Warning: Objects on stage appear more spontaneous than they really are

The best stand-up comedians are spontaneous. To enhance their appeal, they even involve members of the audience in their act.

And yet, every stand-up comedian knows that what appears spontaneous has actually involved hours of practice. Just look at videos of a comic say the same joke in two different acts and you will see how she uses the same words, with the same intonation and even the same pauses between words.

Here’s the paradox: the more you practice spontaneity, the more natural it appears.