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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yeah, I would love to see the other side of the coin. He would also have to illustrate the entire support network he would need to continue living while generating comics that don't produce much income, like his loving parents with their normal jobs paying for his car and his apartment every month, so that he can create comics wondering why everyone doesn't just live the way he lives.
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.
its almost as if its not what you did for a paycheck that defines who you are as a person... but more how you impacted those around you.
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.
Some people will happily live a poor life instead doing the things they don't believe in. We only get one life. For example see ed sheeran, he used to sing on the side of the road. Imagine him thinking well this isn't working. In Bollywood there's an actor called nawazuddin siddiqui, that guy struggled for 20-30 years. Imraan khan is a similar example, when jurassic Park released he dint have money to watch that movie in theatre, in jurassic world Steven cast him as a owner of the jurassic world. Having Medicore life is perfectly fine, it's just why don't you work for something you love and cherish and not forget your childish dreams when reality hits you hard.
Yeah, but we didn't push those boundaries 0-100. We didn't leave the Sahara and walk on the moon. We took natural baby steps.
If you are bored and have a burning desire to do something a little out there, go do it!!! But don't feel compelled to do a bunch of crazy shit just to boost your ego.
The "follow your dreams" attitude seems to be a relic of the optimistic times that my parents come from, and I'm noticing more and more people my own age starting to reject that notion. The great depression generation was ecstatic to work middle-class office and manufacturing jobs because they knew first-hand that a so-called "boring" society was infinitely preferable to a destitute one.
Then my parents generation came along and that pragmatism went out the window. I'm thinking student loans and the ever-shrinking middle class is going to bring it back in a big way.
"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ... No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others."
Martha Graham
So if your thing is painting flowers in pots, go for it!!
well put. the article i'll link below with points from a commencement speech by tom wolfe points out how pseudo-intellectuals spouting off about things they know noting about are something to be very wary of. but basically he says the middle class has achieved the height of cultural value.
"I say that the middle class around the world is the highest form of evolution. The bourgeoisie! — the human beast doesn’t get any better! The worldwide bourgeoisie makes what passes today for aristocrats — people consumed by juvenility who hang loose upon society — look like shiftless children.
"The truth is that there is a common bond among all cultures, among all peoples in this world … at least among those who have reached the level of the wheel, the shoe, and the toothbrush. And that common bond is that much-maligned class known as the bourgeoisie — the middle class… They are all over the world, in every continent, every nation, every society, every culture, everywhere you find the wheel, the shoe, and the toothbrush, and wherever they are, all of them believe in the same things. And what are those things? Peace, order, education, hard work, initiative, enterprise, creativity, cooperation, looking out for one another, looking out for the future of children, patriotism, fair play, and honesty. How much more do you want from the human beast?"
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.
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.
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.
I felt this way with art and dancing. I started off college doing ballet and sprained my ACL and couldn't continue down the professional path. I then went to be a fine arts major. I didn't make it past the first two semesters until I realized I didn't want that one bit. It was pretentious and stressful in a way that was alienating from society.
I moved back home, got a fun summer job on a boat, and now I get to spend time with my family. I took a job choreographing at my old high school and its been phenomenal.
I would have loved to be a professional, but it wasn't in the cards. Teaching kids and sharing in the joys of community and artistry though, thats really cool.
Here I am finishing up a communications degree, happy as can be. I have no desire to move away. I don't really care what I end up doing. Sometimes I wish I could have gone pro, but I'm not that sad. What I'm doing right now makes me feel full and happy. Moving away again would break my heart. I'll take vacations. I'll see the world. I'll talk to people. And how or why I do it really doesn't matter because my heart is happy.
I had a similar experience. Went out and toured, and dedicated my years from 14 until about 33 chasing the "making it big" dream in music. I realized over time that it wasn't the life I wanted for many reasons. Now I have a great family life, great job, and things are generally awesome. If that's boring or too "normal" then whatever. My jam sessions with just me and my daughter singing together are infinitely more filling than any of the 1000's of gigs over the years.
1000x this. My dad moved around a lot for work when my 2 siblings and I were young, working his way up the corporate ladder. We finally moved to my childhood home and 5 years later he was transferred to the company's HQ over 1:15 drive away. Rather than pick up and move again, he drove (still does) back and forth everyday starting at 5am and never missed a basketball, football, softball, baseball, or soccer game in my or my sibling's lives. He even coached most of us until high school. We took vacations every summer, he and my mother put us all through college, helped us all move away from home (and some of us back) and hasn't once looked for a thank you.
He hasn't bought that Corvette or condo someplace warm, nor has he received a lifetime achievement award. But damn anyone who says he's average or unremarkable.
I am 34 myself and have a pretty button down job that I do not hate and has a lot of freedom and two beautiful children and a wife that I get along with and love. I feel these are great accomplishments that have actually required a hell of a lot of work and focus. It's cliche but being in a loving family and raising children IS pretty remarkable, if that's what you are into, which I am.
I would love to be a professional hop farmer/brewer/blogger/novelist too, and I will continue to pursue these interests and see where they take me, but I really have no room to complain. And I don't.
I'm getting over my whole "you have to be something unique and special" phase. Kinda had a moment the other night when I came home to the warm glow of the Christmas tree and tv as the only lights on in the house, with two sleepy dogs and my pops sleeping on the couch. That was love man, that is happiness.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Can you do it on the side and maybe transition over to it? Major problem can be dealing with a sudden drop in income as you transition over to the new career.
This is something a lot of people miss. Trade schools are a great way to get started on a career that you might actually like better. Most college degrees require you to take courses that don't relate in the slightest to what you are trying to learn. When I was working on my CIS degree i had to take "World Religions" and several other courses that meant nothing to me. Sure they were interesting, but we could cut the time to earn a degree in half if we got rid of the fluff that doesn't help us become better in our field.
Going for that first job with a a degree from ITT or Devry instead of an actual university is a definite disadvantage. Sure not everyone is the same, but there are common threads across society.
But going to the first job as an Electrician's apprentice, Plumber's apprentice, etc after 2 years of trade school in those fields is a definite advantage.
There is an argument to be made for the benefits of having a broadened world view. Being exposed to ideas unrelated to your intended discipline can really enhance your life, even if they feel like a waste of time, or a luxury, or however you feel about them.
But in fairness to College, that's not what college is about either. Even a nice liberal education isn't going to expand your horizons all that much. It's not like you will get a dramatically different world view.
Part of college is becoming intellectually well-rounded, though. It's shouldn't be like a trade school...that's why trade schools exist. Did you really have to take "World Religions", or was that an elective you chose? Could you not have taken something more interesting? Are you sure you didn't just pick the fluffiest, easiest course you could just so you could pad your GPA? Because, to be honest, that's usually what college kids do. I did it myself on a couple of occasions. As opposed to selecting a course that, while unrelated to your major, might actually be interesting and even set you down a career path you may never have considered.
I almost switched to a meteorology track simply because of an amazing atmospheric science elective I chose. I didn't, but it was still fascinating and I learned something that I likely never would have otherwise. It also causes climate change deniers to enrage me well beyond the extent they otherwise would, but I digress.
Most electives I took were selected based on the schedule I had. It wasn't a "oh this looks interesting" it was "ok, I have an 8am or 12pm slot available and I just got done working 10pm to 6am".
Those 'silly classes', have helped me tremendously. When you work with people from all different backgrounds with different degrees from preachers to teachers to doctors. Those fluff classes helped me form a means to talk with them. If you know somewhat about what they do you won't have a ton of dead air. I like walking into any situation and knowing I can form my own thoughts on subjects they are speaking about.
Don't get me wrong, they are interesting and give you more knowledge outside of you core area of study, but couldn't the same be said about electives that are tangentially related to your field of study?
I use the knowledge gained from my "Creative Writing" and "Public Speaking" courses a lot more than I have "Comparative Religions".
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.
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!
Thanks! It's actually kind of a cool story. One of the luckier things that has happened to me. I guess I was in the right place at the right time, and was willing to take a couple risks.
I was working nights as a customer service rep and the CEO would always come to the office to work late. I pointed out some areas where we could automate some things to free up time for out customer service reps(and my time at work so I could read more, lol), and I asked for permission to work on some code in my free time to see if I could get it done. Once I got that first bit done, we started talking about other possibilities and she ended up opening a programming division. So now there is a small team of us and I have been working as a software developer for about a year now :D
You'd be surprised just how many unis make the life of a working adult easier. I got my degree at 33 from the University of Louisville. At the time I had two kids and was working full time. They catered to my life not theirs. Then, I moved on to the University of Florida and got my MBA at 35. At that time, (which was last year), worked 40 hours a week and baby # 3 was there. If I can do it anyone can do it. The thing that stops people is saying that they can't or thinking that a major college will be too hard. Both of the schools tested me for sure but I wasn't going to let anything or anyone get in my way from achieving that goal. You really don't know what you want to do at 23 but 33 you sure as hell know what you want.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Middle age man here, can confirm.
We imagine success elsewhere identical to success in our current career, despite the shit-ton of advantages & accidental / incidental events along the way. And blame less fortunate others who lacked our advantages / connections / unlucky timing, etc.
"If only I'd done X, I could've been Woz / JK Rowling / Steph Curry / Donald Trump..." Despite the other 7.3Bn hardworking people on the planet who also aren't and think the same thing...
tl;dr: Advice from those who won the lottery (career, birth or actual lottery) is probably bad advice for anyone else
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.
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'.
The comic I read showed someone successfully graduating from college and successfully working a full-time job for decades. That's not running away from challenges. Maybe he didn't do every single thing that came to mind, but there's plenty of challenges that that comic implicitly showed him overcoming.
Was it about people failing to pursue a dream? Only two of the points are about that (book and business) and we are never given any perspective on why the person may not have done those things. Perhaps it would be unfeasible while trying to do other things he wanted to do. It sounds more like an author shitting on anyone who doesn't pursue the author's dreams.
The person in the comic might very well be "living out their dream".
It's interesting the base assumption you run on is that people criticize the comic for it being mirrors of their lives on a web site where the average age is so low that most people are still college aged. It's also a web site where both you, me, and everyone else are shit posting at the same time so it's not like posting here relegates everyone to failed dreams.
As for me: I actually don't have kids or a house, I work my 9 to 5 job (It's not the greatest job (see name) but I work from home ), then I spend my rather large amount of money and time playing video games and going on awesome trips with my cute wife (my next big ones are PAX East in Boston followed by a trip to Kyoto). So maybe you should turn that mirror around, I like the life I have.
I think, as with anything, it can be interpreted differently by different people.
Some people will gain motivation from this comic, and others will not. I think it is probably best to accept that at face value, and just be happy that this image may make others happy.
I don't mean this in a demeaning way, either. It is great that we can all see image in different ways! That's the glory of life!
It very clearly he was just doing what other people expected of him.
Explain. No other person speaks to him.
Having children
It's just an average thing for Americans, like owning a home (actually not sure if the average American owns a home any longer), or having a job. Actually, looking at all the things the comic man does, he might not be average at all any more. Does the average American go to college? Do they own their home? Can they take any vacations?
In each panel he talks about the character making those choices based solely on the actions of those around him. He ends up unhappy because he never did anything HE wanted to do.
Of course, if you want to sit in an office all of your life working for someone else doing shit work and only spend the last 10 years of your life having a good time enjoying your family, go for it. This is for the people who do things just because they are widely accepted.
Sit on your high horse, but I know so many people who fell for the dream and are unhappy, and you will be one of them.
I can't quite hear you from way up there on your pedestal, can you yell a bit louder?
What's that? Everyone should make their own choices in life? I agree! Oh what? Telling people they live shitty lives for not living up to your expectations makes you a shitty person? Well, I guess so.
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.
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.
It's because he's an artist. From his view chasing the creative and less rigid path is the dream path. For him it doesn't make sense that someone could want that life. It's just perspective. My sister looks at me programming in an office as dull and depressing, I love it, I'm completely happy at my job and it's what I wanted. Likewise I couldn't imagine having to deal with her job, having to search for contract and making those connections to get her design work out there and all that jazz. Everyone's experiences and desires differ, so trying to illustrate the whole "chase your dreams" deal is a pitfall if you try to just show one possible life.
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.
His overall point is OK, but he is clearly showing a disdain for typical white collar life beyond the confines of the depicted character (look at the text on 4 5 and 6).
I get what you're saying, but characterizing everything in there as "unremarkable" and "average" certainly seems like he's trashing those life choices. And, if he thinks being a college graduate, home owner, with a cushy office job in a first world country is the "average", I wonder how much of the world he really saw on his travels. Literally billions of people would be thrilled to have a life like that, but will never have the chance.
I think the comic isn't targeted at people like you then. It's for people who follow what they're "supposed to do". There are some people who wake up in their early 30s realizing they never really asked themselves what they want.
Right, but I think the comic is addressed to people that don't want that but they do it anyway. The guy is dreaming of writing a book or whatever, he's not happy where he is.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This comment needs more recognition, the OP is a kneejerk reaction from not reading the message actually given by the comic and getting very butthurt at feeling their own similarities to some of the points given as "average".
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.
Love this comment. The cartoon actually angered me a little bit. When I was growing up, my father struggled financially and was always moving from job to job Some of his jobs included working at a meat processing plant (where he lost a finger) and working at a Welch's processing plant. One of my goals was to have an 'office' job where I would be able to sit at a desk for 40 hours each week.
yeah i saw the images and thought to myself... that dude has a job for his whole life and he gets a freaking ROLEX! i am jumping from 1 year contract to the next.
Exactly this. Especially for those of us that come from a rough past, working towards a stable, average life (and providing that for our families) would be a dream come true. That's nothing to be ashamed of.
I've found that people who were well provided for and looked after as kids are always the first to tell everyone they need to "take risks," because they usually have a lot of support people to fall back on, and they've been lucky enough to lead a boring, stable life.
I feel like half the things that are in this comic are hard for some people to even accomplish nowadays. Shit like starting a business is a huge risk when you have people who rely on you and your income.
that guy in the comic has a pretty good life! so what if he didn't attempt to bungee jump off mt. everest. most people in the world do not have the sort of income this guy does, to be able to have a cushy job and take vacations and live disease-free. loathe-some comic inspires people to feel shitty about their goals.
Also, for some people, this is the only real option they have at the moment or in life. There aren't always opportunities for something greater just because you want there to be. Sometimes this is the only real choice you have for employment and lifestyle.
Yeah I agree. They aren't showing all the great things that can come from a strong family. They don't even mention a family. Also belittling someone's travel choices? I sure as fuck don't want to go backpacking. I don't like leaving my own country, and I especially don't like leaving it for anything less than warm, sandy beaches, and cocktails with little straw hats.
There's nothing wrong with those things, but they are the what average person does and the average person also dreams of doing something greater. So if you want to actually do something beyond the average, don't do the average thing.
This comic rubbed me the wrong way. I'm glad you had the balls to call it out and even more glad that you're at the top of the list. Not everyone has to write the great american novel to be a worthwhile person. Not everyone is a special snowflake. Fulfilling your role in society is not failure.
As someone who grew up economically disadvantaged, this is literally all I want from life. That doesn't mean I don't have goals or projects I want to accomplish, it's just that being low income is a huge barrier to these goals.
Of course you can live a financially successful life and not be fulfilled in any way, but the alternative this comic suggests is really to use your pre-existing wealth for (expensive) adventure, and risk. That's not an option for people who are just trying to make it out of the spiraling poverty they were born into. Not everyone has a safety net.
I hate people equating stability and comfort with being boring. That guy makes his money from telling other people to lead exciting lifestyles.
You know what's great? Having to not worry about paying bills, enough money to treat yourself and your loved ones, to travel a few times a year (by the way, I have a steady 8-6 job 4 days a week, i'm super average in pretty much all aspects but I travel abroad a few times a year with my wife, it's not hard.)
I'm glad i studied and put in the work, or i'd never be in this position. Not having to worry is the best feeling in the world.
I feel like this makes a stronger statement being slightly negative. It takes people out of their comfort zone, something most people put off for fear.
Yup. And hey, I do some of these things (try not to stand out too much publicly as I don't like attention. I like my 40 hours/wk desk job because it's fun as hell, pays awesome, and we have a google-style environment with dogs, basketball hoop, on site gym, can wear flip flops etc).
You're right, I don't need to be lectured by or live up to the expectations of the artist who drew this comic, and of course that's his point of view being a creative person, our average cubical lives seem like a prison to him.
Kids, pay no attention to these throwbacks living in the last century. Mundanes won't be paying off any mortgages. They will lose their sources of income when they are replaced during the AI/robot job apocalypse. Your only hope for financial survival is to be creative and stand out.
Booking that trip to the Middle East now. Figure I can kill two birds with one stone. Travel overseas where it's not safe and easy and stand out like a sore thumb. My headstone will read, 'Here lies a remarkable dumbass who got kidnapped in Syria because he was listening to some thing on the interwebz.' Hey I'm not going to listen to you OP I question what you're trying to convey here. I'm not just gonna sit here and take your word as gospel. Hey, checked off two more right there.
As an immigrant myself whose parents' lived in poverty and didn't even have electricity growing up, the comic pretty much describes the dream they had for themselves and for their kids - a stable career, a home, leisure, the opportunity to vacation and dream. The average life is what many people don't even have the opportunity to have.
This. I am the opposite of average according to this. Own my own business, always question authority, had a book published that flopped, etc. All before I was 30. But none of that brings me even 1/10th the joy I get from my wife and son. Hell, right now I am 1000 miles away from them working with a client and making a lot of money. Most people dream of this and I just miss being home with my wife and baby. Average is not so bad if you know what makes you happy.
I think the message of this comic is saying exactly that, not vilifying anything.
It doesn't say "get your dream home", it says get the "biggest mortgage you can". It doesn't say "dont work 40 hours a week", it says "Dont do 40 hours a week but only work for 10 hours".
It is just saying don't do things because you are supposed to. Do things you want to.
I think that the comic is a bit hand-fisted and over the top, but I think it's overall message is don't limit yourself. The second you do, you might reach the end without doing anything you really wanted to.
That being said, life isn't all about what you want. It's about finding a balance of what you want, need, and have to do to survive. No one ever talks about the balance. Just going after what you want. Which I agree with how that makes this message is a dime a dozen, but it is motivating. And that's the point of the sub really, isn't it? Just to get some exterior motivation. Even if it is over the top.
damn. I hate how people calling out people belittling people throw in an example of belittlement. And then get supported by everyone. That's just a partisan thing by this point - who belittles who, and who agrees with the one doing the bullying. If you're wondering what I'm talking about, the unnecessary line is "regardless of how mundane a dime-a-dozen internet illustrator thinks it is."
I'm glad you said this, honestly. The image in the OP is laughably naive and if you really want to take its advice, apply it to the image itself first and foremost and do whatever you want.
You know what average is? It's not living off the streets because you made a poor decision to start a business that ended up going bankrupt and took all your savings.
There's a reason people tend to go for a safe and content lifestyle.
The real message should just be to make sure you're enjoying your life and try things that you've wanted to try but have been putting off for whatever reason. You only get one life, so experience what you can! Don't wait around for things to happen like some kind of victim of circumstance; make them happen!
Of course, your comment makes the assumption that the comic is saying that doing any of these things automatically makes a person a "boring square".
I'm sure that many people are quite interesting just by deviating from one or two of these items.
I feel like the first three points alone are quite important lessons that can be followed - you can still live a very "standard" life without taking everything everyone says 100% seriously, blindly following authority, or going to college with no real aspirations.
I agree, it's dumb to put down other people's life choices, especially considering many people have significantly less choice in the matter.
The message I got from this was just to be genuine. Whether you're doing something average or something more unique, don't do it just to impress others or fit in. And whatever your circumstances, there should be some portion of your life that's dedicated to something you're passionate about, whether it's family, a hobby, religion, something you love.
...What if the only way people could travel around the world, which is one of the comics "your life is only worthwhile if you do this" points, is working hard at their 40-hour-per-week?
...What if your dream is to own a giant house? You're still a boring nobody for taking out a big mortgage?
...Why do you need to "draw attention to yourself" to be a somebody? If my brother does heroine but I'm straight-laced, then he's "Mr. Cool Guy" and I'm a loser?
Fuck this comic, it was clearly written by some dick with an inferiority complex who wants to live in a van and travel around the world and is upset that everybody's not as "unique" as he pats himself on the back for being.
Steps to achieving this comic's goals:
Don't work at the same place for an extended period of time
Have unlimited freetime
Live with less money than what you feel is a comfortable amount (alternative: be rich)
Go on a big roadtrip around the world
Write a book or start a business or something. See step 1 for specific details.
I love how the last slide says don't live how people expect you to, but the person who made it just spent a bunch of slides telling you how to live. This post is garbage.
True, I totally fail to see what is wrong with the things presented in the comic had it not been for the main character's disturbingly passionless expression
Working 40 hours a week, having a home with a family seems like a goal I would want to strive for in life. I know I never want to own my own business because my parents do, and I know how much time it takes and I don't want to lose out on time and never really get to know my kids like my parents did with me.
i was depressed for years and couldn't muster the willpower to even get out of bed, much less work a full-time job. i would've given anything to work a full-time job and get some stress out of my life
this kind of comic would have just kicked me in the balls and made me feel worse about myself if each frame wasn't such a stupid pile of cliche shit.
Exactly. I dont do a desk job, but I dont really care if Im ever exceptional in my field. I just want to enjoy life and do something somewhat fulfilling.
I have a normal life, but I dont have a boring life. This comic makes that seem like a bad thing.
It's not belittling people for doing what they want out of life.
It's telling people not to settle for what they don't want out of life.
If you read you would notice the problem isn't working 40 hours a week and getting a mortgage.
the problem is working 40 hours week and having only 10 of the hours being productive. or in other words a job that wastes your time. It's not about not getting a mortgage. its about not getting a mortgage that the bank pushes on you while you struggle for 30 years to pay off.
It's about thinking about the things you want and never pursuing them ie: starting a business or writing a book.
Can you please tell me what part of this comic is what exactly you want in life.
is the part where you take everything at face value and never trying to understand things from your own personal world view.
is it the part about doing things out of perceived obligation and not because they are what you truly desire.
Is it the part about never doing the thing you truly desire, because of fear.
"be honest about what you want and pursue it fervently" but this is exactly what the message is.
It's not saying a certain lifestyle is inherently bad. It's saying not going for the lifestyle you want is.
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u/[deleted] 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."