[2011-May-23] zach is unoriginal

[GUTCHUCKER]

I just mean it's gettin' a bit old, happenin' a bit too often!

[Apocalyptus]

It's not fresh or exciting anymore.

[weinerequalsmunroe]

http://xkcd.com/610/

[Apocalyptus]

We... we already discussed that one.

[voodooKobra]

http://xkcd.com/610/

[Eikinkloster]

Look at him, just standing there with a can of gasoline and a match...

I imagine both comics were inspired by the same not so difficult to make observation. Most people think they are unique and superior to the majority of other people.

So... only a minority (such as yourself) know they aren't unique and superior to the majority of the other people.
Then again, wouldn't that make you unique and superior to the majority of the other people?

[Kaharz]

No I am in the majority. I know I am not unique or superior to most people while at the same time I often believe I am unique and superior. Humans don't operate logically. People can be, and often are, both insecure and falsely confident.

[Apocalyptus]

Cognitive dissonance!

[Kaharz]

Cognitive dissonance!

I solve all my cognitive dissonance problems by bribing myself. Induced compliance is super effective. It is much easier than actually trying to sort it out mentally.

[Eikinkloster]

No I am in the majority. I know I am not unique or superior to most people while at the same time I often believe I am unique and superior. Humans don't operate logically. People can be, and often are, both insecure and falsely confident.

In my experience most people are empathizers, they derive their sense of cognitive equilibrium a lot more from being in tune with the majority than from the internal coherence the ideas; which is how systemizers do it. So most people probably *don't* feel most other people feel isolated from the crowd and wishing the crowd were more introspective. In fact, most people identify introspection as a defect to be corrected.

XKCD and SMBC is nerdcentric, and nerds are systemizers. The scenario in this comic only begins to make sense in such a context in which people can have an intuitive grasp of what a systemizer majority could be. Ironically, it seems to work because most nerds can't take this extra step and notice the comic is a troll.

So the real scenario in a crowd of (XKCD and SMBC) nerds would be a bunch of people thinking "LOL, I bet there are a lot of people here thinking they are the only ones who are really self aware" and only one thinking "damn nerds, unaware that they are in fact the only ones that are self aware".

Solipsism probably only really comes with this "self awareness of the second order".
Ignorance is bliss.

[Edminster]

Ignorance is bliss.

You must be the happiest motherfucker on the face of this planet.

[Kaharz]

No I am in the majority. I know I am not unique or superior to most people while at the same time I often believe I am unique and superior. Humans don't operate logically. People can be, and often are, both insecure and falsely confident.

In my experience most people are empathizers, they derive their sense of cognitive equilibrium a lot more from being in tune with the majority than from the internal coherence the ideas; which is how systemizers do it. So most people probably *don't* feel most other people feel isolated from the crowd and wishing the crowd were more introspective. In fact, most people identify introspection as a defect to be corrected.

XKCD and SMBC is nerdcentric, and nerds are systemizers. The scenario in this comic only begins to make sense in such a context in which people can have an intuitive grasp of what a systemizer majority could be. Ironically, it seems to work because most nerds can't take this extra step and notice the comic is a troll.

So the real scenario in a crowd of (XKCD and SMBC) nerds would be a bunch of people thinking "LOL, I bet there are a lot of people here thinking they are the only ones who are really self aware" and only one thinking "damn nerds, unaware that they are in fact the only ones that are self aware".

Solipsism probably only really comes with this "self awareness of the second order".
Ignorance is bliss.

I am far too drunk right now to parse this. So, to be safe, I disagree on principle.

[DonRetrasado]

He's just saying shit, ignore him.

[Eikinkloster]

He's just saying shit, ignore him.

And this is the price of being actually unique.

[DonRetrasado]

Lots of people are actually unique. You're not, you're just a pain.