As every scientist knows, there are only a few characteristics that separate humankind from the rest of the animal kingdom. For all our supposed superiority, we are susceptible to the same basic impulses of hunger, thirst, sex and potty-time that drive our furry and scaly friends. However, even the stately baboon cannot lay claim to something that belongs uniquely to the ranks of homo sapiens worldwide, and that is the inside joke.
How did this phenomenon develop? I do not know. But the inside joke, often abbreviated as "in-joke," remains both a staple of and a testament to humanity. My roommate Brian and I have a treasure trove of inside jokes, a veritable cornucopia of things that only we find funny. As it is part of the nature of inside jokes that they cannot be explained adequately to the public, I won't go into what ours are exactly, but I will give you one example.
Brian came home one day in the fall from a low-level science class that he was taking, and he was frustrated. He's a liberal arts type (like me), not inclined to scientific pursuits, and so he felt as though every question that he asked in that class sounded stupid to everyone else. "It's like every time I open my mouth," said Brian, "I'm asking something as dumb as, 'What is an egg?'" He said this pretend question in a funny voice, and so we both thought it was hilarious, and spent ensuing weeks saying to each other, "What is an egg?" or "Can you teach me egg?" Soon enough, the joke was shortened to just "Egg," though still in the funny voice.
It's about six months later, and we're still saying "Egg" to each other, along with a host of other words and phrases that are sure to mystify any eavesdropper. What could drive the human brain to engage in such bizarre activity? It seems a mystery, and yet millions of other people have the same penchant for inside jokes.
Indeed, a whole framework of in-joke etiquette has sprung up in our daily lives. We're all familiar with these on some level, aren't we? For instance, it is impolite to carry on a conversation of inside jokes with a pal while another party is present -- i.e., someone who "doesn't get it." We wouldn't want anyone feeling left out.
Another rule is that you cannot say an inside joke to yourself. Sure, you could make yourself laugh, but anyone watching you would think that you were pretty weird. Case in point: each time I go home on break, I end up muttering to myself about "Egg" and all the other in-jokes, and my mom gives me strange looks and once suggested that I "talk to someone." I keep trying to share the in-jokes with her, but it just doesn't work. She doesn't want to hear them. Which leads to another rule -- you cannot forcibly transfer an inside joke to another party.
Of course, inside jokes can be transferred to someone else occasionally, provided there's ample explanation provided. Brian and I have our own in-jokes, and my friend Benjamin and I have a separate set, but there are also a few in-jokes that exist in both circles. (Just picture a Venn diagram. Don't know what that is? Oh damn, I don't either.) One or two jokes that originated with Brian have successfully crossed over to Benjamin, and vice versa. It's a beautiful thing.
Inside jokes are far more valuable than a passing laugh. They are guaranteed to elicit chuckles for ages to come. Indeed, sometimes they become more than what they originally signified, turning into pieces of a complex, private language between those who share the inside jokes. Brian and I (or Benjamin and I for that matter) could carry on a conversation with each other constructed entirely of in-jokes. I mean, it was inevitable. When you're in close contact with someone on a daily basis, sharing living or workspace, in-jokes are almost guaranteed to spring up (unless the other party has the sense of humor of a maple tree). They're one of the simplest forms of empathy, small slices of a common view of the world.
So I urge you to treasure your inside jokes, and to be always on the lookout for opportunities to forge new ones. They bring you closer to individuals. What a bond it is when only you and one other human being understand the meaning of a particular weird little word or phrase! Think of how valuable a thing it would be if you could make a person laugh at any time with a single key word. You just might end up being a hero to someone. So go ahead. Spread the message of hope that is contained within every inside joke. And, uh egg.