You know the answer - people love to be around people who bring them joy. He was right. Using your sense of humor with family and colleagues is one of the best deposits you can put into your relationship deposit account. You can borrow on it when you handle problems, announce changes, or deal with any conflict. But not all humor works.
Some humor creates laughter at the expense of others.
Leave sarcasm and jokes that make fun of others out of your personal comedy repertoire. You don't need them to be funny, and you may hurt someone badly. The safest target for your humor will always be yourself. We all like to be with people who are comfortable with who they are - warts, receding hairlines, and all. Then I wake up completely and remember that I am the Pope.