Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you I'm constantly telling dad jokes. Some are pretty funny, others not so much, but either way, I continue to make up and tell jokes every day, and here are a few things I've learned from doing so.

1. They just make things better

This sounds like the most simple, generic, boring sentence ever, but there's really not a better way to put it. Dad jokes are honestly the easiest way to lighten the mood. Sometimes they make people laugh because they're actually funny, and other times it's how un-funny they are that bring smiles to peoples' faces. Whether I need to fill an awkward silence or console a friend who's been dealing with a lot, I can usually be sure that a dad joke will help at least a little bit.

2. They truly add to your personality

How many likable people do you know that have absolutely no sense of humor? The answer is probably slim to none. Being able to laugh at myself is a quality that I most definitely possess, and I couldn't be happier about that. If I was totally serious all the time, I'd be a pretty boring person, and probably get down on myself a lot for making mistakes. I say or do something kind of dumb at least once a day. I would be absolutely miserable if I didn't just get back up and laugh about it.

3. They make pretty awesome yearbook quotes

I know most people use a somewhat meaningful or serious phrase for their senior quote, but I, along with a handful of other people, chose to take the funny route. Any of my friends will tell you that I play guitar, so I decided my senior quote should relate to that in some way. I decided, "I'm Mara and I play guitara," was the way to go (I also had a shirt made with this written on it). Dad jokes in the yearbook are never a bad idea. If you make it original, you never have to worry about having the same quote as someone else.

Your quote is your legacy! It's something all of your old friends will have to remember you by, so make sure it truly conveys your personality, because, in my opinion, that is exactly what senior quotes are meant to do.

4. They can be made about anything

Whether you're doing a play on words or just a flat out corny pun, you can really be creative with dad jokes. You can use them to tease your friends, to laugh at yourself, to make new friends, heck, you can even use them to ask someone on a date (no promises this will actually get you a date). My point is, you can tell so many jokes about so many different things: the topics are truly endless!

5. They can be incorporated into Halloween costumes

For the record this doesn’t only count for Halloween, you can wear funny costumes for other holidays, too, like an ugly sweater to a Christmas party. Needless to say, I've already done this. My sweater last year had cats and Christmas lights all over it! I always try to make my Halloween costumes funny, too.

Last year, I had a pretty funny 'Crazy Old Cat Lady' costume that made a lot of people laugh. I didn't necessarily come up with that one on my own, but that's totally okay! I look online for ideas all the time. Whether you need a solo costume or a group one, there are endless resources for ideas; don't be afraid to use them if you can't think of something on your own at first. You might not even use the idea you find, but it just may be the bit of inspiration you need to come up with an idea of your own.

6. They make great conversation starters

You’re in a new, unfamiliar place, and you don’t know anyone. What better way to start a conversation, and meet a new friend than to tell a cheesy joke? This is a great way to show your confidence and really grab someone’s attention. Maybe you’ll hit it off and begin to form a strong friendship, or on the other hand, maybe the person will look at you like you’re crazy, and just laugh in your face. Either way is a win in my book because you have two options: gaining a new friend, or totally dodging a bullet because honestly, no one needs the kind of negativity in their lives that a person without a sense of humor would bring.

7. Your friends complain, but they'd be lost without your daily dad jokes

It's physically impossible to count how many times a day my friends roll their eyes after I say something that I find funny. While this happens all the time, I do get a laugh out of them here and there. As I've mentioned before, dad jokes are an easy way to lighten the mood, whether what you say makes people laugh at you or with you.

I think it's safe to say, even though your friends regularly tell you "how annoying" your jokes are, there would probably be a lot less laughing and a lot more awkward silences to fill if you didn't tell any, so don't hold back on your jokes.

On the other side of things, if someone you know tells a lot of dad jokes, try to remember how grateful you actually are for their corniness before doing the eye roll and the disappointed sigh after every joke they tell. Appreciate the corny dad jokes they force you to deal with every day

My comedic side has definitely carried me a long way in life. I plan to use this quality to my advantage quite often throughout my future. Face it, being able to laugh at yourself once in a while is something that makes life a whole lot easier, and way more fun, so don’t be afraid to be less than perfect sometimes, and just tell a dad joke.