Summary

• Dilbert's humor stems from the relatable struggles of office life, making it a source of cathartic laughter for readers.
• Scott Adams cleverly uses satire to depict the absurdity of office dynamics, reflecting the universal frustrations many experience.
• The comic's characters, especially the Pointy-Haired Boss, reflect common workplace archetypes, creating a hilarious dynamic for readers.

Though the funny pages are usually a distraction from the everyday frustrations of life, Scott Adams' satirical comic strip Dilbert makes the mundane work of the office the source of endless humor. With its relatable jokes and archetypal characters, nearly every person who has stepped foot in an office can get a chuckle from the denizens of Path-E-Tech.

Whether they are poking fun at brain-dead bosses or simply lamenting the mind-numbing nature of office work in general, almost every reader has been in Dilbert's shoes at some point. Though they are all usually funny, only the very best Dilbert strips perfectly embody the cubicle lifestyle.

1 What Pointy-Haired Boss Doesn't Understand Could Fill A Library

(January 19, 2015)

Dilbert works so well because the titular character can say whatever he wants to his oblivious boss without consequences.

Dilbert works so well because the titular character can say whatever he wants to his oblivious boss without consequences. This hilarious strip shows how easily Dilbert is able to intellectually out-maneuver his superior, and it is quite empowering to the downtrodden office worker.

While poking fun at his boss in particular, Dilbert makes a pretty apt observation about management in general. This strip perfectly exemplifies what makes Dilbert a classic comic, and the joke could be rearranged in a million different ways and still be just as funny.

2 Always Be Skeptical Of An "Anonymous" Survey

(September 1, 2010)

Though comic strips like Calvin & Hobbes are known for being heartwarming, the humor of Dilbert comes from how soul-crushingly true the jokes often are. In his meeting with the pointy-haired boss, Dilbert exposes the problematic lack of trust in many work environments.

The use of empty space in the s also reveals Adams' cleverness as a visual storyteller, as the silence is just as funny as any words written on the page. Dilbert has always gone somewhat dark with its humor, but the employee survey strip gets more sinister the longer it stays with the reader.

3 It Requires Morale To Boost Morale, Pointy-Haired Boss

(December 31, 2001)

Dilbert's Pointy-Haired Boss is one of the most obtuse characters in popular literature. By contrast, his secretary Carol is incredibly sharp-witted, leading to a wonderful comedic dynamic.

Dilbert's Pointy-Haired Boss is one of the most obtuse characters in popular literature. By contrast, his secretary Carol is incredibly sharp-witted, leading to a wonderful comedic dynamic. Here, in response to her boss's desire to "put together a morale-boosting event," Carol resorts to a caustic analogy to explain why this is a waste of time.

Predictably, this goes right over Pointy-Haired's pointy hair. The humor of this strip comes not just from Carol's amusing assessment of the futility of her boss's pet project; it comes from the look of simmering rage Dilbert artist Scott Adams draws on her face as her oblivious boss carries on unimpeded with his event planning.

4 Always Read Work Emails Very Carefully

(December 22, 2016)

Managerial meddling is one of the most consistent themes of the Dilbert strip, and the eponymous character committed one of the most brutal takedowns of middle management in three simple s. Not only is it cathartic to see Dilbert voice his frustrations in a sarcastic way, but it is, unfortunately, true of a lot of work environments.

Workers in every field have suffered under bosses who dictate their bad ideas with carefree abandon, and there is a universality to Dilbert's humor that helps it shine. The greatest workplace comedies of all time owe a heavy debt to Scott Adams' creation, and the above strip is a perfect illustration of it influence.

5 Wally Finds The Perfect Balance To His Work Week

(January 13, 1997)

Whether by pushing work onto someone else's plate, or doing work in a way that requires his coworkers to fix his mistakes, Wally has found a way to balance out all of his work with "anti-work."

In Dilbert, Wally frequently represents the employee in every office that strives to get by, while doing as little work as possible. Here, he stands in for a related strain of officer worker, the one who creates more work for those around him – and this case, hilariously, he's doing so intentionally.

Whether by pushing work onto someone else's plate, or doing work in a way that requires his coworkers to fix his mistakes, Wally has found a way to balance out all of his work with "anti-work." In this way, he represents the dangerous convergence between lazy employees and dissatisfied employees.

6 Sometimes Dilbert Is Part Of The Problem

(July 5, 1996)

Meetings might just be the worst part of working in an office, and whether they are overlong or totally useless, no one enjoys them. Dilbert is notoriously averse to the corporate meeting, and he even uses this strip as an opportunity to subject his co-workers to a bit of workplace torture.

Essentially creating meeting-ception, Dilbert tricks the pointy-haired boss into getting stuck in a loop of pre-meetings until nothing ever gets done. Some have interpreted Dilbert's workplace as purgatory, and the never ending slew of meetings seems to prove that take might be correct.

7 Wally Thinks In The Long-Term, Not The Short

(December 3, 2009)

Brutal honesty is the norm for the characters in Dilbert and Wally isn't afraid to say exactly why he went so far out of his way to avoid doing his job.

Wally takes center stage in a sidesplitting Dilbert outing all about avoiding work at all costs. The presentation format is a common trope in the strip's history, and Wally makes a case for why he can't do his work by doing more work.

Brutal honesty is the norm for the characters in Dilbert, and Wally isn't afraid to say exactly why he went so far out of his way to avoid doing his job. Considering that most office work is just pretending to work, it is extra hilarious that Wally would go through so much trouble.

8 Dilbert Gets Silly With "Cube Farming"

(June 29, 1999)

Though Dilbert is usually pretty grounded with its sense of humor, occasionally Adams uses absurdity for his funniest strips. Dilbert and Wally are the two characters most on top of things in the office, but even they are hilariously baffled by their coworker's promotion.

Utilizing a style of humor that is seen in the funniest Far Side comics from Gary Larson, Adams proved he wasn't afraid to get adventurous now and then. Even so, the strip still pokes fun at the seemingly random way in which some workers are promoted while the best languish in their lower level jobs.

9 Dilbert Does Sci-Fi With "Sentient Meetings"

(December 15, 2001)

The efficacy of meetings is the conundrum at the heart of Dilbert, because it is one of the foundational underpinnings of office life.

The efficacy of meetings is the conundrum at the heart of Dilbert, because it is one of the foundational underpinnings of office life. Over the years, the strip has offered a number of different theories and explanations for the existential question of meetings and their value –but Dilbert's explanation here is one of its most out there.

Borrowing a concept from science-fiction, Dilbert proposes that, "maybe meetings have become a lifeform capable of calling themselves and thus reproducing human hosts." While the idea, in this context, is amusing, what makes this strip particularly funny are his coworker's reactions, a mix of amazement and skepticism.

10 Lucky For Dilbert, He Keeps Up With Current Technology

(November 9, 1993)

The best Dilbert comics work on multiple levels, and some just get funnier the longer they are ruminated on. Proving himself to be a true dolt, the pointy-haired boss almost makes a grave mistake at the expense of a few office workers' anatomy.

As a send-off of the emasculating nature of office work, the strip is genius. On top of that, it is just a funny joke about how the mistakes of superiors are often pushed off on the people below them with no consequences. Fortunately, Dilbert is there to save the day.