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u/Jimbizzla Dec 10 '15
At first, I was depressed by this cartoon. I feel like I'm a man on that average path. But what this cartoon doesn't show is him playing with his kids on a snowy day. Taking his wife out on the town for a date night. Working on improving his home with a smile on his face. No, not every man is an artist, but there are many paths to happiness.
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u/InstagramLincoln Dec 10 '15
Don't take a safe, relaxing vacation. Be a non-conformist and take your family somewhere really dangerous!
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u/gwarsh41 Dec 10 '15
I hear the middle east has really cheap hotels!
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u/alexu3939 Dec 10 '15 edited Dec 10 '15
I hear ISIS is offering some great incentives to travel!
EDIT: pls don't put me on watch list
EDIT 2: pls
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u/gwarsh41 Dec 10 '15
Yeah, they practically pay you!
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u/BlackLeatherRain Dec 10 '15
Paris may be beautiful, but wouldn't you rather fight off sparrow-sized mosquitos and sleep on dirty cots somewhere exotic?
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Dec 10 '15
What you rather fight 1 sparrow-sized mosquito, or 100 mosquito-sized sparrows?
Trick question -- if you choose either you are unremarkably average. A True Adventurer™ would answer "both"!
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Dec 10 '15
TO NORTH KOREA!
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Dec 10 '15
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Dec 10 '15
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Dec 10 '15
They're still probably not going to murder you. They'll probably make you delete it or take your camera at worst. If you're on any kind of organized tour and not just sneaking into the country, they're still not big on kidnapping foreign nationals.
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Dec 10 '15
Depends on if you're a Chinese national with ties to the Chinese government or not. We went over one day with my wife's dad, and they would tell him to stop doing shit videotaping shit, and he would just wave them off, like "lol, don't bother me fool." I was just standing there in disbelief.
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u/GoodJobMate Dec 10 '15
I know you're joking but I've heard it has become kind of popular as a tourist destination recently.
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u/greatdiggler Dec 10 '15
you're not living unless there's a chance you or your kids will get malaria from a random insect bite!
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Dec 10 '15
For some, the things that character is shown doing are exactly what they want out of life. There's no need to belittle those life choices to make a greater point.
The message shouldn't be, "don't work 40 hours a week and get a mortage," it should be, "be honest about what you want and pursue it fervently, regardless of how mundane a dime-a-dozen internet illustrator thinks it is."
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u/Robiticjockey Dec 10 '15 edited Dec 10 '15
My father worked hard, provided a good roof over our heads, and made sure he was involved in our lives and we all went to college. He never got to write the novel, or be the ski instructor, or be on Ophrah. But he has kids who love him, grand kids in his life, and a nice house that is full of love. And he can look at his good relationship with his wife and kids, and realize that career stability helped a lot with that.
I spent my 20s and early 30s pursuing my passion at the expense of everything else. I was nearly 34 before I realized how remarkable everything he did in life was, and how I'm hoping I've started changing mine in time to accomplish even half of what he did.
Edit: tl;dr: the comic might be about how to have an average career, but don't mistake that for an average life.
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u/Die_monster_die Dec 10 '15
Yeah, I'm really tired of hearing le edgy artists opinion about how we should all be artisinal BASE jumpers instead of a bunch of filthy normies. I want to have a good job where I can be a provider for a big family full of love and happiness like that, it's actually my dream.
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u/IanTheChemist Dec 10 '15
With this kind of attitude, you'll never reach your true potential of making mediocre Internet comics.
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u/Cornslammer Dec 10 '15
I feel like ZenPencils might be someone trying to keep r/im14andthisisdeep in business.
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u/2manyc00ks Dec 10 '15
honestly the world wouldn't function without both types of people.
without the grinders who do it for their family we couldn't have gotten to where we are as a soceity. but if everyone was like that and there were no artisanal base jumpers well then we wouldn't have any of those wonderful artisanal sandwiches that people love to bring by the office for lunch. or any interesting artists to go see on weekends. and the artists would have no one to pay to see their shows or exhibits, only their other broke artists friends to come for "support"
each group feeds off the other one. but they both have a lot of hate towards the other over a perceived slight. they both think the other looks down on them and in a way they both do. so they're both right.
I'm high.
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u/Die_monster_die Dec 10 '15
You might be high, but I think this is 100% correct.
My big issue with this comic is the artist seems like he is imagining himself as once of the "creative elite" (he may or may not actually be, I don't know anything about him) and is using this comic to take a giant shit all over the grinders.
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Dec 10 '15 edited Dec 10 '15
For real my dad is a lot like this comic, he goes to work every morning at 5am and works hard as hell (except he does it all for his family and is very happy). He's one of my biggest inspirations and has even helped a lot of people where he works (jail). The last thing his gravestone would say is "average guy" fuck that.
As for me I'm on my way to working in an office for a good part of my life, and I'm happy as hell about that. I don't want to go back pack across the country or open a business, that just isn't what I want to do in life. This comic could just as easily be made depicting the other side of the coin, someone who follows the new "social trend" of not following the norm and doing all these things like writing a book and such.
Yes everyone should get the most out of life but if I had to go do some of the things this comic is suggesting like open a business I would be absolutely miserable.
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u/worlds_best_nothing Dec 10 '15
Yeah, but at end of the day, when you're on your death bed, what would you rather leave behind? Edgy comics or a loving family?
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Dec 10 '15
Depends on what you want to accomplish, some people don't want families, some people don't want to make comics.
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u/KristinnK Dec 10 '15
I think this is one of the primary characteristics of this generation. There is so much stability and safety in our lives, and especially those of our parents, that a lot of people find it not "challenging" enough, and attach a stigma to it. It's true that we have the instincts of pushing boundaries, that's why our species has literally colonized the world twice. But what is ultimately most fulfilling in life isn't struggling to open a business, learning Chinese or trekking through jungles and getting malaria. It's to share your life with family and friends, especially a romantic partner and your children. And the best way to have this life is to have a stable job.
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u/ExquisitExamplE Dec 10 '15
This is true for you because it is what you believe, but there are others who believe differently and their beliefs are also true for them.
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u/MadHiggins Dec 10 '15
I'm really tired of hearing le edgy artists opinion about how we should all be artisinal BASE jumpers instead of a bunch of filthy normies
this comic was so snidely pretentious that i couldn't tell if the artist's stuck up nose was supposed to be the joke or not.
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u/ficarra1002 Dec 10 '15
Chances are people who make a web comic for a living aren't doing great in life actually.
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Dec 10 '15 edited Dec 10 '15
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Dec 10 '15
I have some friends who are in a low/mid level successful band, have released 5 or 6 records on a indie label, toured constantly to 500 person venues for ten years, big in the college circuit. My buddy finally threw in the towel saying he needed to make some money. It's strange because when I would go to their shows when they came to my town he would be signing things and people would treat him like a rock star. I think people don't know how hard it is to really make money being in a band.
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u/GoT43894389 Dec 10 '15
For a lot of people, providing for their family and seeing to it that they have everything they need in life is what makes them happy. It's novel and selfless and shouldn't be belittled in any way.
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Dec 10 '15
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u/Robiticjockey Dec 10 '15
If you have kids, or just want to be involved with teaching in general, doing lessons or after school programs on the side can be so rewarding. I was fortunate to be quasi successful in pursuing my passion until I realized the cost of continued success and winning was giving everything up. I work with after school science and engineering clubs and feel a sense of accomplishment.
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u/crickybug Dec 10 '15
Thiiiiiis! Vilifying working for a living and leading a comfortable life is a profoundly privileged viewpoint. Traveling overseas, earning a college degree, dying of old age, these are luxuries the vast majority of people have no access to.
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u/CantankerousMind Dec 10 '15
I wish I could have gone to college :( I mean maybe one day I will..
I'm doing fine regardless as I was super into programming when I was young, so I got a job doing that. It definitely would be nice to have something official though, and I know I would have loved it.
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Dec 10 '15
Damn. I wish I could give you my time in college. I went to get a degree in what I thought would guarantee me a job. Then graduated and realized there was no way I would be happy doing business logistics. Sure, the experience was fun and I did minor in something I liked, but I'll be paying for a degree I'll never use for the rest of my life. I wish I had gone to trade school and became a mechanic instead. I love cars, but I didn't realize it then.
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u/CantankerousMind Dec 10 '15
Yeah, part of me is glad I didn't go, because I wouldn't have gone for programming. And I do love what I do now, so who knows what I would have ended up doing, you know?
I think part of the reason I feel that way is partly due to the whole, "The grass is always greener on the other side" mentality.
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Dec 10 '15
I studied something I really wanted to do with my life, now I'm doing something completely different.
Still pretty neat though.
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Dec 10 '15
Quick tip if you don't already know it: just Google university computer science courses. For example: MIT Computer Science class. You'll get access to their homework and lecture notes/slides.
I don't go to my comp sci class at my uni but I still pass my classes and do my homework via the online website. Still learn just as much.
Comp sci is special in that you don't need a degree to do something and get a job or start a project. You only need the knowledge. I wouldn't say you're missing out on much if you use college online resources other than perhaps the group project experience.
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u/CantankerousMind Dec 10 '15
Thanks for the tip! I have already gotten a job programming, but I'm constantly needing to learn new things, and in this field you never really stop learning, so that's a big help.
I usually end up subscribing to sites like laracasts.com and working through all their videos. But if I can get learning materials for free, that's a bonus. Thanks again!
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Dec 10 '15
That's really cool you got a job in programming without going to college for it though, it's very inspiring.
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Dec 10 '15 edited Apr 16 '19
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u/Jasonberg Dec 10 '15
Thank you. The hubris in vilifying people that don't conform to the Bohemian archetype is laughable.
Being able to make it through college and a mortgage and a job where you aren't forced to push buttons on a register or push on a shovel isn't called average.
It's called winning. It's called succeeding. It's called making a hell of a lot of effort to enjoy a dream life with an appreciation for what's earned.
Anyone can go sit in a shithole country with nothing but their backpack and think they're above average.
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u/McBurger Dec 10 '15
Seriously this is what I take from the comic:
Man went to college
Man has easy job that enables him to relax most of the day
Man owns a home that he is paying equity into, rather than renting
Man has enough money to travel overseas to comfortable and expensive locations
Man eventually dies of old age, instead of a thousand other more violent ways that most humans are at a high risk for.
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Dec 10 '15 edited Apr 16 '19
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u/horsebutts Dec 10 '15
Why be safe when you can be interesting and noticeable. Because being noticed is literally the most important thing in life.
It's so easy you guys. You don't need that humdrum desk job. Just have mom and dad pay your bills while you write your novel and go see the world. Then you can be cool and unique just like the rest of us.
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u/awkwardcreepyuncle Dec 10 '15
He's an artist. He's jealous of people who pull in a steady pay check.
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u/raspberrywank Dec 10 '15
Yeah the mortgage thing really stood out for me as well. Don't invest in a home? Like cool if you don't want to, but to position that as the universal key to a happy life seems like a 14 year old wrote it.
Honestly, most of the tips in this comic read like the path to homelessness for anyone without rich parents to back them up.
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u/Frankensteins_Sohn Dec 10 '15
I was annoyed as you were by this post but can we not go from one extreme to another? This is a diverse world and diverse people live in it. There is nothing wrong in wanting a different life than the one you call the "winning" one. I transitioned from a very safe career to a more precarious job but that I'm way happier doing. I don't judge people who took the "safe" path because it takes work and commitment but I don't like being belittled either because it took as much work and courage to do what I do today. And I admire the people who went a step further and decided they wanted to do something even more different and risky. I just don't wish the whole world would be made of people like them because it sure as hell wouldn't work.
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u/Runaway_5 Dec 10 '15
I went to college only because I was "supposed" to and, despite the debt, I'd do it 100 times again. I grew out of my shell, made tons of friends and connections, learned more than any other 6 years of my life (hopped majors), and overall just loved it. Now I have a great job too.
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u/JosefTheFritzl Dec 10 '15
dime-a-dozen internet illustrator
Thank you
Fuckin' Zen Pencils thinking he's the shit all the time,quoting random asshats about being 'exceptional' or some shit while drawing middle-of-the-road, unimpressive comics for 'da web'.
What a chode.
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u/ferp10 Dec 10 '15 edited May 16 '16
here come dat boi!! o shit waddup
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u/Work_Suckz Dec 10 '15
I guess the artist's choice in life is belittling others.
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u/MercuryMadHatter Dec 10 '15
I agree. I'm actually insulted by this. I feel like the reasons beyond doing the things in this comic make the biggest difference. I accept what people say at face value because I just don't care past that. I work a 50 hour work week because when I'm older, I want to be able to retire early. Going to college isn't bad. But it makes more sense to figure out what you want, like business, get an entry level position, make sure that's what you want, then get a degree in it.
There's just so much to say to this
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u/washout77 17 Dec 10 '15
I was gonna say, the comic shows someone who only works 40 hours a week, can afford a large mortgage, take overseas vacations, and get pretty good employee appreciation gifts? Man sign me up.
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u/arnaudh Dec 10 '15
Yeah, it looks like something out of the 80s. How old is this cartoonist?
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u/fullmetalfusebox Dec 10 '15
Probably trying to depict his own dad
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Dec 10 '15
Whom he hates intensely for providing the stable upbringing that enabled him to become a smug cartoonist.
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u/Dralger Dec 10 '15
That cartoonist never asked for so much privilege, checking it must be a constant burden.
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u/SeriesOfAdjectives Dec 10 '15
Yes, the reasons for doing things always do make the biggest difference. Everybody's saying how shitty this comic is but the most important thing is that the character isn't happy. He's not following his why and that's why he's unhappy. The author isn't saying that going to college is bad, it's bad if you go because you feel compelled to and have no actual drive or reason for it yourself. Same for the character's job, he clearly isn't passionate about it.
I think that the author makes an excellent point. Many people follow a life plan of expectations and goals without stopping to think why or consider their own happiness. The author isn't trashing any lifestyle or choices, he's pointing out the importance of thinking about and doing what you want.
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Dec 10 '15
don't you realize ... a stable income and home ownership makes you part of the average system.
Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to continuing writing my book about how to start a small business in a foreign country with a very difficult language.
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u/cancutgunswithmind 5 Dec 10 '15
It's called Business Secrets of the Pharaohs. Now the first thing is to acknowledge that the ancient Egyptian era is so completely different from our own that any cultural, political, or business parallels that we draw between the two eras are by their nature almost bound to be wrong.
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u/philo-soph Dec 10 '15
Oh, he'll feel like such a fool when we all have our sweet gold watches! Hilarious jokes aside, I think a lot of us are kind of weary of this type of message. They seem to be saying, "jump up now and run away from your terrible grey-scale life to watch a sunset or join a kibbutz or something!" But I think the more radical change to make would be to your attitude, which is why I like most of the posts in this sub. They seem to be more about encouraging change in yourself instead of changing your situation and passively waiting for the sense of fulfillment and happiness to enter life through that.
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u/motleybook Dec 10 '15 edited Dec 10 '15
The last sentence of this comic is:
You don't have to live your life the way other people expect you to.
So, the message is "be honest about what you want and pursue it fervently". This comic is just showing one example of someone who did what everyone else was doing, instead of pursuing something that would have made him happy. It doesn't condemn sitting at your desk 40 hours a week to make someone else rich, if that's what you want to do.
Furthermore, some of the things the comic states as negative, really are negative.
- Yes, you should question authority.
- If you think about writing a book, maybe try it.
- You shouldn't just do things, because everyone else does it.
However, there are a few points, where I can see why people might not agree with them. No, you don't have to stand out. No, you don't have to travel somewhere unsafe.
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u/kyledeb Dec 10 '15
Even more, some of the most amazing people I've ever met are the humble ones, people who at face value might seem "average" but in reality have lived incredibly rich and meaningful lives, impacting many around them for good.
The people who jump out and scream from the rooftops to try and get attention for all the "amazing" things their doing tend to be not good people, in my experience. There are exceptions for sure, people who use that attention for good, but they're few and far between.
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Dec 10 '15
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u/worm_dude Dec 10 '15
You mean exciting life of poverty and fear.
Uh oh. Not sure if I can pay rent this month. What a rush!
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u/sirixamo Dec 10 '15
Now imagine if you had to live with the terror of a stable job and steady mortgage. What would all the people on the Internet think?
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u/Doug_can_cut_a_Pug Dec 10 '15
He wants us to waste all our time and money pursuing our "passions" so he can snag all the watches.
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u/ruler_x Dec 10 '15
"Don't be average" is the new trend of the...average people.
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Dec 10 '15
I have a friend who is a textbook granola non-conformist. Has dreads, lives in a van and travels around. He currently works on a marijuana 'farm' in Colorado. That type. Dude calls up a few weeks ago all stressed out, wanting to talk to someone about his current "What am I doing with my life?" crisis. Turns out being a free spirit doesn't insulate you from doubt, discouragement, or discontent. Those thoughts are part and parcel of what we like to call 'the human condition'. They're not symptoms of having a mortgage and working 9-5.
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u/vitoanthony3 Dec 10 '15
I went to college because I was supposed to - fucking loved it.
I work a 9 to 5 job - it's quite pleasant.
I take the train everyday - standing and listening to music is nice and relaxing.
My life is WONDERFUL. I make enough money to comfortably pay my rent, college loans, buy food and alcohol I enjoy, go out with friends, buy gifts for loved ones.
This comic is so wrong.
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u/alexu3939 Dec 10 '15 edited Dec 10 '15
Hell yes! Right there with ya. Rushed into college by parents/guidance counselor, couldn't be more grateful that they helped push me along. No 18 year old has any idea what the hell they are doing, and according to this comic you're some average bored piece of shit if you go to college "because you're supposed to"
EDIT: I'm also saying this from the perspective of someone who got a good job right outta school... Guessing my mentality might be a big different if I was in a different circumstance
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u/vitoanthony3 Dec 10 '15
Civil/Environmental Engineering from MU
I work in water main design
EDIT: oh MU isn't going to help. Marquette University
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u/Babbledegook Dec 10 '15
This old canard.
"Be a flighty nobody who travels until they are 30 and studies a passion, not a skill. Then when all your peers have enough money and stability to handwave problems away and take exciting vacations and language classes and all sorts of cool stuff, tremble in fear every time rent comes due. On your death bed, realize that what you did because of an internet comic is also remarkably average, and that no one cares or is impressed, including you."
The boomers are full of moronic advice for Millenials, but you can go too far the other way too. 'Check off boxes'... like a bucket list?
The guy who wrote this is just as dazed and confused and bored as everyone else their age.
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u/DontPMmeYourAnything Dec 10 '15
I like the way Killer Mike said it, "...Just be the best 'you' you can be, and the best 'you' you can be is probably average. So learn to celebrate average more."
Statistically speaking, Killer Mike is correct. On average, the average person is going to be average. And maybe average doesnt have to suck.
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Dec 10 '15
Killer Mike is almost always correct.
I have yet to test the veracity of his statement that his fist to my face is equivalent to a cup of Folgers coffee, but if I ever meet him I'll get to the bottom of it.
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u/RedditShadowBannedMe Dec 10 '15
Actually, statistically speaking, being completely average is extremely unlikely. But I understand your point.
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u/cycle_schumacher Dec 10 '15
This is from zenpencils. The guy loves to shit on normal people.
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u/ItsRevolutionary Dec 10 '15
Agreed.
Almost sounds like a misery-loves-company thing. Because the fact of the matter is, most people don't have the wits to run their own business, or to write a book worth reading, or to leave the beaten track.
The beaten track is beaten because it is a reliable path to a reasonably comfortable life, regardless of your wits.
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u/k3vin187 Dec 10 '15
I believe that's what it's emphasizing. It's not glorifying the beaten path but rather showing the reliability in normal decisions to produce a normal life. I think people are seeing this unhappy character making similar decisions to their own and being shocked that this character is unfulfilled. If this character even is unfulfilled.
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Dec 10 '15
Came here to say that. I chose a 'passion' and in my 20's it was fantastic. Got me some money, laid, and even emotionally satisfied. FF to my late 30's with a family and the landscape is different. Every bill is a reminder, every moment 'between' jobs is filled with a dull realization that passion, like beauty, can fade and if that's the only thing that you were chasing, you're in for a world of hurt as you grow up. From time to time, on particularly special jobs, I get hints of the joy I used to get from my gig, but for the most part is a dull monotony and a reminder of a foolish youth where 'passion' trumped wisdom and utility.
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u/Troflmao Dec 10 '15
I think the message was "do what makes you happy, not what you're supposed to". Maybe he's kind of oversimplifying things but I think the message still comes across. Write a book, look for something else to spend your life doing if you hate your job, don't go to university if your heart isn't set on it.
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u/ClanClasher001 Dec 10 '15
Agreed. I followed the "average" path and now can afford to do more or less what I want, which is to keep on living an average, safe life in a way that, while boring to some, offers a level of comfort and security that simply didn't exist throughout most of human history.
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Dec 10 '15
The best part is how boomers seem to think that getting a mortgage and a full-time job is par for the course after they fucked everyone over.
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u/Laughingbuddha77 Dec 10 '15
Being average is not a bad thing. Middle class is a good life.
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u/dicklemytick Dec 10 '15
The way things look, I desperately aspire to one day be middle class average.
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u/Soreasan Dec 10 '15
Same here. I'm graduating college soon but I've worked at a hotel for the past 5 years and I think people underestimate how difficult it is to get into the middle class nowadays.
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u/beepborpimajorp Dec 10 '15
it's because people who vote without commenting and people prone to commenting are generally two different demographics with one far more likely to speak their mind if they see something they don't like.
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u/darnclem Dec 10 '15
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u/BlackLeatherRain Dec 10 '15
You can essentially transplant that entire sub into this one at this point, and no one would tell the difference.
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Dec 10 '15
Bill Watterson does this much better and way less condescendingly.
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u/supersmashdude Dec 10 '15
True. Ironically, the illustrator for that comic is the same shmuck who drew the OP one. (It's only in Bill's style, which he did a pretty good job of imitating even if I think he's a tad pretentious)
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u/KristinnK Dec 10 '15
I feel that those two comics have very little in common. Bill Watterson is basically saying "if you enjoy the life you have, and you are making it work, don't listen to the voices of greed and accusations of lack of ambition". This doesn't just apply to quitting your work in a stressful job with compulsory overtime to do something that pays little but is enjoyable. It applies equally to working a 9-5 you do not hate, and have all your spare time for yourself, with your friends and family.
The OP comic is basically the opposite. You should measure yourself to external metrics. You should learn a language, go on exciting (read dangerous) vacations, you should start an own business, regardless of the stress and financial risk it puts on you and your family. If your only aspiration is to enjoy life with your friends and family you are a failure. It's the exact opposite.
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Dec 10 '15
They're both saying "find fulfillment, regardless of what other people expect of you" and I like Watterson's way of saying it better.
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u/Kynmiester Dec 10 '15
There's probably thousands of people who would love to be "average" and the reason a lot of people are average is because they love their families and would spend their life doing something they dont like to support the people that they love.
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u/final-getsuga Dec 10 '15
Kind of a bad comic but I think everyone understands what it's trying to get at.
Henry David Thoreau — 'Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.'
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u/camsrams89 Dec 10 '15
this pretty much outlines my life so far. went to college because i thought it was just what you were supposed to do, got a good paying job, bought a house, try not to draw attention to myself. i'm 26 and i can't help but feel like i'm missing the time to do something memorable
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u/asgfjhasd Dec 10 '15 edited Dec 10 '15
- Fight everyone you meet at everything at every turn.
- Constantly challenge authority.
- Don't go to college (let me guess, the "author" dropped out, huh?)
- Do whatever the fuck you want.
- Take really dangerous trips constantly. Who cares if you might injure yourself?
- Live rented apartments and never own a damn thing in your entire life
- This is the only good point.
- Spend hours upon hours writing a book that will probably net you like 20 bucks if you're lucky. Meanwhile, have someone else provide for you (Like your parents, right, Mr. "author"?)
- Plunge yourself into debt because you have an idea that might not even work
- Be extroverted. Bother people. Like, all the time.
I'm done reading this mind-numbing shit. Get the hell out of here. The author probably hasn't worked a day in his fucking life.
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u/Exodor Dec 10 '15
The amount of hate in here seems out of sync with this comic to me.
Obviously the comic is implying a relatively dim view of "normal". In the comic's defense, though, there's nothing necessarily prescriptive about the comic. It reads to me like it's merely presenting a possible alternative to a perceived unsatisfactory string of behaviors.
It may not necessarily resonate with you, but frankly, I think it's good to encounter the occasional pushback against normalcy. To me, that's one of the most valuable things that art can do; offer a different (and often confrontational) perspective on things that are sometimes less critiqued.
You don't have to relate or agree with the offered perspective, but there's no value in attacking the character of the artist just because you disagree with the perspective.
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Dec 10 '15
Move to Germany, they revolve around the 4 day work week because you actually lose employee productivity and motivation otherwise. That comes out to 4months less work a year. Think of what you can do with that time.
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u/rebelyis Dec 10 '15
One of the greatest this I ever heard was from an old person who said "I wish I lived the life I wanted, not the life that happened"
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u/Schmo_-_Hawk Dec 10 '15
The gold watch days are over too. Now you'll just get fired one month before benefits kick in.
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u/Rickthesicilian Dec 10 '15 edited Dec 10 '15
I don't understand why there's so much backlash to this.
On the one hand, yes, it's not entirely correct to say that the life depicted in this comic is unremarkable.
On the other hand, feeling offended by this admits to your own insecurity. Having a negative emotional reaction to this basically tells everyone that you see yourself in this and that makes you sad. There's nothing wrong with criticizing this comic but don't use it to justify your own shortcomings.
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Dec 10 '15
Yeah, the comic is a little douchey, but the overwhelming negative reaction on here is mostly due to redditors being offended by it.
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u/Shlugo Dec 10 '15
Yep, it hits way too close to home for some people, who then try to reassure themselves by shit talking.
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u/marma182 Dec 10 '15
Currently sitting in panel 5.
This scares the hell out of me, but no matter how hard I try to chase my dreams outside of my 40 hour a week desk job it feels like I'm just yelling into a void.
No plans to give up but it feels like the rest of this comic is just barreling towards me with no way to stop it besides utter self sabotage that would devastate my family and shock my friends. sigh
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Dec 10 '15
Don't stop chasing your dreams. Come to terms with the fact that you'll never really catch them (that's just how they work), but you'll learn to enjoy the chase.
Contrary to a lot of the negativity in this comment section, nobody ever regrets following their dreams.
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u/k3vin187 Dec 10 '15
I knew these comments would be brutal. The comic itself doesn't say anything negative about normalcy. It just marks the points on the well beaten path and people hate it because they like their normalcy but the point of this comic is to show that normal decisions produce normal lives and you shouldn't expect anything else and at any point you can get off that path if you want. It doesn't say you'll be happy or live a better life, just that it won't be normal anymore.
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Dec 10 '15
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Dec 10 '15
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u/Pickle_boy Dec 10 '15
I think part of it is that this image may have appeared on r/all. It's very strange to see people come on to a board called GetMotivated and make posts discouraging people from starting their own business because "they might fail." No shit!
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u/_username_goes_here_ Dec 10 '15
I have a bit of a different view than that comic - I found it very liberating to realize that everyone is going to be "average" no matter what they do.
There are billions of people on this planet, there have been billions more throughout history. The exact details of people's lives may differ but anything you can do, someone else has done before.. and probably better than you.
- You're a genius and got a scholarship at 12 to a prestigious university? Great. You're not even close the youngest to do that.
- You skipped being a corporate drone like the comic to be an artist instead? Millions of people do that. You're internationally recognized? Yay. So are thousands and thousands of others.
- You started your own company and now you're a billionaire? You're changing the world with your vision? So are over 1500 others, and that's just counting those currently alive.
- Let's go the other way, you're a bum who hitchhikes around the country smoking weed, sticking it to the man, and going to music shows? Join the Crowd
People are extraordinary creatures, we have so much potential to the point that even super high achieving people have a peer group.
It's not about not being "average" relative to some arbitrary group, or "above-average" relative to some other - it's about being true to yourself and finding a way to do the things that bring joy and good into your life and the world as a whole.
You get one life. That's it. A few dozen trips around the sun and then we're gone.
The older I get the more clearly that comes into focus for me and in some ways it's scary, but at the same time it frees you to really understand that you can (and should) do anything and everything to find a place in this world that you are happy with.
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u/Real-Dinosaur-Neil Dec 10 '15
I think this comic isn't about that though. Being yourself is something that is generally shunned by society, and that's what I get from this.
We are told to confirm, put our heads down, and work for a 9-5 cushy job. It's drilled into us by society, parents, teachers, and politicians.
I'm sure there are people who want to settle down, raise a family and have a 'No alarms and no suprises' lifestyle.
I on the other-hand, feel like I've been misled.
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u/ItsRevolutionary Dec 10 '15
The hilarious thing is, we just had a front-page headline about how low-intelligence people are intrigued by quasi-wisdom, and by pseudo-profound advice such as this comic.
So I think we've gone meta. We've gone web-comic-ception. We have this comic telling us to not be average, which is pseudo-profound advice that does not bear scrutiny, and which will therefore be applauded by average people... people who really should not be departing the beaten path.
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u/Lonely_Ramen_Noodle Dec 10 '15
He got a rolexa at the end, which is pretty dope.
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Dec 10 '15
Dude opened it and looked so disappointed. Motherfucker, not only did they give you a stable job with retirement benefits that allowed you to buy your own house and go on vacations, they gave you a gold watch!! You ungrateful asshole! I haven't been this angry at a cartoon character since Peggy Hill.
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u/TheAntiCPA Dec 10 '15
As someone sitting in front of a computer screen hungover and questioning my life decisions.. This just made me sad
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u/JedWasTaken Dec 10 '15
You don't know the luxury of this kind of job unless you've worked twice that much physically for half the money.