If jokes are the only way you know how to get seen, try one honest sentence. Watch who leans in.

Humor is a fast way to be noticed and a safe way to stay hidden. If every conversation runs through a joke, people learn your timing without ever learning you. Laughter closes the moment, and nobody gets any closer.

Pick one person this week and say something straight: what you actually thought of the game, or that you are nervous about Monday. Count to three instead of reaching for the punchline. Notice who moves toward you and who changes the subject.