Feeling like an outsider sucks.

So how do you break in and create inside jokes with people?

...Let me introduce you to "The Callback."

This is by far my favorite technique. It's so easy, but so effective. After you learn it, you can use it in any situation, and it works almost every time.

Basically the callback is a joke which "calls back" to a previous joke.

It Repeats An Old Joke In A New Context.

For some reason, when you repeat a joke, somehow it's funnier the second time.

People laugh harder.

Even if it wasn't that funny the first time.

"...somehow it's funnier the second time."

Why?

Because it creates familiarity.

And this is the secret shortcut to creating inside jokes.

Inside jokes illustration

Here's how to do it easily:

1
Listen For Something Funny Or Quirky. It can be anything. For example, an interesting word, a pet peeve, whatever. The easiest thing is a funny joke that someone else says.
2
Hold Onto It. Now keep it in your back pocket. Even as the conversation moves on. Hold onto it for dear life. Don't forget it. This is your secret weapon.
3
Repeat In A Different Context. There will come a moment where you can repeat the original joke in a different context. In other words relate it to a new topic. Look for this moment. When you do this, something magical happens. You connect with others by creating an inside joke.

The best part: It's so easy. Just (1) listen (2) hold and (3) repeat.

Humor can be scary. But the callback is super easy and low-risk. You're simply repeating something that was funny before.

Remember, it's funnier the second time around because it's familiar.

And it works almost every time.

Here's an example from one of my recent hangouts. A girl Kim was telling us her favorite song is "I'm not a girl not yet a woman" by Britney Spears.

"Oh is that your theme song?" someone asked.

"That's funny" I thought to myself, so I held onto it.

Five minutes later, the topic of dating came up and I simply repeated it.

"Kim wouldn't know, she's not a girl not yet a woman." I said.

BOOM.

Instant laughter and new inside joke.

I simply repeated something in a different context.

The callback is magical.

Go try it out.