Shared Laughter: The Significance of Inside Jokes

The importance of inside jokes in relationships

Remember when your friend slipped up and said something by accident, and you both laughed about it? Or the time when you did something so funny, and you and your friends still giggle, thinking about it to this day? These are all valuable moments that we store inside our memory.

In my freshman year of highschool, I was in my health class “texting” my friend by dragging my finger across the keyboard of my phone. The result was a random blur of words, making zero sense but being sent with a serious tone. Some of these sentences included “Genshin jeep better beep”, and “hydrosol grandma”. Both of us still remember these and their origin, despite them making zero sense. The thought of someone sending gibberish in a serious message made us laugh out loud in class.

Being able to create these deep yet random and nonsensical memories is incredibly valuable for friendships and relationships. They allow us to recall times where we felt happy and secure with our closest friends, and give a great conversation starter to recall times in the past. It is a bookmark in your relationships that can tell a story of how far you have come.

“Coconut water” was a term that was created for the reason of being an inside joke. My friend and her friend wanted some secret spy code when they were in 6th grade, and chose “coconut water” to represent this. There is no meaning behind coconut water, besides the fact it has no meaning. Every now and then, they will bring it up and laugh about how silly they were for desiring a cryptic message.

It doesn’t even have to be a inside joke; anything that is unknown to almost everyone outside of your circle is this hidden yet laughable secret. Nicknames are a great example of this, sepcifically childhood names. Associating people with good times strenghtens our connection with them. It isn’t meant to represent power or status, and it isn’t used to leave people out. They are simply things that help us remember great times and changes since we made these silly memories.

Consider starting a memory with someone. Make that inside joke; create the funny memory within your relationships. It is never too late to reach out and make new precious moments in any friendship.

#mentalhealth #laughteristhebestmedicine #therapy #wellness