Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for May 28, 2023

Calvin should buy the first copy of his book.

The problem with problems is that they are problems.

A number of flaws with this plan: First, since when does Calvin help people? Second, what and how exactly does he know about things like sex appeal? Third, isn’t thinking about yourself a way to motivate yourself? I’ve got a long list but I think this will be enough.

The title should be: The Self-Helpless Self Help Book.

Sure you can write a sequel — just call it “I Can Still Hear You Whining…”

I think I’ll wait for Hobbes’s ‘A Tiger’s Book About Life!’

Panel 6 starts a self-help book inception!

Think that book will be made into a movie?? Or find a place on Oprah’s bookshelf??

The first few panels describes perfectly what some cable news channels and social media sites are like. Calvin really did a good job at predicting the future.

Today’s reprint is a marvellous example of Calvin’s cynical side and also of the big ambitions which he fails to carry out. Watterson has explained that he often disagrees with what Calvin says but this time Calvin is saying out loud what Bill Watterson feels about how people are willingly manipulated.

Brilliant strip and so close to real life. He could actually have a point.

Self-help culture goes back to Benjamin Franklin…

Sequel? Piece o’ cake. “It’s Not Your Fault: Why your family, friends, and country are failing to make your life as great as you deserve”

“The World’s 10 Most Humble Men (and How I Met the Other 9)”

This could easily have a political sub caption

Thanks for the idea, Calvin. Hopefully I can have it out by Christmas.

Watterson totally nailed the 2020s and social media. The guy was a prophet.

Cal just verbalized a Mobius strip. That’s hard to do in one sitting.

Nailed it, as most commercials sell fear and insecurity.

silly humans, we’ll believe anything – “this way to the egress”

Wow what a prescient strip! And a wonderful concept for a book

I got the DVD set. Really works. And retiring helped too.

You know, it seems to me like there was a thing called “est” training some time back in history. It sounds like what Calvin plans to write about. Boot Camp for civilians.

♪♫

I turn on the tube what do I see

A whole lotta people cryin’ don’t blame me

They point their crooked little fingers everybody else

Spend all their time feelin’ sorry for themselves

Victim of this victim of that

Your momma’s too thin and your daddy’s too fat

Get over it

Get over it

All this whinin’ cryin’ pitchin’ a fit

Get over it get over it

♪♫

These days, Calvin, a sequel is a must.

Every school textbook, and every instructional book, and all friendly advice, could be described that way. You have a cut on the sole of your foot from a piece of glass in the swimming pool. You can’t hold pressure on it long enough to get it to stop. Another swimmer says, “fold a towel over a couple times and sit, leaning forward, with the towel under your foot for ten minutes or so.” You have learned a new trick to get through life.

A very good summary of Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning”

I don’t think this will work, Calvin.

Watterson was always really good at using this comic for social commentary.

20 years later this is needed more than ever.

Inspirational!

I would SO buy that!

By the way… is there a chapter about reparations?

who would give one second to an influencer?

No…but you could write a heck of a revised second edition that includes social media.

Calvin is a genius at figuring out how to manipulate people.

sure, Calvin

Ha ha! This sure shows how stupid those young folks are today! Not like back in my day, where we were all smart and wise and perfect!

.

Some of you don’t need others to fool you. You do a fantastic job of fooling yourselves!

An author had better not spend his advance until his book sells well, in case it doesn’t and he’s required to give the advance back.

20 years ago – the creation of the current Republican playbook…

JORDAN PETERSEN has the market cornered.

The WOKE culture could use this book!!!

Now I can’t tell if Calvin and Hobbes was ahead of its time or the world simply just hasn’t changed.

I don’t think people will take advice from a 6 year old. Maybe when he turns 7.

Thinking about one’s self is human nature. . . .

Don’t worry. Dr Phil made an entire career out of this strategy. “How’s that working for you?”

The basis of the self-help industry is each author thinks “one size fits all”. For individual problems, you need individual solutions.

There is a cycle in pop psychology. A charismatic professional helps a lot of people. He thinks it is due to his theory more than his charisma. He tries to teach it to more people. In general, they fail to have the same success due to lacking charisma or other non-transferrable skills. Time for a new fad. My second wife was a psychotherapist and we lived through several of these fads.

Brilliant, as usual.