dither jokes
July 30, 2024
I had the chance to make a joke involving dither with a coworker today. I felt like the joke landed really well.
My joke was not that funny; I think any humor value was simply the result of both of us knowing enough about the
relatively obscure topic to recognize that it is indeed a suprising subject for a joke.
The joke is in that sense more about us.
As members of a subculture (those that understand the concept of dither), we have the opportunity
to mix our shared specific knowledge with attempts at humor. It feels silly. We get to laugh and feel like we belong. Isn't it funny to be us?
I've only ever joked about dither with a handful of other people in my life (namely Chad Wahlbrink, to whom I owe my understanding of dither). It is not a particularly interesting topic, nor is it geared towards humor in the slightest. Yet it is a very specific concept. And that is enough over which to form a connection with others.
Shared experience, shared knowledge, and shared beliefs are all we have with which to form community.