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"Ow, you hit my...area."
"Wahaha"
"Rolex?" "....NO!"

If you have no idea why any of the above quotes would be funny, I don't blame you. You have just been subjected to the inside joke, except you are the outsider. Except for Aaron, who knows what I'm talking about.

Now, inside jokes are fun and all, but there's a big problem: they're exclusionary in nature. This in itself isn't a problem if everybody present is in on the joke. But, if even one person doesn't understand what's going on, then one of two things happens:

a) The person inquires about the joke and is told it's an 'inside joke.' Feelings of exclusion ensue, resulting in corner-crying, passive-aggressive resentment, or a propaganda-esque smear campaign amongst the mutual friends.

b) The person inquires about the joke and somebody explains it. Joke has been effectively stabbed and defecated upon.

The inside joke serves as a great way to forge a bond between a number of people. It's something that is unique to you and whoever else understands, something that nobody else has. And that's fine.

But many times, people fail to realize who else is present when they revisit the joke. It's the worst when there's only one other person who isn't in on it. When there are two or more people out of the loop, they can at least start their own conversation. If there's only one other person, though, expect the conversation to be peppered with a lot of awkward smiles and chuckles and the occasional "huh?"

As someone who has been a 'victim' of the inside joke, as I'm sure many people have been at some point or another, it kind of sucks. It also makes the conversation pretty boring for the outsider. So all in all, be wary of the audience, but I guess if you don't it's not that big of a deal.

Now if you'll excuse me, there's a corner that needs to be cried in.