Laughter plays an extremely important role in our relationships from the initial attraction to longterm commitments. Humor is the number one quality people look for in choosing a partner, and can be an effective way to attract another person. Hilarious is the new hot.
Humor is a great way to eliminate any awkwardness or embarrassment that can happen during a first date. You can tell a lot about a person by what they think is funny. If your date thinks it's hilarious to do stupid card tricks with the bartender, and his doing so just makes you cringe, you now have a clear sign that the two of you won't ever be compatible, and you'll know to cut your losses right away.