IKYK
When you're in a group of similar people, a lot goes unsaid because they are assumptions.
You assume people speak a certain way, have read certain books, watched certain movies or hang out in particular places. And so, using code words and acronyms becomes the right of passage.
But what if someone who is unlike anyone in the group appears? Now, suddenly, you are forced to speak a different language, one that is inclusive and puts the other person at ease.
And therein lies the difference between a clique and a community.
A community welcomes anyone who wants to be a part of it. Sure, rules apply and decency is non-negotiable. And a community gets stronger when more people are a part of it.
On the other hand, cliques thrive by limiting the number of people who can be a part of them.