Laugh at yourself before others do

This is something I could not do when I was young. I took myself far too seriously and when people laughed at me I would become enraged. I don't remember the specifics, but at the tender age of 13 I became so enraged that when I came to my senses again, I decided that I would never let anything or anyone make me that angry again. I spent the next 3 years encased in a numbness that prevented me from feeling much of anything. At 16, I met a woman who took the time to dig gently through the walls I had built, just to peek inside and say "hi".

Now I aways laugh at myself before others do. This way, they join in with my laughter (or think I'm insane).