I think this really speaks to, “It’s not what you have, it’s who you have.” You could have millions of dollars and the biggest house in the neighbourhood, but you won’t be happy with any of that if you have a partner who is terrible and mean to you.
Happiness comes from finding joy from what you already have rather than longing for what you don’t.
This would be profound if Carly and Rodney were guaranteed free healthcare, UBI, and other minimum requirements for living ao that being happy with what you have isn’t crushed by chronic illnesses and endless debt.
This. For me, saddest thing about this comic’s message was the fact that I immediately wondered how they would handle needing a root canal or if one of them broke a leg.
Or a weird lump checked out.
Oh, that’s simple. The root canal they’ll handle by going to the ER, getting antibiotics, and not getting the tooth taken care of until it has to be extracted completely (or just breaks off at the gum line, and taking antibiotics way too often for it)
The broken leg they’ll get done at the er, too.
In both cases it’ll lead to debt they likely will ignore, because what the fuck else can they do?
But the lump? That one they’ll just ignore. It isn’t actively painful, and there’s nothing they can do for it, anyway. So they’ll just die young.
Money isn’t the root of all evil… But is damn sure the tool of evil.
Love of money, as in greed, is the root of all evil.
People managed in the past without healthcare. A lot of them died younger as a result, but you can still live your life without it I guess.
Suffering and dying young isn’t “living your life”, it’s suffering and dying young. They suffered through horrible illnesses, lived in pain because they had to and had dozens of children to make sure some of them reach adulthood rather healthily.
In the US I’d have already died more than once, and if not would be either homeless with crippling debt or criminal to pay not just for the cancer treatment years ago. Instead today, after injuring myself working on my hobby, I went to a doctor to get a tetanus booster (just in case) because I forgot to do it earlier. For free. On a sunday. As someone currently unemployed.
That’s the way it fucking should be. I’m so fed up with people relativizing unnecessary suffering, including living in existential fear of illness.
People have managed without oxygen before. I mean, you’ll die in a few minutes as a result, but you can still live your life without it.
In many countries, these basic needs would be a non-issue.
I think the message can be interpreted though. It doesn’t have to be taken so literally.
I am the exact same person today in my big adult house with my grown-up job as I was 25 years ago in my tiny little apartment living off $9 an hour. Houses, cars, jobs, promotions…these things don’t really change who you actually are. A 25% raise at work won’t make you 25% happier.
You can still have a job that pays money and benefits and choose to downsize the rest of your life and eliminate all that stress. You don’t need a 3,000 sq. ft. house with a 3 car garage and a marble kitchen island to be happy… You’re still going to be the same you.
Yes, if you ignore the obvious signs that they are in poverty and bordering on homelessness it is a great message.
I don’t disagree. I grew up as poor as the characters in this comic and we were definitely not happy like they are. It’s fiction and doesn’t account for the harshness of reality and very callously ignores the lack of a social safety net.
However, the point of the comic still hits home. Life was much simpler when I was young and poor. The complexities and unnecessary stress of the life I lead now seem almost ridiculous in comparison.
One hundo percent 😞
Absolutely.
I lived a lot like this during the 2008 recession. I was always looking for work, but there was none to be had. So we spent all day watching arthouse DVDs from the library, having sex, cooking, making art, and talking philosophy in our 250 square foot apartment. At times, it was truly beautiful.
However, there came a time after a year or so where the money really ran out and we got evicted. The relationship imploded and it all went to shit.
My takeaway is that, for long term happiness, stability is important too.
I mean, the richest man in the world is busy meddling in everyone else’s affairs. Clearly money is not enough to satisfy.
Well if he were less of a sociopathic asshole we’d all be better off.
And yes wealth at that level corrupted him.
This is what I’m afraid of. I have a plan for getting rich but I don’t have much of a plan for getting over the loneliness I feel.
Actually I’m afraid to get rich because I feel like that will be the end of any opportunity to genuinely bond with people.
Statistically you don’t have to worry about it. Unless you have rich parents, your plans of getting rich will very likely fail
Then don’t get rich :)
You reminded me of a song I had totally forgot about, thank you. I’ll post it here https://youtu.be/6TmJw8j2Eos
