@Earnest – If there is no afterlife and no soul (or at least not one that lacks consciousness and memory) then death is a reset. You would not be capable of remembering your old life. Everything would be gone. It doesn’t matter that everyone else would remember you and what you threw away. You yourself have ceased. Thus the button being a metaphor for suicide and death.
Funny, I just casually mentioned to someone that I wish I could stop me from being born and they took it so personally and cried. I tell you I’m surprised how differently normal people feel about these things.
Albeit, the dark part of my brain contemplated this and how someone’s unthinking comments like telling a depressed person they were having a “pity party” results in a suicide attempt. Or that it was the unthinking comment of an asshole to someone who attempted suicide, resulting in a second attempt.
I think one of the more offensive phrases is “pity party” as it shows zero empathy or consideration. It’s not even accidental – it’s a deliberate insult and attack to someone who is in a state of pain. It always has been.
“What is hell? Hell is oneself, Hell is alone, the other figures in it Merely projections. There is nothing to escape from And nothing to escape to. One is always alone.” -“The Cocktail Party,” TS Eliot
I guess I would only press this if it was a giant do-over button. Erasing everything otherwise wouldn’t really help my problems (though I imagine this would be very tempting to someone who had great emotional/physical trauma that is the root of their sadness), just start me on a blank slate with nothing that keeps me going around anymore.
As far as her being offended, what she can’t realize is that he can’t feel any of that anyway. At least not in the moment. When you’re far enough into a depressive state, you can’t feel the happiness when you think about happy times with friends, or how much you love your spouse when you look at them. All good is replaced with bad, feelings and thoughts included.
Reminded me of the Ani DiFranco lyric, “I am here to exercise my freedom of choice.” The song was about abortion but taken out of context, the line applies.
You’re not a horrible person, you just have a healthy sense of humour. You are not laughing at suffering or suicide, you’re laughing at that guy so willing and that girl rolling eyes. To be able to see the funny side of some scenes is as important as be able to recognize sweetness in the scenes of the freckled girl, for example. I laughed too.
That button may mean suicide, or it may just be a metaphor to start over, new born, amnesia on time and feelings, reset of memory, software and hardware. Utopia, like the button. Suicide is not utopic; it is there and it’s the end.
Jay.
You know, this could be considered a metaphor for suicide.
Ain’t it the point of the comix?
Now that’s hysterical. I wonder how many of us would press it.
More than a suicide, its more like if he/you had never existed. What a dream…
Have you read http://benedictsmith.net/post/30800766452/exit-chip ?
Thanks for the link, that’s an interesting story.
There’s no way she could’ve stopped him before he hit the button, though. At least, I doubt anyone would be able to stop me from doing it.
Keep on trooping Clay.
It’s not going to help. The erased person will be still depressed (compare to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
You should do a comic on the phrase “pity party.”
@Earnest – If there is no afterlife and no soul (or at least not one that lacks consciousness and memory) then death is a reset. You would not be capable of remembering your old life. Everything would be gone. It doesn’t matter that everyone else would remember you and what you threw away. You yourself have ceased. Thus the button being a metaphor for suicide and death.
Iain Macfarlane otherwise known as “what assholes call people who dare discuss their depression”
Funny, I just casually mentioned to someone that I wish I could stop me from being born and they took it so personally and cried. I tell you I’m surprised how differently normal people feel about these things.
Albeit, the dark part of my brain contemplated this and how someone’s unthinking comments like telling a depressed person they were having a “pity party” results in a suicide attempt. Or that it was the unthinking comment of an asshole to someone who attempted suicide, resulting in a second attempt.
I think one of the more offensive phrases is “pity party” as it shows zero empathy or consideration. It’s not even accidental – it’s a deliberate insult and attack to someone who is in a state of pain. It always has been.
Hell is other people
I disagree Peter. Hell is waking up every morning knowing you’ll have to face other people, and not really knowing why.
Hell is myself. I don’t blame other people.
“What is hell? Hell is oneself,
Hell is alone, the other figures in it
Merely projections. There is nothing to escape from
And nothing to escape to. One is always alone.”
-“The Cocktail Party,” TS Eliot
Great quote. I hadn’t heard of that particular Eliot poem before.
It’s one of his plays, actually (all of which he did in verse, though, so basically theatre-poetry.)
I guess I would only press this if it was a giant do-over button. Erasing everything otherwise wouldn’t really help my problems (though I imagine this would be very tempting to someone who had great emotional/physical trauma that is the root of their sadness), just start me on a blank slate with nothing that keeps me going around anymore.
Interesting food for thought, though.
As far as her being offended, what she can’t realize is that he can’t feel any of that anyway. At least not in the moment. When you’re far enough into a depressive state, you can’t feel the happiness when you think about happy times with friends, or how much you love your spouse when you look at them. All good is replaced with bad, feelings and thoughts included.
Reminded me of the Ani DiFranco lyric, “I am here to exercise my freedom of choice.” The song was about abortion but taken out of context, the line applies.
Another one of those where I feel guilty about laughing at it because it rings so true. I think it was the pose in panel three that really got me.
This is a life erase button…
https://t.co/fcpdzK4Ztb
@depressioncomix
I laughed. I am a horrible person, I know.
Then again, I’d use a sledgehammer to hit that button, just for emphasis.
You’re not a horrible person, you just have a healthy sense of humour. You are not laughing at suffering or suicide, you’re laughing at that guy so willing and that girl rolling eyes. To be able to see the funny side of some scenes is as important as be able to recognize sweetness in the scenes of the freckled girl, for example.
I laughed too.
That button may mean suicide, or it may just be a metaphor to start over, new born, amnesia on time and feelings, reset of memory, software and hardware. Utopia, like the button. Suicide is not utopic; it is there and it’s the end.
This one made me cry 🙁
if this actually exists … the lines will be infinite!
I wonder will there be someone holding me back from pushing the button.