The People Problem
Summer comics continue! Sort of…
There are people, out there in the world, that want nothing more than to create and to enjoy the simple things in life. There are others out there that destroy what others have crafted for a variety of reasons.
And then there are those that simply destroy for nothing more than their own amusement.
Those people are what’s known as jerks and they are to be viewed with scorn. Especially if they wreck your sand castle.
Being the sort of person that is simultaneously broken enough in the head to feel this strange compulsion to write, create, and draw on a daily basis while at the same time being full of myself enough to think that other people would care to read and view the product of my creative pursuits, I think I have a good idea of how people view other individuals’ creative endeavors. We live in a world of several billion people, a large enough number as is, and one that continues to grow. Every person on this planet has a fairly unique outlook and different taste in what does or does not merit their time and appreciation. I’m sure everyone knows this already.
The interesting thing, to me, has never been what other people enjoy. I’m almost always on the outer rim of popular culture, as far my own taste goes. I don’t immediately detest something that is popular merely because others enjoy it, it’s just that the sorts of things very large swaths of the population seem to like rarely jive with my own interests, and that’s okay. What is interesting is not those individual differences but the way in which people handle them. When other people like something that I don’t, I tend to assume, at some level, that there is something wrong with me. When many other people dislike something, the difference often seems to cause some level of confusion and anger as if it were a personal assault that someone else cared for something they, personally, don’t appreciate.
Neither of these options is truly awful, especially not when compared to those that simply dislike things to dislike them. You know the type of person I’m talking about here, the kind that goes out of their way to kick over sandcastles or ruin artwork or tear someone down for their writing simply to satisfy some personal quest for destruction. We’ve all been there at some point.
Thankfully those types of people are few and far between. Most people in the world have some kindness in them and don’t enjoy genuinely hurting others, especially when face-to-face with them. Recognizing that kindness in others is terrifically helpful in dealing with those that engage in destructive activities, regardless of their reasons.
Until the world evolves to a point where that sort of person no longer exists, people that feel the desire and the drive will continue to lovingly explore their creativity. With so many sand castles on the beach of life, destructive types will have their work cut out for them trying to knock them all down.
And if someone knocks down your metaphorical sand castle, never give up! Rebuild and enjoy the process, even if they keep knocking it down! Who cares what other people think anyway? I believe Jesus once said:
Haters gonna hate.
Truly some of the wisest words I’ve ever read.
Oh there are a couple of brilliant new pieces of fan-art from my good friend William and a wonderful twitter follower, KuroTweets! Why not check them out? That place is really hopping lately! If you’ve got some fan art you’d like displayed on the site, send me an email with the image and a link to your art site or blog so I can link it! k@10km.org
Don’t worry about the late strip, K. Hope everything’s okay with the family now, and that everyone is alright.
This comic/blog post speaks to me more directly than any other update you’ve done so far, K. Part of what makes so many things beautiful is the knowledge that, one day, they will cease to exist, be it by the world moving on or some random hater. As a fellow human whose tastes often do not mesh with those of the majority, I would just like to officially express my gratitude that you share your thoughts and creative endeavors with the rest of us.
random question: can Sasquatch talk?
Hi,
Lovely comic and blog post.
When I read:
“I don’t immediately detest something that is popular merely because others enjoy it, it’s just that the sorts of things very large swaths of the population seem to like rarely jive with my own interests, and that’s okay”
It reminded me of this idea that the world we live in – from work, to entertainment, to commerce, to politics – has be constructed with the average person in mind.
Hence those with with greater capabilities that the average – ie those have greater insight, or more highly trained sensibilities – often find themselves unable to find enjoyment with the way the world is set up.
In marketing terms, the intelligent and sensitive are not the target market for general life. And As such, they must find their way by sourcing and accessing other, less commonly employed, means.
Well that makes plenty of sense actually. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for putting me in fanart :3 I loved the comic, don’t worry about it being late. I’ll make sure to build a sturdy sand castle in life.
If you think about it the risk of the castle coming down just makes you appreciate it more. Then you get to start over and improve.
And Attila the Hun comes in and conquers it all.
It reminds me of the destruction of the Buddhas in Afghanistan by the Taliban. Who could destroy something forever that is 100 times as old as themselves that gives us a link to people long gone, that they worked for lifetimes to create? As you put it, jerks.
Some people just want to watch the…
Wait. This is the third time today I’ve made that joke.
some people just want to watch the world burn – alfred