April 15, 2010

Don’t Be a 5% Guy in Real Life

"That rug really tied the room together, did it not?" Maybe in this audience, 20% of you will recognize that line. In a normal social setting, probably 5%. Here's the thing about quoting slightly obscure references. Don't be shocked when people don't get them, and especially don't insult people for not getting the reference. It's not like they shoved your mother down a flight of stairs. They just haven't seen all of the obscure 70s films that you have. EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE: When I'm doing a podcast to a mass audience, I intentionally throw little one-liner easter eggs in all the time. I don't explain them. I don't pause the show and make others guess what I'm talking about. I do it for the 5% that will get a kick out of it. And I don't bother the other 95%. TAKEAWAY: If you constantly seem to find yourself in these situations, where people are too stupid to pick up on your delightfully witty sense of humor, stop trying. Marry one of the 5% who get you, and live happily ever after. Maybe you're just ahead of your time.
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