You should laugh at my joke (because I laughed at my joke?)

Laughter is contagious, but when you laugh at your own jokes, it makes them less funny and causes you to appear self-conscious.

So the quote by French novelist, Honoré de Balzac rings true. “To provoke laughter without joining in it greatly heightens the effect.”

You only need to have the confidence that the audience will see that your joke is funny.