What do you think of this picture? Do you agree?
The reasoning doesn't seem fundamentally flawed to me. What do you think?
I really hope the best for Akimbo Comics guy.
He doesn't pander with feelgood slacktivist sentiment. He doesn't hop on social bandwagons and preach through his comic like a pulpit. He doesn't borrow from his material straight from headlines and trends.
He's just someone who wants to make the best comics he can for their own sake. He does several comics dealing with his depression, and as little as this means I genuinely hope he finds happiness and success.
He's right, but it doesn't take to account about depressed people like half of those on /r9k/ because you can't just achieve your dreams if you're suffering from depression. But /r9k/ isn't really suffering from depression. They're suffering from their shitty lives in which they got this depression from. It means /r9k/ can really change their lives around but it's difficult for them to change this mentality on how the world is so horrible for them when it's been horrible to them all their lives.
>>24983605
One problem is that even if you knew exactly what you wanted you could still be doing the wrong things, not because of conflicting interest, but because of you limited knowledge.
>>24983605
He's just saying you have to change what you want. You have a shitty life so if you simply change your mind and decide you wanted a shitty life all along, then you'll be happy.
It's about lowering your expectations and becoming happy with the taste of shit.
>>24983992
That's not necessarily true, you can't talk about expectations for things you cannot change like your appearance
As for things you can change, he's not saying you should accept them necessarily, just not complain if these situations come from choices you've made
>>24983931
But you can improve your knowledge, can't you? Be it through research or experience
>>24983605
That comic is bullshit.
>>24984968
>don't blame outside factors for things you can change but don't
>don't complain about things you can't change
Makes sense to me
>>24984853
>But you can improve your knowledge, can't you? Be it through research or experience
If you dont know what you dont know your only hope is to stumble upon the right information by change. Of course actively seeking new experiences and knowledge improves odds of it happening but you could still end up walking in circles.
>>24983605
Basically this one says:
>Everything you do not have in your life is not important enough to you, or else you'd work harder to achieve it
Which sounds reasonable, especially for things like /fit working out and self-education
The downside is it's an easy excuse for stagnation and apathy.
>This is obviously what I want in my life, why should I change
>>24983773
>Society doesn't act according to what they deem good, but good is defined as the current actions of society
This seems false. Good for whom? Society? The leader? The people? The world? Economy? Nature?
>>24983605
I have a similar "philosophy" however the way he delivers it makes me hate his fucking guts.
The characters are edgy try hard shits and completely unlike-able, fuck him.
>>24984996
>you can change but don't
Except OP comic doesn't address that.
>>24985099
Yes it does.
If you complain about something you don't have, it's either useless (if it's something you'll never be able to obtain), or hypocritical (if it's something you could have). Basically what it says is that whatever you "want" but don't possess is something you either made the decision not to possess, or something you can't have anyway.
>>24983605
>this is what americans actually believeoriginal
>>24985099
Sure it does.
Blonde: "Yeah, but what about stuff you have no control over?"
MC: "Worrying about shit you can't change is a waste."
>>24985141
>implying I'm american
How does it not make sense?
>if you don't have X but want to have X then go get it
>if you can't get it then stop worrying about it
It even applies to that starving kid the other anon posted. If he doesn't have food then he'll search for it; if he can't find food anyway, then he'll die. What's the use of worrying either way?
>>24985136
>it's hypocritical to complain things that you don't have
I can't complain about bad service that I paid good money for?
I can't complain when the government I voted in, who I put my trust into, fucks me over? I'm pretty sure those who voted Bush in, didn't realise how much of a fuck up he was until he was in office.
If no-one complains, nothing will change.
the self-insert smug 'I am right' dude blurs the lines between actions and consequences. "I want to be rich" is not interchangeable with "I want to work hard to earn a lot of money".
But even if we accept his premise and treat the two statements as the same, there are TONS of people who work very hard trying to get rich and fail. Just 'trying hard' is not sufficient for achieving what you want. It's stupid and unhelpful to say 'well you failed because you didn't want it hard enough' or 'you got exactly the life you wanted even if you failed for absolutely any reason whatsoever'. His argument is a slap in the face to anyone whose ever had any ambition in their life ever. It sounds exactly like what someone whose never tried in their life would say.
But ultimately it's a pretty trash perspective anyway because it boils down to saying 'people do what they want to do', which is utterly meaningless and trivial and doesn't help anyone except for bums who need some excuse to be bums. But hey, whatever makes you happy. I'd just keep it to yourself since it's a fairly rude and cynical way to look at people.
>>24985201
>What's the use of worrying either way?
>just stop worrying anon!
>Just be happy man!
Humans aren't machines. You have no control over your thoughts or feelings.
>>24985263
Unrelated and not that guy, but you should expect things to go to shit. People are bound to make mistakes. People are shit.
>>24985263
If your complaints can change something then they're useful. but complaining for the sake of complaining is useless (eg. your height, your family, whatever)
Your examples don't apply here because of that
>If no-one complains, nothing will change
Complaints that bring change aren't complaints about stuff you can't change, anon
>>24985311
Yes, you do. You can stop giving a fuck about a lot of things in life. How you do it is up to you but I know I stopped caring about a lot of stuff that made me unhappy.
>>24983605
>Just world fallacy: The Comic
>>24985136
>>24985171
It doesn't, he basically says "if others can do it you can". That's not really addressing the point, that's switching the definition of what one can do.
>>24985329
How do I stop giving a fuck? I could understand a person who goes through it so much, they just grow tired and give up, but simply deciding to care out of no where isn't a solution.
>>24985201
if you accept this argument then you're on the path to nihilism
>we're gonna die no matter what we do or what we want so why bother worrying about anything or trying do accomplish anything?
which, I'll grant, is 100% true, but only some people can find any comfort in that belief. Everyone else won't just throw their hands up and say 'welp nothing matters so be happy!'.
>>24985308
If you push his reasoning to the end, then that's not true. He's saying that if you want it *hard enough* you'll find a way; your example about money doesn't stand here, because one could choose to discard a lot of other things in order to obtain money (eg. robbing a bank)
If you truly want something then you can find a way to get it, but most people don't (and rightfully so) want stuff so much that they'd be ready to do illegal stuff for it.
>>24984968
WUT
this comic is literally the prayer of serenity.
give me the grace to bear the things i can't change and the power to change the things that i can.
I think maybe you just like the pity party
>>24985329
>You can stop giving a fuck about a lot of things in life
Some people can. Some people can't. If it was that easy to just change how you think, therapists wouldn't exist and make bank.
Some people like eating shit. It doesn't mean I can ever force myself to enjoy it as well.
This was a good thread, /r9k/. Thanks.
>>24985201
If I'm unemployed (by decision) and only on benefits, would society be right in expelling me until I want to work instead of being a leech on them?
>>24985366
I don't really know. I used to be stressed out all the time because of meaningless shit like my physical appearance, my inability to talk to girls, my bad grades in college...
I just realized that most of it doesn't really have much of an influence on anything and that you choose to place value on things; things don't just hold value in an absolute sense.
I'm not an alpha male either since I stopped caring about that stuff, I'm just more level-headed and relaxed in general. Didn't fix all my problems but it allowed me to look at situations more objectively and stop doing stupid shit just for the sake of pleasing people or fitting in.
>>24985369
>>24985445
I personally find a lot of comfort in nihilism. But I suppose you guys are right, some people just can't do it.
What's important to realize, though, is that your existence is not very important and that there is no right and wrong choice you can make, fundamentally.
>>24985369
nihilism isn't the last step. once you get there, you turn to existentialism and define what you value for yourself depending on your nature and the world around you.
>>24985474
I don't understand how your question ties in with the subject, could you elaborate? I might just be stupid
>>24985489
Doesn't change anything, though. Deciding what to value for yourself is a logical consequence of realizing that nothing has any intrinsic and objective value
>>24985315
>You shouldn't trust people
That's sounds terrible, what is a community without mutual trust.
>>24985329
>Yes, you do.
>implying free will exists
>implying you're not affected by your upbringing, genes and environment.
>implying you could choose to whom, where and when you were born
>implying your choices aren't influenced by the chemicals in your brain
>You can stop giving a fuck about a lot of things in life.
That's called being apathetic.
>>24985329
regardless they are still complaints about things you could have, I could have better service but not if I don't complain.
>complaining for the sake of complaining is useless
It shows your dissatisfaction with something and makes for decent conversation when passing the time. There is literally nothing wrong with complaining.
>>24983605
What an edgy fedoralord faggot that comic guy is.
>>24985508
Well maybe it doesn't directly.
What about this:
If my situation it because I don't want to change hard enough but my situation is bad for me? For example, I could be unhealthily fat, be depressed and have suicidal thoughts or other things that could be cured if I wanted to.
Should others be allowed to decide what's best for me then? Why should a mentally ill person be allowed to decide what's best for them by not "trying harder"?
>>24985520
Oh, if you're a pure materialist then I guess there's no use arguing about this anyway, it's kind of a dead end
>apathetic
How is that a bad thing?
Well, you're right, there's nothing wrong with complaining as long as you don't expect your complaints to have any influence on anything. It's just a strange way to spend your time, but if you like doing it, then why not.
>>24985554
Nice arguments there champ
>>24985595
Others shouldn't be able to interfere if your condition doesn't directly threaten their own, that's how I think though and it's by no means objective
You might be mentally ill, but what matters is your own view of reality. Nobody should be allowed to make choices for you if you're not being threatening to others.
If you don't want to try, there's no point in forcing you to try and saying "you just THINK you don't want to try, but that's just a mental barrier, you actually do want to try"
There's nothing worse than people who think they hold authority on how others should live their lives and make their own choices
>>24985597
>How is that a bad thing?
Apathy is neither a good or bad thing, that is dependant on who you are. Possible pros are lack of painful feeling, cons are lack of good feelings and lack of ambition.
>>24985774
>lack of good feelings
>lack of ambition
Again, if that doesn't affect you, why would you think it's bad?
>>24985520
>>Yes, you do.
>>implying free will exists
>>implying you're not affected by your upbringing, genes and environment.
>>implying you could choose to whom, where and when you were born
>>implying your choices aren't influenced by the chemicals in your brain
missed opportunity
>memes jack
>Zygmunt Bauman, who introduced the idea of liquid modernity, wrote that its characteristics are about the individual, namely increasing feelings of uncertainty and the privatization of ambivalence. It is a kind of chaotic continuation of modernity, where a person can shift from one social position to another in a fluid manner. Nomadism becomes a general trait of the 'liquid modern' man as he flows through his own life like a tourist, changing places, jobs, spouses, values and sometimes more - such as political or sexual orientation - excluding himself from traditional networks of support.
>Bauman stressed the new burden of responsibility that fluid modernism placed on the individual - traditional patterns would be replaced by self-chosen ones. Entry into the globalized society was open to anyone with their own stance and the ability to fund it, in a similar way as was the reception of travellers at the old-fashioned caravanserai. The result is a normative mindset with emphasis on shifting rather than on staying - on provisional in lieu of permanent (or 'solid') commitment - which (the new style) can lead a person astray towards a prison of their own existential creation.
>>24985812
You don't like good feelings?
You must've had felt good at some point in your life, whether it was as a child playing with toy dinosaur or something.
Besides I don't believe you can be apathetic 100% your entire life without a mental condition of some sort, due to your mood being dictated by the chemicals in your brain.
You'd have to constantly keep your brain occupied in some way to prevent thoughts developing.
So you'd think it was bad in the moments you weren't apathetic after so much time doing nothing and perhaps thinking that you may have wasted your life.
>>24986194
Of course I like good feelings. But I don't mind feeling numb, especially since numbness brings me some kind of satisfaction - I wouldn't say happiness, but comfort rather
What does it mean to waste your life? How is a life wasted and how is a life "used" to its full potential? It doesn't mean anything to say that. If the way I live satisfies me, why should I be searching for anything else? Why should I strive for anything higher if I'm fine right there?
Some people feel obliged to aim higher because society projects ambitions onto them. I don't think that's a good thing at all
It implies people have infinite willpower, which they don't. I don't have the willpower to get ripped is not the same as saying I don't want to be ripped.
>>24986341
Yes it is. If you want to be ripped, go work out. If you don't do that, it means you prefer being comfortable rather than working out, which implies you'd rather be comfortable than get ripped
It doesn't have to do with willpower but opportunity costs
>>24986265
>If the way I live satisfies me, why should I be searching for anything else?
What I'm saying is in the future you may not be satisfied with doing nothing. You may not be satisfied then despite being satisfied now. Of course that isn't definite but is just as likely to happen as it is you staying apathetic until you die.
>But I don't mind feeling numb
No one minds being numb like no one minds eating pea soup everyday, however if you can afford it sometimes (it doesn't have to be regularly it could happen once a decade for all I care) you get the urge to eat something else other than pea soup.
> especially since numbness brings me some kind of satisfaction
you think that satisfaction will last your entire life? You won't ever get bored?
>Some people feel obliged to aim higher because society projects ambitions onto them. I don't think that's a good thing at all
And others aim higher because they actually want to do things, whilst desire can be manipulated and does change often, it isn't a bad thing. If society needs more scientist and they can convince more people that science is fun I think that is a win win situation, do you not agree?
I'm of the opinion that we are already a result of our environment, the needs/wants of society come under that. e.g. drafting
From the perspective of free will I could say that it is up to the individual to accept or reject societies ways. I don't socialise, I don't go out, I don't support feminism despite what celebs and social media tends to say.
>>24984968
If you identified with the African kid then go fuck yourself.
Even if youre trailer trash, you got every opportunity.
>>24986574
Sure. In that case, what? Should I feel angry at my past self for doing something that once satisfied me? That's pointless as well. Complaining about what you did in the past is stupid.
I don't really get your analogy. It's all about satisfaction. I guess you could say that it's not that I like eating pea soup, but rather that I don't care about what I eat?
I don't know nor do I care if it'll last my entire life. If it does, so be it. If it doesn't, I'll find something else that leaves me satisfied (or won't, in which case I'll be unhappy)
>You won't ever get bored
I actually never get bored, not because of apathy but because it's just extremely easy for me to entertain myself when I'm alone. I guess I'm an autist because of that, but I can stay on a chair for hours just looking out a window without doing anything nor listening to music without getting bored at all.
That's just me, though.
>they actually want to do things
Good for them if ambition brings them satisfaction, that's not my case though.
>win win situation
Sure but it's not very relevant. If people are ready to dedicate years of their life into studying science, they should do it as long as it brings them satisfaction. It's about the opportunity cost and what satisfies you, nothing else. I get satisfied by the bare minimum, so I don't aim higher. Feel free to become a fortune 500 CEO if that's what you truly want, and if such a thing satisfies you.
>it is up to the individual
Yeah. Everyone should decide for themselves what's good for them. If their decisions have a negative impact on others, they should be stopped, otherwise just let them be.
>>24985412
It's grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
This comic seems like this was made by someone who has never faced real hardship in his life (except the obligatory "muh depression" faggot fuckery that is so common nowadays).
Of course, it's for that reason I'd expect it to be a popular philosophy here.
>>24986977
It still applies even if you're facing something difficult
If your problem is something you can change, do it. You can either do it or refuse doing it, there's no right choice.
If it's something you can't change then why would you bother worrying?
Don't give me the "well I'm an alcoholic/drug addict/my mom died/I got fired/whatever, sometimes you just don't have the willpower"
Yes you do, that's the whole point of the comic. If you want to get out of a shitty situation, if you truly do, then you do. If you wallow in self-pity or just stop caring, then you don't. Simple as that, and no, there are no exceptions
>>24983605
Advocating thatt all aspects of your life are under your control is the action fo a dumbfuck. People have more control over their lives than they let on, yeah, but that does not imply the converse.
This is the same level of deep and meanginful that you hear coming from teenagers every day.
>>24983605
>complaining about shit you can't change is a waste
brb
>born manlet 5'6 and nonwhite in a world that belongs to tall people and whites
>constantly treated like shit, demeaned, denigrated, humiliated, belittled, etc in social situations, the media, and even in places filled with other social rejects like /r9k/
>can't achieve my dreams and goals in life because i'm too short to take part in the hobbies i love
>but this doesn't matter, you should just stop bitching and play the hand you're dealt xD
idiotic non-logic whose premise is based on the idea that i'm "wasting time complaining" when there's something MUCH BETTER i could be doing to improve my situation or save myself
there isn't. i'm not complaining because i'm lazy and don't want to work. i'm complaining because i can't do anything to change my situation no matter how much work i do
the only other alternative is to not say anything and just bottle everything up inside, which is even worse for you
complaining may not change anything but it's the lesser of two evils in many people's case
>>24986341
You have adequate will power, you're just complacent with your current standing.
You might wish to be ripped, but you don't want to, otherwise you'd be doing it. You want to do whatever you're doing, and that's why you're doing it.
>>24986977
this
bloxbloxlbox
>>24987040
normie with life on easy mode detected
>So the key is figuring what are the right things to want
Great ending line, but very daunting. Its at this stage were exitsential anxiety kicks in; I could have anything, how will I possibly know which one is the best or the right for me? The freedom of it is almost nauseating.
>>24986977
>They just didnt know what Ive been through!
Only cowards look to the past for excuses. The great stories of history are of men who overcame great odds to create something amazing.
>>24986878
>Should I feel angry at my past self for doing something that once satisfied me? That's pointless as well. Complaining about what you did in the past is stupid.
Not really stupid, considering they had an effect on what is currently happening. If I go to bed late I can still be angry at myself when I wake up late because perhaps I wasn't thinking of the consequences. Of course it's not good to start hating myself for it for the whole day, but by being angry for whatever length of time means that I am more motivated to try and go to bed earlier in the future, due to dissatisfaction with the results.
>. If people are ready to dedicate years of their life into studying science, they should do it as long as it brings them satisfaction
Well studying science may not be what brings them satisfaction it may actually be the results of it, in which case they won't know if it actually satisfies them until they've used up all those years studying. They could have a freak accident and then swear to never do medicine/surgery again or have the sudden compulsion to try theatre after watching a particularly good performance, in those case perhaps those years spent practising medicine could be considered wasted.
Fact is that most people don't know what they really want, that is because what they want is always changing and being influenced by other people whether you intend to be or not. My desire for a drink is more than studying.
>Feel free to try & become a fortune 500 CEO
ftfy
Not everyone gets what they want, regardless of how hard they try.
>I actually never get bored
You've never been bored? How old are you? Are you a NEET? If so how long have you been NEET?
> If their decisions have a negative impact on others, they should be stopped
So no winners?
I could see the appeal of being a vegetable but curiosity compels me to at least try new things. The very fact I could do better makes me at least a little motivated to improve, if only a little until I git gud.
>>24984968
The comic is bullshit because the author's self insert is conflating "want" with "want enough to have already made happen"
That I want something less than some arbitrary amount doesn't mean I secretly don't want it, that's retarded.
The author of the comic is a self-pitying, self-righteous, lecturing, hypocritic douchebag
>>24987046
>all aspects of your life are under your control
But that's not what he says, did you even read it?
Some things are under your control, you can change them. Do or don't, doesn't matter, the thing is that you can. No use complaining here.
Other things (most of them, actually) are not under your control, you cannot change them. No use complaining either.
It's not deep, it's simple. Doesn't make it less true.
>>24987054
>i'm complaining because i can't do anything to change my situation no matter how much work i do
I'm not really saying it's bad to complain, I'm saying it's useless. Won't make you grow taller, won't make your life better. You COULD put this time to a better use, but if you don't feel like it and prefer complaining (I'm not calling you out on it, just making a statement), then do so. Whatever makes you satisfied is the right thing to do, and I mean satisfaction in a very broad sense.
That's the only alternative if you're unable to stop caring, yeah. I wish I could teach people how to do that, it really is the answer to all problems. I'm short as well, in a country where most young males are 6'0+ (and a lot of girls are 5'7+), I used to be extremely insecure and depressed about it when I was a teenager. Right now I don't care about it anymore. I just accepted things how they were. It didn't make me happy, it just allowed me to discard one of my problems. I'm not searching for a girlfriend anymore because I know I'll never get one and I accepted that fact. It brings me satisfaction. I'm sure you could do the same for at least some of your insecurities, I know I was a pathetic husk at one point in my life, spending several hours per day looking up celebrity heights and making threads on /adv/. If I could go from there to just being numb, most people could as well, I'm sure.
>>24986878
>My desire for a drink is more than studying.
Disregard this I suck cocks.
The only one making you unhappy is yourself.
>But the bad man took things away from me!
And who are you to claim ownership of them in the first place? They were simply borrowed; they have now returned to where they belong. This life is not promised; you must grow it from the soil you till.
>>24987385
>And who are you to claim ownership of them in the first place?
Me by the authority of myself.
>They were simply borrowed
From whom?
> This life is not promised
This life wasn't chosen.
>you must grow it from the soil you till.
Not my soil
>>24987167
>normie with life on easy mode
Sure buddy, if that's what you want to believe. Truth is, I was, and still am, a socially inept piece of shit with no willpower, no drive and no ambition. What changed is that I've accepted my condition, nothing more
>>24987294
Yeah, I agree with you. If you think it's a good thing to go to bed earlier, then working towards doing so in order to be more satisfied is good. Can't argue with that
>wasted
Nothing is ever wasted if you place value on experiences instead of what emotions they bring you.
The thing is, if something satisfied you at one point in your life (and yes, the anticipation of satisfaction is the same thing as satisfaction, so the results of studying science and the act of studying are the same if that's what you really want to do), then that's a good thing and there's no reason to feel bad about it.
>Not everyone gets what they want, regardless of how hard they try
Yeah, that's true. So either become an F500 CEO, or die trying, or give up and do something else. None of these options involve any amount of regret or complaining, though. If your true ambition, what you really wanted, was to become a CEO, then you would've felt satisfaction knowing that you've dedicated yourself to it, I guess.
>You've never been bored
When I was a kid, sure. I kind of stopped being bored around the age of sixteen when I found out that escapism through my own mind and imagination in general were great tools to spend time
I'm 22, not a NEET.
>no winners
I suppose it's more about fairness than anything else.
>curiosity
>makes me at least a little motivated
So trying new things brings you satisfaction. You see it's all about being satisfied, we just have different standards.
>>24987298
No, it means that you're not willing to discard/give up X in order to get Y
So there's something you value more than X (comfort, usually)
That's all there is to it
>>24987478
>And who are you to claim ownership of them in the first place?
>>Me by the authority of myself.
And why should anyone listen to this authority? How have you earned it? It is not nascent
>They were simply borrowed
>>From whom?
From those who created them before you.
> This life is not promised
>>This life wasn't chosen.
It was, just not by you.
>you must grow it from the soil you till.
>>Not my soil
It is if you work it.
Stoicism 1 0 fucking 1
I don't want to be 5'6.
How do I not want it enough to grow taller?
>>24987721
You realize that you can't grow taller, accept that you can't change your condition and experience the satisfying feeling of existential numbness
>>24987576
>And why should anyone listen to this authority?
because I say so and as long as I can exercise this authority, it is valid
>How have you earned it?
By right of being a human born on earth in the late 20th century. Resources are already claimed, there is no exploration, there is only exploitation of the current gen working off the debts of those before us.
>From those who created them before you.
Who are they? Did they create the earth? Did they create the elements? Unless their name is GOD they have no power over me.
>It was, just not by you.
So whoever made the decision bears responsibility, correct?
>It is if you work it.
That's not how it works, I can't go onto someone else's plot of land and start tilling their garden. That's called trespassing and is against the law.
>>24987721
I dont want to be a muggle. How do I not want it enough to become a wizard?
>>24987868
>there is no exploration
So all the mountains have been climbed, all the books have been written, all the world has been explained?
Stop settling for the past. Become the future.
>>24987868
>By right of being a human born on earth in the late 20th century.
Ah, I forgot, the privileges of man are simply a result of what number century it is. They were not forged from the men and women that created them for you in the millenia past; they literally descend down from the calendar on my wall.
>>24983605
>if it is out of your control just lie down and accept your fate
that part is bullshit
even I can't get out of my situation I'm still going to stir up shit, out of principle
>>24987574
>there's no reason to feel bad about it.
I dunno if I get raped because I was drunk, I'd feel pretty bad about it and as a consequence I'd be more cautious at parties and hopefully less prone to rape.
Making mistakes isn't a bad thing, regret isn't a bad thing. In excessive amount it is, but in itself it isn't. Mistakes have to be made to develop/improve(if you want to improve).
>then you would've felt satisfaction knowing that you've dedicated yourself to it, I guess.
For some people it's only the result that counts.
> I kind of stopped being bored around the age of sixteen when I found out that escapism through my own mind and imagination in general were great tools to spend time
I like to daydream and imagine scenarios too, I like to listen to music while doing it. I kinda feel a little awkward afterwards but the feeling of awe I get when spacing out dreaming of intergalactic battle is overrides that feeling.
Do you ever get the urge to express that imagination? That's why I'm trying to slowly git gud at drawing so I can draw out these things and then hang them up or something. Or create some kind of journal thing. So I can bring it out into the real world.
>You see it's all about being satisfied, we just have different standards.
I suppose you're right. It sometimes gets hard trying to figure out what gives you more satisfaction, it's less that there's nothing to do but more that there's too much that you can do that it's confusing where to start.
Time for more comics!
>>24988078
>>24987574
>all about being satisfied
Bullshit. You aren't satisfied, you've just given up. An illusory contentment, so you can at least feel comfortable in your failure.
>>24988151
And part 2
>>24988151
This is idiotic. Neitzsche would love Epictetus' nobility in not letting failure stop him. In fact Epictetus' visualizing the possibility of failure but continuing to play anyway is a central part of the creative will.
These comics are pretty hit and miss, plus why are all the backgrounds grey?
>>24987934
>So all the mountains have been climbed
There are mountains that haven't?
>all the books have been written
not all books need or should be written
>all the world has been explained
Does the world need explaining? I'm satisfied with what little I know.
>Stop settling for the past. Become the future.
Why?
>>24988000
Yes because evey single man and women created everything just for me. When they made it they weren't thinking of how it made it easier for themselves/their family or how they could make money or how it was more comfortable.
They did it all for me, well I appreciate their hard work but I'm not certain I should've been brought into this world in the first place.
I didn't choose to be born after them, I don't owe them anything, just like how they never owed me anything nor did they owe anything to those before them.
>>24988068
You can do that, but it doesn't prevent you from accepting what's happening (knowing you can't escape from it)
It's just less tiring to lie down
>>24988078
>I'd feel pretty bad about it
Sure, you'd use that experience to prevent it from happening again, which is a good thing.
>it's only the result that counts
Most of these people don't have the drive to go on until they succeed, though.
Either way, the fact that they're aiming for this result brings them satisfaction. If not, why would they go on? The fact that there's a small chance they could reach their dream satisfies them and acts as their engine.
Yeah, I do the same thing often. I don't really get the urge to express it, no - I once thought about writing a small story because I had a lot of ideas but it seemed very tedious, and since I'm not a good writer I didn't do it. Right now I'm fine with just imagining.
Good for you if you're creating something you like, though, that's nice.
Well whatever you choose, if it's something that you can derive satisfaction from, it's worth it. Don't try to optimize it, I think that any experience is worth it anyway
>>24988237
Sure thing, anon.
>You aren't satisfied
Who are you to tell me what I am and what I'm not?
>you've just given up
Because being satisfied and giving up are mutually exclusive things now? Sorry I don't want to participate in a rat race or pursue ambitious projects, I must be a dysfunctional human being for not having the same goals as you do. See, you're trying to project your standards on me by claiming I couldn't possibly be satisfied with my current state. That's a very shitty thing to do.
>An illusory contentment
Just as illusory as your contentment brought to you by X and Y. Illusory doesn't mean shit, everything's illusory, objectivity doesn't exist.
Cont
>>24988237
Cont
>comfortable in your failure
I'm comfortable, yeah. I don't need to convince myself that I am, because I just am.
Have I failed? If you take society's expectations of a functional person as a standard, then probably, but that's utter nonsense, so on what should you base you claim that I've "failed"? What have I failed, anyway? My life? How do you define a failed life and a successful life, by money, achievements, knowledge? Please enlighten me
>>24983605
>"You have exactly what you want because if you truly want something you'll work for what you want"
>Ok but what if I worked for something and I still didn't get it, or it's something I can't get no matter how hard I work
>PSsssssh whatever kid that's like wanting super powers
What a childish attempt at addressing criticism.
>>24988292
Because they're low quality, easy to understand jokes based on cliched philosophy ideas.
>>24988383
>>24988420
To tell you the truth, I'm just paraphrasing something I don't even remember related to comfort and actual satisfaction. And you're right, I have no idea what state you're in, since this is an anonymous Buddhist wallpainting board. Also, I read only about a tenth of what you seem to have written.
>>24988362
>The people in the past did nothing for me, and now I hate my life!
>Thus, I will do nothing for myself either!
Oh boy
>>24988473
>>I worked for something and I still didn't get it
Do you feel like trying again? Then do so. Still not getting it? Repeat until you either die or don't feel like getting that thing anymore. In which case you'll have worked towards something you wanted, which is good and legitimate.
>>something I can't get no matter how hard I work
That's just like wanting superpowers, though. Do I want to have a thousand billion dollars? Yeah, but it's impossible, so I don't worry about it
>>24988508
Oh, ok.
>read only about a tenth
That's fine, I write too much shit anyway
Just remember that success and failure are the actual "illusions" (just like most stuff)
>>24988518
>I AM SILLY
Solid argument
>>24988562
>That's just like wanting superpowers, though. Do I want to have a thousand billion dollars? Yeah, but it's impossible, so I don't worry about it.
Except you're wrong, it's not like wanting superpowers because nobody has superpowers as far as we're aware; they don't exist. But pretty people, which the comic uses as the thing the girl wants, DO exist, and some people no matter how hard they work won't be pretty. So the argument that everybody has exactly what they want doesn't work because some people want what they can't have and others do, while the argument that "well you shouldn't want it then" is just shooting the original premise, that everybody has what they want because everybody has what they are willing to work for, in the foot.
>>24988716
>some people no matter how hard they work won't be pretty
>no matter how hard they work
>won't
Yeah, so my point still stands, it's impossible. Since it's impossible, it's pointless to want it. You can want it, but since you can't have it, it's useless.
>the argument that everybody has exactly what they want
Now there's a difference between wanting and wishing, and by definition wanting something you can't possibly get is wishing for that thing. Everyone has what they want since we define "want" as implying that the subject of desire is obtainable.
So the issue here is just the author's choice of words, not the point he's making.
>>24988783
>There's a difference between wanting and wishing
want
verb
verb: want; 3rd person present: wants; past tense: wanted; past participle: wanted; gerund or present participle: wanting
1.
have a desire to possess or do (something); wish for.
"I want an apple"
synonyms: desire, wish for, hope for, aspire to, fancy, care for, like; long for, yearn for, crave, hanker after, hunger for, thirst for, cry out for, covet;
need;
informalhave a yen for, have a jones for, be dying for
"do you want more coffee?"
There's no difference between wanting and wishing, you can still want something unattainable and you can wish for something attainable. You're just making up definitions to suit your argument.
>>24983605
>>24984968
Basically, you aren't hungry enough.
>>24988562
>implying i'm going to let an illusion on a Korean festival decoration board tell me what to do
>>24988921
I really thought there was a difference. My mistake, sorry
However, it doesn't truly invalidate my argument: if the thing you want is unobtainable, then it is absolutely pointless to want it even if other people have it. The fact that it exists doesn't change anything since you can't have it either way. It might change your perception of it, you might think less of yourself if that thing actually exists, but the truth is that desiring things that are out of reach is a waste of time.
Alternatively, if you want something you can actually get, then go get it. If you don't, then it means you want something else more than you want that thing, which makes sense.
If the thing you want is unobtainable, you can try to go get it, but you'll fail, inevitably; there's no point in trying, therefore no point in wanting it in the first place
It doesn't invalidate the previous argument in any way.
>>24983605
no, it's pretty stupid and talks over completely valid objections
>>24989071
What objections? They're all invalidated by the argument
>>24983773
he just panders to you and the sentiments you want pandered to instead of to other people and the sentiments they want pandered to, there's no meaningful difference between him and anyone else other than that.
>>24988716
>So the argument that everybody has exactly what they want doesn't work because some people want what they can't have and others do, while the argument that "well you shouldn't want it then" is just shooting the original premise, that everybody has what they want because everybody has what they are willing to work for, in the foot.
This was my thought upon reading the OP. It kind of reads like an elaborate, well-reasoned just world fallacy. I mean, wealth is another example; it's totally possible to work hard at being rich and never make it. If you're born to poverty you'll probably stay there. Being really rich is part effort, part background and part luck, and you only get to decide on the effort part. There's plenty of success stories out there, but you have to imagine there's a bunch of failures no one will ever talk about for every one of those that exist.
It is true that worrying about things you can't control is a waste, but that doesn't make them right or okay.
>>24984996
>don't complain about things you can't change
why the fuck not? because you don't like hearing it? because they're exactly what invalidates your retarded 'everyone gets what they deserve' philosophy?
>>24989030
>It doesn't invalidate the previous argument in any way
Yes it does, people don't "just stop wanting" things they can't get. They might accept that they can't get it, but they aren't going to stop wanting it. The original argument that the comic begins with is that everybody has what they want. Since we've established that people can want something and have it still be an impossibility, then by extension we've established that want=/=hard work. I don't care if from a practical standpoint wanting something you can't have is useless, my point is the author is trying to make a connection between hardwork and truly wanting something, which isn't true because plenty of people want what they can't have. The author's appealing to a "just world" worldview, where everybody has what they deserve.
>>24989170
If you want to do so it's fine, if that's what you choose to do and what satisfies you. I'm just saying it won't change anything and is useless.
It doesn't invalidate anything, though.
>everyone gets what they deserve
You don't understand anything to what I've said, do you
It's not that everyone gets what they deserve, nobody deserves anything, that doesn't mean shit. However, everyone's life is a result of their desires, and therefore of the choices they made while evaluating opportunity costs.
>>24989143
>it's totally possible to work hard at being rich and never make it
Either you work all your life and don't make it, or you give up and do something else. Both choices are fine, but in the end, what you choose reflects what you truly want and what you derive satisfaction from the most
>>24989246
>They might accept
>but they aren't going to stop
That's contradictory. I accepted that I couldn't grow taller, and now I don't want to grow taller anymore because acceptance means being okay with staying where you are, doesn't it?
>a connection between hardwork and truly wanting something
There is a correlation to some extent, you can always find examples which are really hard to disprove and would require very specific events to take place in order to fall under the "obtainable through hard work" category. What the author says is true in principle, but nobody really applies it, because who wants money so much that they'd be ready to rob a bank? Not a lot of people.
>>24989104
How would you know? You haven't even read his comics.
>>24989030
I think I can see where you were coming from. There's "big wants", that is, I want to succeed, have money, be well-liked, etc. and smaller things that get in the way, like "I want to sleep in now", " I want to shitpost right now", "I want to skip on my training regimen/studying and play vidya", even though those prevent you from achieving the bigger desires. People tend to go for the easy way when they (think they) can afford it.
>>24989342
They choose to go for the easy way, which is legitimate and understandable, but the issue is that they complain afterwards as if they didn't have a choice to begin with. As much as you feel like it's an obligation, it's not. You always, always have a choice, even if it doesn't seem like it. You're never forced to do anything. Sure, there are extreme situations, but even then if you push the reasoning to its logical conclusion, you're going to find that you always have the choice between X and death. Practically speaking, there's always a choice
>>24988383
the ethic boils down to whether what is good is pure hedonism (lying down because it is less tiring) or that other things like getting the message out that you disapprove might be goals in themselves
also there is a possibility that your efforts might help others in the future and a small possibility it might help you, no matter how small, if there is a chance then it falls within the "I want a chance of accomplishing this" section of the comic, so the comic contradicts itself
I still have no idea what "stop feeling sorry or yourself" means, it is not like I mope all the time or I'm constantly thinking "woe is me", just let me contemplate and try to make sense of this world for a little while, leave me to my feels
>>24989326
>Both choices are fine,
Maybe, but the first still shows that you can obviously want something and still not get it, so the underlying idea that everyone gets what they "really" want is mistaken at best.
>>24989413
>>24989451
>can obviously want something and still not get it
A cynic would say that it doesn't invalidate anything since it just means you've been unknowingly pursuing something unobtainable all your life (and that even if others had it, it was unobtainable for you because of personal circumstances). Which sounds like bullshit but is true.
I really think that the author's point is legitimate when you look at it in an absolute way. If you take all possibilities into account, it definitely makes sense. You can find extremely specific exceptions but they don't truly invalidate the argument since I can find improbable yet true counterarguments
>>24983605
A wise man told me once,
> If you want success, kill your kids.
If you don't kill your kids, you obviously don't want "success". You want kids, and you want a fukton of other things. A wife. Wait, a faithful one. Can she also be cute?
The problem is that we are walking contradictions.
I want to be a famous artist but I don't want to put 12 hours of effort per day on my craft.
I want to drink alcohol but I also want to stay in shape.
I want to become more social but I want to come here and shitpost every-fucking-day.
> Worrying about shit you can't change is a waste
That's the only part he got wrong. History is full of people who wanted something so hard that they warped reality.
Caesar was 100% sure he was gonna make it, and he made it, the absolute mad roman.
Yet he died, because of what he wanted the most. It sounds fallacious to say that he wanted "the wrong things".
It's like a boxer getting KO'ed, that's "what he wanted" (don't want to get KO'ed? Don't enter in the ring) but only in a twisted sort of way.
>>24989399
>>24989342
While it's true people choose most things by themselves, some people have shit willpower or are influenced by their environment. Some parents really fuck up their children, for example. Nurture and nature are both factors, and both can be defied, but it's not easy. I do look down on people blaming the world around them for personal failures, though.
>>24989860
>shit willpower
>environment
They still have a choice, as unlikely it is that they'll pick the "right" one, it's there.
>it's not easy
There you go. I'm not saying it is, just that it's possible.
>want a relationship
>born ugly as fuck, literal bottom 3% facial aesthetics + hunchback
>people recoil in horror when they see me walking down the street
>security guards tell me to go away when I try to walk into a place like a restaurant or a bookstore because my appearance makes people upset
>"hurr you have the life you want"
fuck this shitty comic
>>24986667
It doesn't matter what he identifies as. If what the author said is right, the picture should make sense in every context. Does it in this one?
>>24989993
You can't change it, so stop whining
>fuck this shitty comic
Are you upset because it's the truth? You've been dealt shitty cards that prevent you from doing a lot of things others can do, the rest is up to you
>>24990116
>You've been dealt shitty cards that prevent you from doing a lot of things others can do
exactly my point
whoever drew this comic was probably average, maybe even good looking (or a woman), has always had friends and a wide social circle, had middle class parents, never had any health problems or socio-economic impediments of any kind, he takes these things for granted and assumes everyone started from the same position
>>24990221
Not really, even if that's the case his point still stands.
There are two things: the ones you cannot change and have to accept (or whine about forever), and the ones you can change and that you can either choose to change or choose to let be.
Your condition is irrelevant: what the guy's saying makes sense even if it's somewhat crude
>>24990264
the things I can't change prevent me from doing the things I want to do and that is why the artist's point is invalid
>>24990298
No, he specifically says that it's useless to worry about the things that are inaccessible to you. I understand where you're coming from but there aren't any real flaws in the argument here
>there are things you can't change that lead to stuff you want
>if you could change them you could have what you want
>but you can't, so you can't have what you want
This point is explicitly addressed
>>24990335
Dude, there's two separate, contradictory points in the comic.
Point 1 is people have what they want, because if they wanted something they'd get it.
Point 2 is that it's useless to want things you can't get.
If you can't see how these two things are at odds with each other, even after being shown that people still want things they can't get, then you are retarded or trolling.
>>24983605
That comic is shit for the same exact reason Ayn Rand is shit.
It supposes that if you want something all you have to do is try, and if you try and fail then you're just not trying hard enough. Which is a great philosophy if you're successful and want to give yourself a pat on the back, but it means jack shit to the person who's trying their hardest and always comes up short because LOL U R JUST NOT TRYING HARD ENUFF. Basically this operates on a fallacy that all hard work is properly rewarded, and no good deed goes unrewarded, which is a bullshit Randian ideology.
And the comic itself is shit too, not just the philosophy. This "dialog" isn't really a dialog, it's just the artist's idiotic pseudo-intellectual ramblings organized as a dialog, because no one would bother to read this pretentious shit if it were a wall of text. But if we pretend these are people talking it almost becomes bearable, but the characters aren't actual characters, and nothing happens in the comic that warrants the necessity of a visual medium, it's a fucking blog post with a starry sky and facial expressions added to it.
>>24989893
If a parent shapes a child's thinking from a young age to the point where the idea of making a different choice doesn't even come up, could they still be said to have had the choice?
>>24985308
>>24985377
Also consider the author stated that getting what we want doesn't make us happy always. Those that have worked very hard and gotten rich only to "fail" (fail at getting richer? fail at budgeting their money? fail at continuing their job? lots of definitions for fail here) might have been due to a lack of motivation from not enjoying the riches they once sought.
Every pursuit has baggage that one must learn to deal with at the cost of happiness and leisure, a drive to continue to do difficult, tedious, or arduous tasks to reach a position of influence, wealth, or recognition to be successful. In the end this all boils down to how much you will sacrifice to achieve.
It isn't a slap in the face to those with ambition, it is a reality check. We don't all get participation medals, and the brute fact is successful people only want you around if you are useful. If you want it bad enough.
Not all people who reach these goals are moral, but they did want their goal bad enough to do anything for it. That's the point the author is trying to make.
>>24990429
What are you talking about?
Point 2 is the only exception to point 1, I thought that was pretty evident. You have what you want, unless the subject of your desire is something that can't possibly be obtained given your condition. How does that not make sense? I don't understand.
>>24990454
You're taking for granted the hypothesis that it's possible to shape's a child mind so that he couldn't possibly THINK about making another choice than the one he's been faced with. So you're basically disregarding factors such as the kid's emotions and experiences.
That means he's more or less a machine, and yeah, machine's can't make choices I suppose.
>>24990429
No, its useless to try to change things you can't change. Nothing is said about wanting things you cant get, in fact the whole point is that if you want something bad enough you can have it, you can find a way. In the case of the hunchback anon he could take out loans and get cosmetic surgery.
Now this would put him in a lot of debt and probably force him to work for a long time, but it would have solved his aesthetic problem.
>le just world
ebin.
>>24990454
This is why there are children astranged from parents and counseling / mental health facilities. When children grow up they start to think for themselves or get put in a position where they must question their parents beliefs and eventually form their own opinions and beliefs.
>>24990596
Except it's not, read the thread
blox
>>24985377
>implying you couldn't fail to rob the bank and then be raped in prison for years despire truly wanting the money that comes from robbing banks
>>24990452
You're equating want for hard work, which is not always the case. Wanting something goes beyond the amount of labor or time you put into a specific goal. There are other factors involved such as making personal/business connections, research into past achievements and figuring out what made them successful, being innovative with your ideas, and impressing your superiors. There's also illegal factors to consider such as bribery, theft, adultery, etc. that people use to get where they want.
There are so many other ways to achieve what you "want" other than hard work, and that's the point the author is trying to make. But of course this requires alot of effort and questionable practices which assuredly will probably not make you happy due to the sacrifices you must make, unless you don't value autonomy and seclusion (which most robots do).
So the question the author leaves us is how do we equate what we want to what will make us happy? None of us can foresee exactly where our goals will take us, but we must step back and see if our wants are worth our happiness at the same time.
What a bunch of childish bullshit.
>>24985377
>because one could choose to discard a lot of other things in order to obtain money (eg. robbing a bank)
>If you truly want something then you can find a way to get it
the average bank robber steals $2000
for the average person it is impossible to become wealthy through will alone, regardless of what you're willing to do
>>24983605
>tfw no group of friends to hang out on a hillside in the wintertime and drink beers and talk
I guess if I wanted it badly enough I'd have it.
>>24987054
have you tried pooing-in-loo?
>>24983605
>Do you agree?
It reminds me of Balzac.
Balzac wrote a lot about the clash of wills between people. It usually involved becoming wealthy through some crime or immoral act, but that's not totally the point (though it correlates with some parts of the comic).
What if you want something but I want the opposite?
We both get exactly what we wanted or only the one who wants it the most? The lucky one gets it and it's a waste for the loser to worry about it?
Could the loser then be said that he had "exactly the life he wanted"?
> Pic related
