Am I a Duffer or Not?

MissReepicheep

Pandawan
Staff member
Knight of the Noble Order
Although I have spent several months on this forum, I am uncertain whether or not I am of the glorified ranks of the Duffers. I have posted on numerous Duffer threads, and am, in my own opinion, sufficently insane to be a Duffer. Yet I am still uncertain... am I Duffer? Is there some particular rite of passage, or do I join the ranks merely by post on Duffer threads?
 
That is kind of a hard question for any of us, which is why the subject comes up a good bit in the Duffer training resources. Holyboy held that Duffers know they are Duffers when they are recognized by the community (there was a discussion about that in this thread--it goes from the 42nd page over onto the 44th page).

Speaking for myself, it took me a while to get used to Dufferland and a while longer to lose parts of my sanity (I think I still have my brain hidden somewhere, but don't tell, or GG will probably eat it). And then I spent a while wondering whether I was really a Duffer or not. I think GG was the first one to call me a Duffer (it made my week). And then I really lost it, but I don't remember what "it" was anymore, so I guess "it" is gone forever.

I think you're definitely on your way to becoming a Duffer. It can take a while to forget where you put (or hid) your brain, so don't worry too much about whether you are a Duffer or not. Just shun and ignore your sanity (and mods who post in the non-mod threads), and you'll get there eventually. Then the community (or the commune *evil laugh*) may attempt to send you to therapy. Your sanity might by eaten by penguins, or donated to GG, sacrificed to the shiny Can, left somewhere in the Insane Asylum, etc., but stick around and post in the Corrupt a Wish thread (yes, I love that thread, and so does Sushi) and you'll eventually become blissfully insane.
 
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A Duffer's Journey

Have you read the materials in the Can thread? (Not that it's necessary, I just wondered). Somewhere in there is a link to lieke's blog post about duffers (also found in Derny's sig). In reply to the question "how do I know I'm a duffer," she wrote this:

That is a question that i cannot answer. Personally i don't know whether i am one or not, and i think there are some more people who don't know... then you have some who think they are, but aren't... I guess that how you find out is: Start duffering, read the "required reading" in this thread/topic [the Order of the Can]. Duffer away and get into the order of the can... But besides that: i cannot give you any advise, you have to find your own stile of duffering, and it might take a while, but remember: true duffering never lies. You will know it soon enough... and when you don't: don't worry, take your time, you will come there.

Someone else once said something like, "some people think they are duffers when they are not, some people think they aren't duffers when they are, some people think they are and are, others know they aren't' ..." which was a very good point, even though it doesn't seem to make much sense. ;)

I think many duffers at one point or other wonder about the question. I sure did. When I started this thread ("Am I Insane?"), and this thread ("Duffers?") I was wondering the same question.

Protag, first to respond to "Am I insane?" made a perfect point, I was trying to hard. I really wanted to be a real duffer, I really wanted the approval of the duffer community. But then one day, it just stopped mattering. One day I just thought "heck, who cares if I'm really a duffer or not? I'm just here to have fun." I realized at the time that I could never match the wit and randomness of those whom I considered "real duffers," so I just stopped trying. I simply had fun tossing people off of cliffs and reading through old, old threads. It stopped mattering.

The somewhere down the road, I woke up one day, and I realized that I was a duffer after all. I wasn't trying to, it was simply a state of being, as some have wisely put it. I loved this world of craziness, I am this world of craziness, and perhaps I had even developed my own taste of humor. :rolleyes: Ever since that revealing day, I've never been in doubt.

There is no single definition of duffer. What constitutes as dufferness for one may not work for another, and it certainly isn't the number of posts or the threads one posts in that makes one a duffer. There is no certain rite of passage (that would kill the heart of dufferness!), there are no set requirements for one to meet. Dufferness just ain't like that. Some wonderful duffers never realize their dufferness, others vehemently deny their dufferness, yet by doing so earned the title "Queen of Duffers."

I guess I'm just trying to say, one need not try to be a duffer. If one has an inner heart of Dufferness, one inevitably becomes a duffer. Even if one fought for sanity, one would eventually lose it.

The readings are usually a good place to get a rough picture of what dufferness is like, but it is by no way comprehensive or exhaustive. You can refuse to join in the throwing of people off of cliffs, which would in no way diminish your dufferness.

Does it really matter for one to be official recognized? no.


The Golden Rule of Dufferness:
Go forth and enjoy thyself!
 
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I have read the beginning of most Duffer threads like the Order of the Can, Me, a Duffer?!? etc. But it did not take me long to get discouraged because the thread was SOOOOO long and I was not into all the jokes throughout. I should probably go back and try again now that I am more familiar with Dufferness.
 
I don't think any of us can read through whole threads in one sitting, even when we do understand the jokes. I have trouble doing even thirty pages, although that may just be my attention span. :rolleyes:
 
The links in the Can thread is awfully useful for just snippets of dufferness, and it's the best!

And I don't think I've ever read a long thread throughout, not even in many sittings. But I do jump in the middle and browse through from time to time (until my eyelids start dropping)...

*eats*
 
Glenburne says that the commune is, in and of itself, contradiction. I'm sure she will be well-pleased by your statement, Copperfox. xD
 
I am an oxymoron: a rational Duffer.

On sanity, which is the cousin-ish grandfather person (or maybe the uncle-ish father-ish brother-ish person) to rationality:

Originally Posted by Lossëndil

Sanity

Though this subject has been researched by experts for many years, very little is yet known about it. The word "sane" is often used with the words "normal" and "serious." It is alleged to be related to "Life", but this has not yet been verified. The only known facts of the subject are as follows:

1) It is Evil. (Note the capital "E")
2) It is the opposite of insanity.
3) If found, it should be lost again as quickly as possible.

~submitted by Lossëndil

:eek: ;)

The commune is still attempting to reconcile sanity and insanity, but it has been unable to improve on the mediator trout in Olorin's signature.
 
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As Lossy said, it's really not a good idea to spend time worrying about whether you're a Duffer or not. Just enjoy TDL. If you're a Duffer, you will probably end up Duffering without trying too hard (trying too hard is often bad for your Duffering skills anyway, and it takes the fun out of things). Speaking, at least, for Lossy and me, it took both of us a while to really become Duffers: it's a skill that develops, and you probably won't be a Duffer immediately. Also remember that, although not everyone will become a Duffer, you don't have to be a Duffer to enjoy Dufferland. Focus on having fun. That's what Dufferland was created for.
 
Really, how often do we have to say this?

I will say this one. last. time.

have fun!

Really, that's all there is to dufferness: insanity and fun.
 
You're not a complete duffer until you at least try to explain the theory of the Big Duffer Who Went BANG!!

You also must donate to GG's Kitchen. And if you find yourself in the Insane Asylum and you can't get out, just join the Choir and you'll be fine. Do you have a spare jar of Cheeze Whiz? If not, go get yourself a dozen or so. A rubber banana is also a must. A Must!!!!

And when you're posting around, if you see the Cliff named Cliff, say hi for me ok?

I think that should get you started.
 
You're not a complete duffer until you at least try to explain the theory of the Big Duffer Who Went BANG!!

You also must donate to GG's Kitchen. And if you find yourself in the Insane Asylum and you can't get out, just join the Choir and you'll be fine. Do you have a spare jar of Cheeze Whiz? If not, go get yourself a dozen or so. A rubber banana is also a must. A Must!!!!

And when you're posting around, if you see the Cliff named Cliff, say hi for me ok?

I think that should get you started.

I did went and donate GG's Kitchen...:(
 
Sheesh, how many times do we need to repeat this? Duffering is having fun! Pitchike, just go forth into dufferland and have fun. BK's not serious (he never is. I mean, a serious duffer? Slightly oxymoronic. :rolleyes:). Check out the reference threads if you like, or not. And just have fun. Don't worry about achieving "dufferhood," if you like it here, you'll get there soon enough. If you don't like it here (though I'm assuming the opposite), may as well spend time having fun somewhere else.
 
I don't remember the point when I joined the duffer ranks. It happened. One day I had never even been in Dufferland the next I joined the OotDT, following that I got dragged kicking and screaming down the road to insanity. Maybe it was all those times I spent duct taping people to Ben's bridge while blasting the Barney Song and the song that never ends that finally pushed me over the edge.

Since then I have forsworn any Alliegence to the Order that started me off. Now I am Dedicated to the GREAT and BLINDINGLY SHINY TRASH CAN (said with the upmost honor) May he always have CW.

I swear that Dernyhelmet is my queen, and I let a duffer chose my Username.
 
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