Earlier this week, Jerry Seinfeld appeared in another one of Reddit’s ‘Ask Me Anything’ feeds, and shared his tips on being a productive human.
Since his show ended in 1998, he certainly hasn’t taken his foot off the gas. He still performs regularly, and even created his own low-key YouTube series. The man knows a fair bit about getting things done.
1. Run with the Critics
Every comedian has his hecklers just like any professional has his critics – catch them off guard by playing along.
Very early on in my career, I hit upon this idea of being the Heckle Therapist…Instead of fighting them, I would say “You seem so upset, and I know that’s not what you wanted to have happen tonight. Let’s talk about your problem” and the audience would find it funny and it would really discombobulate the heckler too, because I wouldn’t go against them, I would take their side.
2. Know When to Step Back
One Reddit user noted that while Seinfeld was a show about a comedian, the lead character was often quite serious. Seinfeld acknowledged that he had done that purposefully:
The reason I would play straight was it was funnier for the scene. And very few people have ever remarked on this, because it was a conscious choice of mine, only because I knew it would make the show better, and I didn’t care who was funny as long as somebody was funny and that the show was funny.
3. Remember You’re Not A Big Deal
Seinfeld recalls an occasion when he was due to perform at a club, only to be treated like a nobody:
That’s why I wanted to go back into doing standup comedy, because as the star of your own TV show you don’t get treated like that but as a standup performer you do get treated like that. It was hilarious, and absurd, but standup is a life of just brutal reality which is the opposite of the life I had been leading in LA and that I missed.
4. Your Dream Job is Still a Job
And you can set the rules of engagement:
I chose comedy because I thought it seemed much easier than work. And more fun than work. It turned out to be much harder than work, and not easy at all. But you still don’t have to ever really grow up. And that’s the best thing of all.
[Source : Lifehacker]
