You proud of how boldly ridiculous you were.

Thanks for embracing the ridiculous with me today!

🎤 YOUR TURN: When’s a time you let yourself be ridiculous—and it actually worked? Maybe you pitched a dumb idea that turned out to be brilliant, said something absurd that got everyone thinking, or took a creative risk that made you realize no one actually cares if you look silly. Reply and let me know! Best story wins a signed copy of Dumbify.

Stay delightfully unserious,
David

P.S. Know someone who takes themselves way too seriously? Forward them this email. If they grok it, they’ll thank you. If they don’t, at least you’ll get to watch them try to figure out what “grok” means. 🚀