This time, in S4:E5 of The Office, Dwight vs computer — going head to head with his electronic nemesis in paper sales. So what kind of tips can he offer?
There are over two billion computers in the world, and there is only one Dwight Schrute. However, as anyone who loves The Office will tell you, not a single one of these machines is even close to evenly matched with Dunder Mifflin’s Assistant (to the) Regional Manager.
But why not?
Here, we’re going to look at some of the best Dwight vs Computer showdowns in The Office so that we can take a deeper look into the reasons that man bests machine in pretty much every episode. Read on, Office fans, and bow down to your Hay King!
Keep Secrets From Your Computer
One reason that Dwight may be so good at besting machines is that he’s quite secretive when it comes to them. So secretive that in S5:E7, he tells Michael that the reason he has a diary is ‘to keep secrets from [his] computer.’
In not telling his computer about himself and his life, perhaps Dwight gives himself the upper hand in many encounters. It can’t use information against him if it doesn’t have that information, after all.
It seems likely that Dwight, who is incredibly perceptive, has scoured his computer for information about its workings and understands the way that it ‘thinks.’ Maybe Jim has switched up these workings with new and interesting software, but this would give Dwight the upper hand even if this was the case.
The Second Life of the Assistant Regional Manager
So how does Dwight cope with his real life?
In S4:E9, it’s revealed that Dwight is thoroughly invested in the online game Second Life. This is pretty much The Office’s version of The Sims, so Dwight clearly could have made himself… well, literally anyone. If he wanted to become Sarah Kerrigan from StarCraft, he 100% could have.
But instead, he makes a second life where he is exactly the same as he is IRL with the single caveat that he now can fly.
Why is this the case?
Well, there are a few possible reasons. First, it’s possible that Dwight likes his life in Scranton. Though he had just (spoiler alert) broken up with Angela, he generally seemed happy before this happened.
The level of detail put into Dwight’s Second Life (and the fact that Jim had time to make his own account to mess with him) suggests that this account had existed prior to Angela dumping him.
Dwight also may have made his Second Life so much like his real one to throw his computer off the scent. As someone who believes that his computer must be kept in the dark about his personal life, what better way would there be to trick it than to give it all the information about his life?
Reverse psychology is a very real thing, and we’ve seen Dwight try to use it in the past. It wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility for him to try it out on his computer.
There Is Only Megadesk
We also need to talk about another thing that Dwight does in S6:E19: creating Megadesk. Megadesk features three computers — his, Jim’s, and Pam’s — that each performs a different function (surveillance, gaming, and business.)
The fact that Dwight recognizes that he needs different computers to do all these things is unsurprising, but what is surprising is the lengths that he goes to in an attempt to preserve Megadesk. Maybe he didn’t want to uninstall Mac apps from all three devices, but he seemed more attached to this setup than any human should.
Maybe this can be chalked up to Dwight’s weirdness, but maybe it’s indicative of his refusal to let go of the fact that he tamed and bested the machines for good. After all, they’re perfectly poised to do his bidding from here on out. We can even assume that he can see every corner of the office on the surveillance one, so he’s sort of conquered other humans, too!
Jim may have gotten a leg up over Dwight with Quad-desk, but Dwight sure made those computers do what he wanted them to.
The Power of the Pyramid
We also need to talk about Dwight and his plights with the Sabre pyramid.
As Office fans, we can all agree that this was a pretty terrible piece of technology. Being able to sell the thing is the only real way to best it, and Dwight does that. By Robert California’s admission, Dwight did a great job with the Sabre store (the store was simply a terrible concept and had to be shut down.)
The fact that Dwight, as VP of special projects, was able to take this hideous tablet and even sell one of them is pretty awesome. But, as always, he went above and beyond, likely selling many of them.
If you ask us, getting rid of these things was a definite victory.
Be the Superior Being
No Dwight vs Computer throwdown would be complete without talking about Launch Party, the double-length episode that is S4:E5. This is the greatest evidence that Dwight can best computers, so we’ve saved the best for last.
Pam (in a heart-melting twist) is the one to tell Dwight that he is the ‘superior being’ over the Dunder Mifflin Infinity website. However, Pam’s involvement doesn’t change the fact that Dwight did indeed outsell the computer on his own merit.
This is concrete evidence that Dwight will always be the winner of this showdown. You can’t argue with that!
More Dwight vs Computer Showdowns
While there are a ton of reasons that Dwight is superior to computers, there’s no telling how the computers might get him back later… especially if Jim is involved.
Now that you know the best Dwight vs Computer moments in the show that demonstrate why Dwight is the superior being, it’s time to get more Office quotes. Check out the rest of our site to discover more content like this!
