How's the Water?

[@digimanga]

How's the water? Deep.

[@evancarronkee]

+

[@oliviagriffith3626]

+

[@kaya347]

I almost never legitimately lol but this made produce an audible sound in amusement.

[@oldclem_]

+

[@evincinar7671]

+

[@Beaver1224]

I think I was about 40 when I came to the conclusion that aging is a continual process of realizing how stupid you used to be. When I was 18, I thought "man, I used to be so naive, but I know better now." When I was 21, "I thought I had things figured out at 18, but now I know." When I was 30, "I was so stupid in my 20s, but now I get it." At 40 it occurred to me that at 50 I would look at 40 and think how ignorant I was.

[@ieuanhunt552]

Beaver1224 I'm 22 years old now and it's taken me two years of trying to get my life in order after college to realise that there is no such thing as a 'grown up'. Now that I am an adult I realise that how I saw my parents and my older brothers was completely wrong. Everyone is trying their best and is working off their own limited experience and learning and no one really knows what is going on. That was a slightly terrifying but useful realisation.

[@GaelissFelin]

i am only starting to see this, but it’s a wonderful realization. honestly, it takes the pressure off and stopped the litany of self-criticism that used to play in my head 24/7. knowing that you don’t know everything is the first step to learning anything. no such thing as irreversible mistakes, if you’re learning. it’s a wildly stress-relieving thing

[@briangarrow448]

I'm almost sixty. And I realize the older I get, the less I know for certain. And that's okay with me.

[@ivytarablair]

Beaver1224 - Def. see it in a similar way :) Though I do not look down upon all those younger selves, I came to realize in my early 30s that being certain of less and less as I went along was what maturity IS. It's something I talk to my adolescent sons about regularly - I don't want them to waste a decade and a half of adult life on a cultural misperception that certainty=wisdom, and so they should look as certain as they can all the damn time. Noooo no no no no no. EMBRACE BEING THE BLANK SLATE MY YOUTHS :)

[@sarahpriest100]

I was talking to a 99-year-old man and he was telling me about how he went to college, and then got his masters and then his PhD. And he said, "The more I learned the more I realized how stupid I am."

[@CinnamonToast]

10/10 video, reminds me of this quote I saw- "when I was younger I admired intelligent people, now I admire kind people." Because I realized the people who put on a persona of being smarter than others don't really know all that much more about life than anyone else, and they usually aren't the kindest people. I care much more about the capacity of someone's heart than their brain.

[@vlogbrothers]

My favorite version of that quote comes from the movie harvey: "My mother always used to say to me, Elwood, in this world you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant." -John

[@Njald]

Intelligence without kindness is just animal predatory behaviour. To willingly forgo the evolutionary desire to exploit and prey on fellow humans, that is the highest ability of human society. Competition doesn't bring us forward, it only prepares us to better hunt and starve our kin. Casting of the animal shackles is the only remarkable achievement humanity can do. Anything less than that is just optimization of predation.

[@meggurmt9200]

Celia Hagey john made a vid that sounded something like that quote. Perspective. That was the title.

[@jcoogs7149]

One of the greatest gifts the vlogbrothers channel has given me was introducing me to the movie Harvey. I think about that quote often, and it is also what I immediately thought of when I read Celia's comment

[@Grarder]

Personally I strive for both smart and pleasant. I think I succeed better at pleasant though. Secretly... not so secretly... I really have no idea what's going on.

[@dannnyc93]

If you have not seen DFW's commencement speech that John mentioned, "This is Water", do yourself a favor and go listen to it on KZbin right now. It fundamentally changed the way I see the world.

[@vlogbrothers]

It's an awfully good speech. Very important to me as well. -John

[@SkyreeXScalabar]

also watch The End of the Tour

[@dannnyc93]

It also inspired me to read Infinite Jest, the only book that I would say still HAUNTS me. I can see a lot of his inspiration in your books, John. We lost a national treasure when he died. (Also just want to say, thank you for "Turtles All the Way Down". Struggled with mental illness all my life and have never felt less alone than I did when I finished that book.)

[@Phingolfina]

DFW was also not a great person. As much as he is idolized he should also be scrutinized for how he treated those around him. The emotional and physical abuse were and are real issues and problems that should carry equal weight as his writing.

[@Mjhaider1985]

I've listened to that speech and it didn't sound to me like DFW was joking.

[@RosyJo]

Just keep swimming

[@Discostew2]

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[@BlackCat_2]

glad I am not the only one with that thought. :)

[@vlogbrothers]

The shorter version of this video :) -John

[@xKittenKissesx]

Dory knew all along. She probably doesn’t remember where she was going but she knows to just keep swimming!

[@BernardoPatino]

Dory is the true wise fish

[@phantomstrider]

Sometimes it's refreshing to see someone whom I respect acknowledge "there is no easy answer. And that's okay," Sometimes it's about acknowledging our own lack of answers and simply doing the best we can with what we have. Kudos, John.

[@moolikeachicken]

This is literally the biggest problem in our society. Everyone is so afraid to say "I don't know the answer" and/or "I was wrong."

[@rehan8480]

+

[@bongle3726]

I agree that it is a problem but it’s by no means the biggest. I would argue that people dying of preventable diseases and the fact that so many people are forced to work in terrible conditions for low pay are higher up than the Dunning-Kruger effect.

[@moolikeachicken]

eliza But if people would admit they might be wrong or not know something, we could work so much better together as a species to solve those problems. That's all I mean. Like, imagine if an antivaxxer could just admit "Hey... a lot of people disagree with me. Maybe I'm wrong." Instead of doubling down and attacking people who are trying help them... I mean, that's just one tiny example, but yeah.

[@Ludix147]

I don't know if you're right. I do know that it's very hard to separate problems for individual measurement, though.

[@buenahschoir]

One of the most important questions we all can ask is “How might I be wrong?”

[@thewinterizzy]

I love videos like this because they make me think, but they also stress me out because aren’t we talking about water when we’re discussing fish and water and isn’t John acting like the older fish by bringing it up... 🤔 Like Dory says, I suppose: just keep swimming.

[@vlogbrothers]

Indeed, let's keep swimming. Nice to meet you at Vidcon! -John

[@thewinterizzy]

vlogbrothers :’) you too! dftba!

[@philiptouw3623]

I almost feel like vlogbrothers is taking a bit of a turn from how recent videos have been. I feel like within the past month or so the videos have taken a little bit more of a "I'm not completely sure what's happening here, but heck, lets go with it" kind of vibe. Maybe it's just me, but for the past year or so, a lot of the videos have seemed a little bit more, well "old wise fish-y" and it's nice to see what seems like a little bit of a change from that.

[@funkypenguin3000]

right? like its kind of comforting in a way to know (or at least think we know...keeping on topic with the video) that other people also don't know what's happening and are just "swimming" so to speak.

[@snowyyyyyyyyyyyyy]

yeah! i love this new turn! it's funky and weird and kinda cool

[@priyabuddhavarapu]

I so so so agree with this! One thing I sorely missed is the eagerness and wide-eyed, wondrous “what the heck are we doing? WHO KNOWS ISN’T IT GREAT” kind of quality of older videos. I have loved Vlogbrothers through many of their iterations but this is a cool thing that’s happened.

[@Diogie12]

I agree and I welcome it. I feel like early vlogbrothers was almost all about the community. In the midyears (what is now the midyears) it was a lot of silly and existential stuff. Recent years are hard to put in a box because it's still recent and nothing you're close to fits in a box, but there has definitely been a shift in the style back to the midyears style vlogbrothers

[@connierobinson1090]

It’s funny how it tracks to some extent my own experience of [zealous truth seeking] changing over to [just looking for nice things and truth is good but also other people are too complex for me to know they’re wrong]

[@teppi5119]

I don't know how to get across the idea that on this side of the internet I am giving you a standing ovation. You nailed it. Also: 40 can't be middle aged. I don't feel middle aged...middle aged is a terrible term. You're the writer, think of a new term. Oh! Oh! Prime Time.

[@celinak5062]

Glitter Pig if only people lived to a 120 or even 100

[@belindaweber7999]

Glitter Pig As a 41 yr old, I'm happy to embrace your coined term "Prime Time" thank you DFTBA

[@vlogbrothers]

I am okay with being middle aged! It beats early aged, when I was so certain about so much and also so wrong about so much! And thank you for the standing o! :) -John

[@olgierdvoneverec4135]

i remember a video about how we perceive most stuff logarithmicly and a coment about how by that logic we should have a middle age crisis about the age of 8. its all about perspective, there's still a lot to live even for "late aged" DFTBA

[@second0banana]

Diego R. Honestly, there is a huge developmental leap around 9ish and you can see kids struggling with the idea of letting go of their kid-kidness and starting to see the looming big-kidness and then adolescence and then being BIG. I work with 8-10 year olds and I think they might be having that midlife crisis, adults just don't think of it that way.

[@vaibhav6826]

if it doesn't seem much exagerrated, this, i think, was the kind of thing i needed to hear right now. Trying to write your first book is hard but it becomes easy when you have John Green talking to you. Thank you. I love you.

[@vlogbrothers]

Good luck! -John

[@vaibhav6826]

vlogbrothers thank you!!!

[@belindaweber7999]

Just had my 41st b'day John, and I concur with you're intelligent head scratching, especially about faking my way through this concept of adulthood, and how to navigate all the social media. I have also through experiences learnt to watch out for sharks in the water with their certainty and absolutes... The only things I feel certain about is the mutual bond between my dog and I, and that I'm very lucky to have been born and raised in Australia.

[@vlogbrothers]

Those seem like two extremely reasonable certainties. So much of life is a birth lottery, and dogs are good. -John

[@belindaweber7999]

Whaa? Thanks John for noticing my comment, I feel most of them become lost to the tide, esp as the vid went up hrs ago. 😄 I'll be beaming for the rest of the week now (it's the lttle things after all).

[@belindaweber7999]

vlogbrothers Between Vlog Bros, Chocolate and my pets, I've managed to keep treading water. Please come to Vid Con Melbourne so I can have a matching meet n greet photo to go with Hanks (just had to try n ask... never know... you might say 'yes' in this uncertain world... hehehe) 😉 DFTBA

[@samrodas1458]

thank you john for making the water seem a bit more clear (lol me again)

[@Ikiratuki]

Sam Rodas Can I assist you?

[@aashi8316]

I'm pretty sure it's clearer.

[@casper14301]

Aashirya Chougule both are correct.

[@margotwiehagen4986]

As I am a younger fish, I say thank you John. You are my older fish for today. (And I know that wasn't the message - but by passing on the knowledge you have every week, you make me more sure of the intangible thing we swim in)

[@vatsalamolly]

It took me a long time to realize that everybody is struggling like i do... Some struggles are big for some, others are big for someone else. Basically, we're all on the same boat. Or in the same water.

[@N3rdfightermom]

worry about the people who DON'T struggle.

[@Ludix147]

But they DO struggle. Or they don't realize it.

[@jacksim5759]

+

[@vlogbrothers]

Also, you never REALLY know someone else's struggle--especially not if you only encounter them casually, but even if you know them well. -John

[@collapserelapse]

Same here, it took me probably until 25 to realize that everything I was going through everyone else did too, the only difference being that they were actually just faking it all along and pretending to be 'normal'. I wish people wouldn't feel such need to fake it and instead that we could all talk to each other about all our struggles. But unfortunately today more than ever (with the whole social media thing) it seems to go in the opposite direction and it's all about showing off how perfect your life is and never show any signs of weakness. In a day and age where your future employer googles you and look at your social media accounts you can't be open about having mental health issues or struggling with depression and anxiety because then you won't get hired. It's really unfortunate that we're going in this direction. I really wish we could just talk to each other and support each other because the truth is that no matter who you are you will go through struggles and face obstacles in your life.

[@Karishma_Unspecified]

I remember seeing this video a while ago and attempting to comment under it with my thoughts. I realize that in the few months that have transpired, my thoughts have changed considerably. But now I have a sliver more of clarity than I did then. Clarity that I don't have clarity. That things don't get better... or worse... in the future. I'd argue that the "wise" fish in the story really was wise. It never claimed to understand the water - it just asked "How is the water?" - more as an acknowledgement of the water's existence. I think that that's important to respect. Like most people, I once looked for certainty. And I still do. But now, I find that I admire people who acknowledge that uncertainty. They're not necessarily people who are open to everything and believe "everything is equal in it's own right" because, if you think about it... that too is a belief. They are people who acknowledge that they do not know and continue to believe anyway. And change their perspective when they learn something new. I'd argue that if you're aware that you are, in fact, swimming in water... any view you hold about that water is right - until you're proven wrong. And that's all I think I know now. That was a long rant - sorry about that. This was very thought provoking. Thanks! Okay back to swimming and drowning in assignments DFTBA!

[@kimberleewelch7995]

This is why I love John's videos. Thank you for your honesty, Mr. Green.

[@raqiyaahmedjibriil3647]

John, somehow this video made me so sad and relieved. I didn't realise before this moment that I was looking for wise fish lately because I was doubting myself more and more. Thank you so much for making me feel that it's ok to doubt and question.

[@ElizabethTheJedi]

I'm at a loss of what to say other than "This is really deep".

[@SpottedLabCoat]

Elizabeth D. +

[@Ikiratuki]

Elizabeth D. Haha. I understood that reference.😄

[@ElizabethTheJedi]

Ikiratuki Didn't mean to make a reference to something, but ok.

[@Kris-lu1rs]

Yeah, the wisest fish swim deeper in the ocean

[@Ikiratuki]

Elizabeth D. Well, I still think that was funny. Thanks for the laugh.

[@hazymorning1823]

so blessed to have all these so many video essays for everyone for free

[@mvwinf]

Based on the title alone, I thought this would be about Flint. Also, here's your daily reminder that Flint's water is still poisoned.

[@raidenkeify]

So odd that it still

[@kineokami]

Madi As a person living in Michigan, I did too and I would like to add that the water in Lansing area is very bad too. My brother has to buy bottled water to drink and they are being harmed by their showers and brushing teeth. It is awful and not publicized.

[@Leah-yh5sj]

I thought it was going to be about Salem, OR.

[@Pearl127]

You’re not alone in thinking that

[@andrewlentner]

I thought it was about that or Capetown, South Africa

[@dylancrist2591]

This is Water is one of the seminal speeches of my college career. It was assigned as homework for me to read the transcript and annotate it in my first semester in college in an honors English 101 class, and I immediately became very interested in DFW, bought and read some of infinite jest, read some Wallace’s other work. Watched the movie with Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg, really studied Wallace’s personality. It became important to me to notice what was sustainably fulfilling about Wallace’s philosophy, and what was a potential sign of his depression. Any reading of Wallace necessarily must be couched in an understanding of his shortcomings, and with accompaniment of readings by authors such as Ray Bradbury, who loved life till the end, and offered certain more sustainable forms of fulfillment, both literary and pragmatic

[@AbhithaBhasuru]

I’ve being thinking about the so called water lately. Comparing the what I think as others waters may be. I’m 25 and yet has nothing. Feeling like I’m cut out of society. Like a single fish in a bowl of water. Listening to you literary is what I love the most in my life. So thank you John for being a very special part of my life.

[@alineassuf3440]

on being the older fish, a nice realization is, he is asking a question, to others, younger than him, about a shared reality he perceives. asking the question, i guess, is the beginning of any answer we might be able to call ours. glad to watch you and thanks for sharing =)

[@LeahandLevi]

Gosh so much of youtube is people trying to promote their own "water". Oh god... I just realized that I AM ALSO PROMOTING MY OWN KIND OF "WATER"!?... :/

[@Ludix147]

Thats the essence of communication.

[@greoge1381]

The problem is that if people are too stringent about what is "promoting one's own water" or are too suspicious of it, then all discourse, enlightening or not, will stop and you'll just become entrenched and immobile in your beliefs, forcing you out of the water and into a mental quicksand from which there is no escape.

[@priyabuddhavarapu]

Greoge 13 commenting just to say that the phrase “mental quicksand” is amazing

[@LeahandLevi]

I can't find my mind blown emoji... But I feel it.

[@LeahandLevi]

So glad you brought this up.

[@drcoolisme]

“Don’t trust people who are extremely certain about things” are words to live by

[@juleknight7559]

You'd think the older fish wouldn't need to ask how the water is if he's swimming in it

[@gitoshrisen7687]

Jule Knight great question!! ++

[@vaibhav6826]

but maybe, maybe the bigger fish himself doesn't know how's water and is looking for an answer too. Maybe.

[@flaming6]

But how the water seems to each of us is going to be different. Our assumptions about reality are going to define how we look at the water.

[@joshuaholtgreive3323]

+

[@kpcbeezy1991]

Jule Knight he may be asking their perception of the water which may be different from his own.

[@KVTBoed]

Last time I saw you tell people to go to the comments was the start of the scavenger hunt, which spawned a bunch of friendships and a community dedicated to kindness over in Tuataria. I hope we can repay you for the gift of that nudge which brought us all together to figure out what water is. I hope we can help remind you that there's still plenty of good out there in the world, and eventually, though dark clouds are gathered above our heads now, it will prevail, and the sun will appear brightly in the sky once more -- hidden as it was for a brief moment, but never truly gone. Thank you and DFTBA

[@kateh7484]

I don’t think anyone actually has a clue I just think some people pretend better than others.

[@Ikiratuki]

Kate H What makes you say that?

[@thesharanaithal]

Kate H oooh, this is REALLY REALLY good man.

[@Ikiratuki]

sharanaithal You think so? I'm glad you like it.

[@Ikiratuki]

mourad sahli That was very informative of you. I appreciate your honesty. If there is something you feel I could help you with, just ask me. I think we could be very good friends.

[@EMSpdx]

Amen to this.

[@Harbz]

Fantastic video, very well expressed thoughts. Thank you John

[@TapDanceDruid]

+

[@ApexHerbivore]

What does + mean as a reply? I keep seeing it...

[@kateh7484]

I don’t have a clue what I’m doing I’m just trying to stay afloat here.

[@Zootycoonman223]

Well if you’re a fish that has a negative connotation.

[@kateh7484]

Zootycoonman223 I think a fish would probably prefer staying afloat to sinking. I didn’t say “keeping my head above water” on purpose because I thought “afloat” worked better for me and the fish.

[@Zootycoonman223]

I’m not picking on you, I just saw a joke that was too good to pass up because as the saying goes ‘the fish went belly up’ which generally means it was floating. I too am just staying afloat somedays so I fully support your conscious decision to just figure life out.

[@theravenqueen6687]

My existential issues summed up so eloquently, as only John Green could. Everyone needs to hear this & realize that even the oldest fish we know still have not yet experienced tomorrow or next month or next year, just like the rest of us. We are all swimming through the murky waters of the future together no matter at what age. Thanks for this John 😊

[@vlogbrothers]

Thanks for the lovely comment! -John

[@MrGurero]

To be fair, if the internet ever needed a wise fish, you guys would top the ocean. Ever eager to learn, and always asking questions. I guess Internet wisdom is different from conventional wisdom and in that regard, you lot are as enlightened as one can get.

[@Ikiratuki]

NaveenKelvin If you have a question. I would like to answer it.

[@jacksim5759]

+

[@belindaweber7999]

NaveenKelvin +++

[@morganharris2400]

I love this vid! I'm not someone who likes uncertainty or ambiguity very much, but I'm learning to accept them because otherwise I risk becoming all too certain, and unwilling to hear when I'm wrong

[@Aakifs1]

Certainty is a uncertainty.

[@rehan8480]

+

[@AmiCestLaVie]

Aakif Siddiqui +

[@Asuka79]

"when do I become the older fish" is a question I have been asking since I began adulting. I'm still young, but many of my mentors and my parents have said things similar to you. I'm glad that people are consistently unsure. It helps when I'm struggling to find the meaning of my work. This was an excellent video upon which to ponder on this rainy day in Missouri.

[@Mustlovebooks15]

My city has undrinkable water for the last two weeks and probably is going to last all summer. The governor has called a state of emergency. They say the water is okay to drink if you aren’t young, old, pregnant, have medical issues, or are an animal, though they have also admitted that they have absolutely no clue what damage can be caused by drinking this water long term. This sums up how I feel about life most of the time. People can give you advice and tell you how to live it, but in the long run, it’s all unknown and up to you to make. Also that life is much harder when pregnant, young, old, or medically fragile

[@ilauronen9825]

John. You and Hank always seem to discuss new ideas and topics just as I am pondering them for myself. I am currently 19 and this question has been in the forefront of my mind for quite a while now. I was never an inherently skeptical person but over this past year or so the façade you speak of which all of society continues to hold up, has eroded. And with it, the inherent ulterior motives, aspirations and individual self-serving pursuits of others have made it oh so very clear and led me to the conclusion that , "I don't trust people who are extremely certain about things". Ultimately upon arriving at this current pattern of thought, this has come to feed my curiosity and vivaciousness for life in ways which had never happened before. Instead of continuously attempting to find the doctrine and truths of others to lead the path for my life, I instead search for content which resonates, then expanding off of it so I may hopefully one day understand at least some of the "water" on a deeper level. I listen to the truths and thoughts of others, analyzing and seeing their truths in my own light. I am on a continual hunt for content and an exchange of ideas which my soul understands, one very much akin to what you and hank have created between this channel and various crash course series. So please, never stop producing thoughtful content. " Maybe asking the question is its own kind of answer."This. This right here. This is where I am right now. The past month has been a time of momentous internal change in my life and one truth of mine which is coming more and more into focus in that to have a greater understanding and curiosity for all things in the world and to continuously ponder and question and discover/ create your own truths for yourself is one of the most satisfying ways to live for myself. Although who knows, nothing is resolute and my thoughts could be different in only days from now. In a world where nothing is resolute, we simply must think up new questions and queries. Ultimately though simply asking these questions and truly thinking for yourself about all of the things there are to think in the world is such a wonderful thing, that I am certain of. While it will inevitably guide you to some of the hardest realizations you may ever face and can show you truths of the world which are incredibly difficult to swallow, to not foster our innate curiosity is to slowly suffocate our souls, our minds and our hearts. To be open to the world and willing to create and explore our own truths/ realities is, in my ever so miniscule opinion, an incredibly beautiful, lifelong task to carry on. So please John, don't forget to be awesome and please... more mindful, insightful, truly wondrous content which helps to raise overall social consciousness and create a world even a teensy bit more beautiful

[@langsense]

This was intoned in a way that reminded me of the 'Thoughts from places' videos.

[@vlogbrothers]

Increasingly, my thoughts from places voice is my only voice. see also, the anthropocene reviewed. Dunno why it's happening, but I'm gonna roll with it. -John

[@langsense]

You should, it's inviting and thoughtful. x

[@ivytarablair]

Inviting, thoughtful - uncertain and poetic...it's very reassuring :) We're all here trying to figure it out, and the Thoughts from Places voice feels like a fellow traveler on that unmapped road.

[@yushbhattarai3018]

The fish that asks "What's water?" is very important in that story because it raised questions we never thought to think of and so John you may not be the wiser fish, but you are the one that raises questions that we can find both collective and individual answers to. Thank you John, not for being the wiser fish who knows the answers but for being the one who raises questions.

[@sarty]

As Edie Brickell wisely said, "Shove me into the shallow water before I get too deep". That's how I feel most days, because when I really look around and down, it's overwhelming.

[@celinak5062]

sarty +

[@theawesomesaucelady9]

In under four minutes you turned the word water into society, into belief systems, adulthood, one's purpose, and life in general! (among others). Listening to you I am reminded of the incredible potential of symbolism - you were able to convey so much so concisely and concretely. I find myself grateful for not just the message of this video, but also of how you delivered it. Thank you, again!

[@imaginationlord]

I think the wise older fish in the story doesn't know everything, he is merely seeking out an opinion on how others see 'the water', and though he is more enlightened on the existence of water it does not necessarily presume he knows what the water is, and is seeking to find this out through asking others their experiences (this may only be in my thoughts as a comparison to Socrates). So in the John, you are the wise older fish: You tell us of the existence of water and try to comprehend it with us.

[@ilovemiley345678]

"Maybe if asking the question is its own kind of answer" and goosebumps take over. Fucking brilliant video John. You have taken my soul and twisted it yet again.

[@jonah4196]

I have legit never gotten to a vlogbrothers video fast enough to see “no views” and 0 likes or dislikes

[@ryanbananahands7545]

"Just Keep Swimming" - The Great Philosopher Dory

[@jurassicparkour288]

I’m having the most intense deja vu right now like he’s definitely made this video before

[@drb715]

I am 37 and I first saw DFW commencement speech in my late 20s. It literally changed my life. Not just the this is water but more the story about the supermarket. I was a very angry person. Annoyed at other drivers, pissed at slow cashiers, etc. I use “this is water” as a mantra to remember that I am not the only one who lives in this world and the people in it have problems and issues that are probably worse than my own. I try to remember that my actions have ripple effects that can determine if a complete stranger goes home and thinks “today was a good day” I strive for that effect daily.

[@victoriaswindle2258]

I am always happy that it’s Tuesday so I can get a video from John!! Thank you so much for helping me through life with your books and videos! DFTBA P.S. I am also a pacifist who plays Fortnite

[@vlogbrothers]

Victoria, I hope someday we meet in Fortnite and refuse to kill each other. -John

[@victoriaswindle2258]

vlogbrothers my name is nerdfighter26 😂 no joke

[@emmathejourneywoman]

Thanks John. This mindset has been so important for me through everything I’ve been through especially in the past few years. Awareness is having the courage to be kind especially when it hard. To allow yourself to break. To allow yourself to heal by helping where you can. Look for the helpers. Have courage and be kind. “This is water. This is water. This is water.”

[@nathaniel201]

I think it's okay to try to be the wise old fish, just as long as you acknowledge, as you have done in this video, that you are not the wise old fish. That was not a sentence I thought I would be writing today.

[@dejahodge8203]

I watched the same speech like 4 years ago! It was amazing and it changed my whole perspective in life. Whenever I ponder why the water is so murky I Dory's advice and just keep swimming and eventually everything is clear again. I don't mind being the young fish. It keeps my heart warm when the water gets too cold.

[@Pearl127]

John, this was the perfect antidote to my particular version of existential angst today. Thanks. :)

[@belindaweber7999]

Pearl127 +

[@ericmichelsen3931]

This... this is the most important video John has ever made. I love you. This is water

[@Maggdusa]

Check out "Author John Green Talks David Foster Wallace Influences". Wonderful short video. ❤

[@elonmush4793]

I've always been suspicious of people who claim to know it all and who offer simple solutions to complicated problems. You cannot know it all and solutions are never easy. That I know.

[@BcroG11]

It's as if people are incapable of thinking in nuances and moderation. You can find all sorts of arguments on a certain topic (made by different people), but rarely do you see a single person with a viewpoint that encompasses or all most of the possible arguments together. Education has to focus on developing emotional and social intelligence, not just on natural sciences.

[@connorwaud6134]

you are john, maybe not the wise older fish who knows what others or yourself need but you are wise enough to know that you do not know what others need and that keeps us the audience from becoming complacent so thank you half wise fish

[@emanlesi2472]

Flint still doesn't have clean water

[@Ikiratuki]

Eman Lesi Is that true???

[@tiffanycason6185]

This is true

[@Ikiratuki]

Tiffany Cason It should end quickly. Lead does not belong in drinking water.

[@gavinwarner3480]

Ikiratuki You’d think so, wouldn’t you?

[@Ikiratuki]

Gavin Warner I do indeed think so. I want those people to be healthy.

[@rhiannoncoupe5944]

That last part about us asking questions as to what the "water" is (being the uncertainty of what water is) is an amazing interpretation!

[@Eli_Arch]

For me, enlightenment is not about "knowing the ultimate truth" but to be aware that you don't know much, but at least you have the tools to see when ideas, traditions, and beliefs are controlling you.

[@elfaba1204]

This video honestly changed my life a little. In a place where I've tried all the ways to try to figure out what the water is and am just a little lost. This video was the sigh of relief I needed. Thanks John.

[@afroceltduck]

In the wise words of the too-recently departed Anthony Bourdain: "I am certain of nothing."

[@ObviouslyBenHughes]

That was a level of depth I was not necessarily prepared for with my morning coffee, but it was so appreciated. This set a great mood for going through this day. Have a great day yourselves, John and Hank (and Dave).

[@marycarter4485]

John, you are the wise older fish.

[@gracesong8248]

This is water is by far one of the greatest things I’ve ever watched. It really changed my perception of happiness and how it is realized.

[@danielclaro6049]

Having not listened to the episode yet, i gotta say i really really really hope this is about David Foster Wallace. This is water changed my life

[@tjalfe6369]

This was one of the best KZbin videos I've watched in a long while. I'm a teenager who always struggles to come to terms with the fact that my reality is not the same as everyone else's and that it's ok to not have the answers for everything. The things John say are reaffirming in that special way that not many accomplish very well. Because while Tai Lopez or some other rich guy can tell me that I can become everything and that I can conquer the world, John tells me that those are not goals to seek and it is alright to be imperfect, but without degrading my self-confidence. I usually don't post comments on KZbin but I just needed an outlet. I hope that everyone who is reading this knows that while we might be swiming in something we don't understand, we can always find someone to swim and ponder with.

[@lawrencecalablaster568]

The water, to go for a pun, is very deep.

[@modestieispurete]

This resonates so strongly with me, given that just last week, I had a therapy session where my therapist pointed out that my brain replaces anxiety with more anxiety, like a hole in the beach constantly filling up with water and sand, no matter how much I try to empty it. She challenged me to figure out not what the hole was filling with, but what the hole *is* - what could my brain possibly be trying to shield me from, that it needs to overwork in so many other places? Today, at my next session, I confessed that I spent the past week trying to understand, trying to answer that question, and felt like I was getting nowhere. Ultimately, we left the conversation with a point similar to this: sometimes, just the awareness that you're bailing out the hole is enough to slow the cycle, at least for now. I don't need all the answers immediately - and I may never get them anyway - but "maybe asking the question is its own kind of answer" is exactly what I needed to hear.

[@tytrundwn9823]

I guess there’s other fish in the sea

[@hershie7669]

How did you articulate exactly what I've been screaming to the world and myself and anyone who will listen what I couldn't put into words? So so so much love for this video ❤️ Thank you.

[@AveSizeBear]

That’s funny you made that David Foster Wallace joke. I am in the middle of his book infinite jest.

[@camali_ch]

For what is worth, I hope I'll never stop asking the question with a humble heart. The simple act of being able to ask the question itself is so mind-numbingly astonishing, it makes me not want to really know the answer, if only so I can just keep asking it.

[@reekent]

Without your videos I wouldn't have learned to be an old fish.

[@felixlucius5052]

I read this in a book about Taoism and also heard that speech John references. In the book, the older fish says "When you breath, it breathes. When you move, it moves. Both all around you and within you." This video made me smile and I was already having a good day.

[@BurgundyBurnouts]

Water is something Flint Michigan does not have.

[@abbywarren6444]

This video affected me in a way I’ve never really felt before. I can’t really even explain how. hearing you explain this concept got me thinking very deeply, thank you for another amazing video John. I always look forward to you enlightenment

[@Carina5707]

I’m most suspicious of people who never argue or express differing opinions. I’m most concerned not with ignorance itself, but with people who choose to live without asking questions. I’m a manager, and it’s a red flag for me when someone always agrees with me, or if I correct them and they always say that I’m right. At first it’s nice that they accept direction, but after a while I don’t really trust them.

[@ACDBunnie]

Same. Completely agree 100% Edit: Not agreeing in the way that you mention your employees do it, but I also feel that way as well

[@headlightsshine]

Over the past couple years since I've started college it's strange to see how much things have changed - instead of taking one person's view of things and running with that, I've begun to take bits and pieces from the people I see in my life (family who still live in my tiny hometown, my high school and college friends, professors, and social media) and make my own judgements from there. It's been an uncertain but exciting time for me, and this video was a nice reminder to get me thinking about that more

[@EmeliaSings]

You were 23 when you first heard it, I'm 23 and it's my first time hearing it. I feel like we're somehow connected now

[@watagashi_mitai]

oh my god I was about to say the same thing!

[@sccello]

John, I'm getting to an age where it scares me to be realizing some of the things you're realizing about being middle-aged, and even though you're doing a really good job of hiding it, I can sense the anxiety in your word choice. I hear you, and I feel you, brother. I hope these musings have given you some peace.

[@ErinClements1]

If you feel like a small fish in the big pond of Nerdfighteria and wish you had a wise older fish to help you navigate Nerdfighteria and the mess that is life, come hang out with us in Tuataria. We're a subset of Nerdfighteria that formed around the hunt John did before the release of TATWD, but now we're a collection of Nerdfighters who bond over kindness, unironic enthusiasm, and friendship. We even have a free P4A-like event going on right now called the Kindness Challenge, so now is the perfect time to dive in. If you'd like to join us, you can find us at tuataria.com/join We'd love you have you

[@tylerstephens6167]

+

[@JamesScantlebury]

+

[@JaneTheBrain.]

we also hype about the world cup and about An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green, out September 25, available for preorder now!

[@jennahj_]

+++ erin and tuataria are awesome

[@Sternendeuter364]

+

[@truehope2344]

This video was so relatable on so many levels... I am 20 now and I find myself listening to older people and admiring their sence of certainty and trusting what they got to say way more than what I myself believe, and I long for a day where I myself get to be there and look back at my young self and think of how naive and ignorant I was... because life intimidates me so much now, I feel like I dont know where I am or where I am going, and the thought of a future where this uncertainty is replaced by confidence and safty makes it easier for me to keep on going... I dont know really how I feel about this video, it makes me kind of happier to know that I dont need to beat myself everytime I find it harder to ignor my own wishes in life and I just cant follow the wise fish's advice, but at the same time, I am somehow sad because I know that I might never be able to escape this reality...

[@mineola_]

The only thing I know for certain, is that I know nothing.

[@zyaicob]

Cogito ergo sum

[@saratamer8656]

I'm always mind blown by your analysis of things. The way you explain metaphors or the way make them, it's just enlightening and deep. It's very obvious that you give these things so much thought...

[@candleduck9339]

Vystopia summed-up

[@Millard12345]

"Maybe asking the question is its own kind of answer" - my favorite kind of John Green awesomeness.

[@robertbaillargeon3683]

John's attitude sounds an awful lot like Socrates, especially in the Apology. Here's hope John's not accused of corrupting the youth any time soon!

[@goldfishcrayon]

Robert Baillargeon his books have been on banned lists at school sooo pretty much!

[@ohrwein7154]

@goldfishcrayon are you talking about john´s or socrates books? to either would be a disgrace of your school

[@LadyMacbeth1564]

This is the kind of John Green video that I will be watching many times in the future.

[@savannah4439]

Idk about wise, but at least you’re the older fish 😅 that’s halfway there! 😂

[@Hans-jc1ju]

Man, i love these kinds of John videos. I just really enjoy the old fish and the beautiful language!

[@HouseMDaddict]

You're the best

[@Ikiratuki]

HouseMDaddict You Da best.

[@TigerMagician]

John is one of my favorite youtubers since he basically doles out advice and then says, hey I’m also human

[@juniper2163]

And sometimes you will ask the question to sound smart even though you have no idea what you're talking about. *Cough-ME-Cough*

[@albinanana]

John, your mind is a beautiful place

[@NateandNoahTryLife]

Everyone should have the right to clean water but a large amount don't, even in the US, the richest country in the world

[@casper14301]

Nate and Noah Try Life Quatar is the richest country in the world my dude.

[@nomad_geek]

These days more than ever your words communicate the spiral in my brain, John. Thanks for swimming with us.

[@merel3699]

21st century Socrates

[@vlogbrothers]

Just as long as I'm not aristotle. ;) -John

[@aaditbhatia6551]

vlogbrothers Just about to say this

[@SpectrumOfMadness]

I forget the capacity to favourite videos on youtube exists, until a video like this comes along.

[@Aakifs1]

Does water have weather lol.

[@Gingerbiscuit16]

you are first

[@elenakat1497]

>when john makes a video that’s extremely thoughtful and well put together and articulate