The Lie That Every Story Has In Common - Kurt Vonnegut On The Shapes of Stories

[@007Palatino]

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." What an amazing quote that is.

[@process6996]

It is ironic tho because if knowing the rules of the world we could perfectly predict the future though never reconstruct the past. Every moment could have happened infinitely many ways yet there's only one direction for it to develop.

[@user-vr5zk9ox8d]

Process And we can never go back as space time is only existent in one direction; forwards. Yet, time can be warped and changed depending where we are in space which is pretty weird. Think about it, if we were the size of a Planck length time would move much slower. However, if you were on the opposite side of the universe time would be completely different on Earth. Everything is irrelevant and constantly changing. Hell, each year we travel around the sun and are constantly moving through space. Life is quite confusing but I suppose that’s the inherent beauty of it as meaning and sense of the universe is often abstract and hardly ever abundantly clear. Sometimes perspective is only achieved in our final moments but even then it can still be difficult to see, as mortality stares us in the face from the abyss clarity comes from the unknown... which is almost comforting in the fact that we may never understand life. Just to possibly live another day through mystery and discovery is the greatest gift of all.

[@user-vr5zk9ox8d]

Process Also, I guess in a sense we are the size of a Plank length because we are just one tiny dot in the universe as a whole. Think about how massively infinite our universe is. Now think about the theory of the multiverse and the equally infinite amount of universes that are also infinite. Perhaps time on the grand scale does move quite differently than we could possibly comprehend as we are just a granule of sand in all the world’s beaches and deserts. It’s actually mind boggling haha. We can’t even begin to understand how large that is, yet here we are; just one tiny and insignificant little being in a ripple of time and space for a very short amount of time. Ahhh. I better stop now before I go too deep.

[@user-vr5zk9ox8d]

Dark Caesar Well I guess that would just depend on what your definition of authenticity is 😉

[@AmeerHamza-pk1ly]

@@user-vr5zk9ox8dWhat if our perception about time is just a conjecture.The nature of time is ambiguous; that is, it can't be controlled or restrained.Also, how can someone say with certainty that time is moving in one direction.There might be a possibility that time is just an illusion, or maybe it is static and our point of view makes makes it look dynamic.

[@Cyrptic_3VIL_69]

The difference between *fiction* and *reality, is that fiction* has to make *sense* .

[@koolaidman7589]

That's a really good summary

[@ketchup5344]

So true.

[@mrhoustonn]

Please, it's the other way around, of course. Reality is only a mystery for those not interested enough in it.

[@MNanme1z4xs]

Fiction have to start and end, reality carry on forever, this is why fiction has to "make sense" because its limited.

[@superduperfreakyDj]

@@MNanme1z4xs also fiction has to have a logically consistent sequence of events while reality is full of weird illogical sequences.

[@biffbifford402]

Life is a cruel teacher. She gives you the test first, and the lesson later.

[@biffbifford402]

Ved Kolambkar I disagree with that completely. You can learn an awful lot through success

[@oresama93]

@Ved Kolambkar so does failure sometimes

[@senismarsenis9678]

Big tru... :]

[@jameseames4754]

You're totally misquoting Forrest Gump.

[@biffbifford402]

James Eames Not quoting him.

[@amirmagar2009]

“The most important time is right now, the most important person is the person with you at the moment, the best deed you can do is do them good.” - Leo Tolstoy ( The Three Questions)

[@Peakfreud]

You quoted my Favorite *Tolstoy*

[@amirmagar2009]

@@Peakfreud mine too! It’s been like a mantra of my life. Although Im not as wise but I try to recite it and follow every time I happen to remember it.

[@SolaceEasy]

My life has not been a flatline. It hasn't felt like a lie either. One thing happens. Then another thing happens. Whether or not you judge it good bad or indifferent in the moment, your perspective can change on the event over time and swing wildly between the three possibilities.

[@Igneous01]

Or just understand that there is no such thing as good, bad, or indifferent and trying to label your life around these things is the most limiting thing of all.

[@Retrophoria]

@@Igneous01 but if someone you love dies that's just bad right? maybe not cosmically but as humans its almost impossible to not see it that way so no point in trying right?

[@Retrophoria]

@Jessie Muncie I respect the deepness for sure, and I think even just the memory of someone is enough to keep them around you know the saying everyone dies twice first the actual death and then the last time their name is spoken. But I think the reason we attribute negativity to losing a loved one is because you will never see that person or interact with them in a physical way you know talking or making more memories with that person at least not in this existence. When you lose someone you lose a future with that person and I think most people mourn for the future they lost.

[@gozinta82]

@@Retrophoria I'll take this opportunity to speak. Under many circumstance, the obvious answer is the case...but there are always exceptions. My mother died a few weeks before I graduated college. If she would have lived, I probably would've kept on my boring coast thru life course and wasted opportunities doing so. Her passing away, made me face my reality without her always being there and I am a completely different person now. A much stronger one. Right, Wrong and such is all about perspective. Sure the portion of them no longer being on this Earth is bad, conceivably, but consider if they were in pain, or torment, and other anguish. Death can be looked at positively as well.

[@Retrophoria]

gozinta82 yea but in that example which I can completely understand, you are finding the positive that was created from the negative. That doesn’t change the fact that you started with a negative I think the two can be separated but still connected. You can’t have light without darkness and vise versa but you have to start with one. I don’t think something can be both negative and positive at the same time more like one follows the other at least in the example you give a negative event created positives but is not both positive and negative at the same time.

[@vernai_]

"The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced" - Alan Watts

[@goldrushpro]

👌👌👌

[@joeschembrie9450]

The act of living requires the solving of problems.

[@thamera3776]

my boi alan

[@thewakakeboarder]

That is a pretty stupid intelligent coment

[@jumbo4billion]

Alan Watts was an alcoholic, his reality was an inability to stand on his own two feet and face life.

[@エイジャ]

Whoever writes these videos is way too talented to be this underrated

[@jm7215]

@wow you must be fun at parties

[@magicalwizard9539]

@ ????

[@uuitgaurav]

@Varun hey would u suggest some channel which are worth watching.

[@krishivagarwal5189]

@@uuitgaurav Exurbia, filthy Frank, VICE (the older documentaries), in a nutshell, Joe scott, Tom Scott (they're 2 different channels), like stories of old. These are the ones I can think of right now, but there are many more.

[@arrjee9474]

Why do you think it is underrated?

[@poweroffriendship2.0]

_"Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt."_ *~ Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughterhouse Five)*

[@ernest-bd8zc]

one of my favourite books. ever.

[@earnyourimmortality]

I found a copy of that book as it was falling to pieces in an old work vehicle but it was good for one final read... I liken it to finding a small treasure... Destiny can funny that way sometimes. Great book ;)

[@michaelcraig9449]

what about the slaughter?

[@ernest-bd8zc]

@@michaelcraig9449 what about it?

[@movement2contact]

@@michaelcraig9449 yeah, I also am intrigued... :3

[@spiderlime]

i think that the word "lie" here is misleading, however unintentionally: while it's true that many plot structures in many stories are much clearer than reality, and less morally ambigous, that in itself is not a lie: that is a technical nessecity. literature still does explore our humanity and psyche. it's an exploration of values and inspirations. "a story about dragons is important not because dragons are real but because dragons can be beaten". chesterton,

[@Nuclearburrit0]

...unless the dragon in your story is unbeatable

[@nowhereman6019]

@@Nuclearburrit0 this is the realm of make believe, nothing is impossible.

[@Nuclearburrit0]

@@nowhereman6019 ...including the existence of an unbeatable dragon

[@nowhereman6019]

@@Nuclearburrit0 see the problem here?

[@Nuclearburrit0]

@@nowhereman6019 nope. The existence of an unbeatable dragon is possible, thus you can have one exist in a story you wright if you want.

[@jai.joylove]

"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself" -- Soren Kierkegaard I felt that quote goes extremely well with the Joseph Campbell one mentioned in the video.

[@jasmin2003t]

_"If this isn't nice, I don't know what is. Music please! "_ I really love this for some reason

[@JohnDoe-tj5gs]

Read Timequake. That’s his book where that comes from. One of my all time favorites.

[@ilford6x6]

@@JohnDoe-tj5gs yes and slaughter house 5 is a great book and mind trip too

[@dehsa38]

Did Kurt Vonnegut do anything that wasn't lovable?

[@abohamolla4632]

Then u will surely like something similar to this. Just search the video on Humor made by this same channel. And at a moment it narrator will say, "the ultimate comedian is Life itself." And music will start

[@jasmin2003t]

@@abohamolla4632 I will try to find it! Thanks!

[@jacobarmour6325]

I love pursuit of wonder you make my day coming home from school and embarking on a journey of philosophical discovery

[@somewiseguy7245]

We should be online friends

[@user-gd4ty2nq3u]

me too

[@dishant8126]

*go*

[@lemniscatefortunecanfinall2707]

Good practice and taste my good fellow human.

[@xarve9486]

shouldn't school also be a "journey of philosophical discovery"?

[@Jumpingpig]

The graph of A Series of Unfortunate Events be like *not stonks* 📉

[@erenyeager-jr2ch]

Jumpingpig 1313 omg 😂

[@voxman3464]

Oh yeah does that thing fucking stoop down

[@Diego-tr9ib]

That doesn't apply to the Netflix series, just the og books

[@godofnothing428]

10 Gh0st3r it really does apply to the tv series

[@Diego-tr9ib]

No, because it has a good ending

[@55vermeer]

"There was once a farmer in ancient China who owned a horse. “You are so lucky!” his neighbours told him, “to have a horse to pull the cart for you.” “Maybe,” the farmer replied. One day he didn’t latch the gate properly and the horse ran off. “Oh no! What a disaster!” his neighbours cried. “Such terrible misfortune!” “Maybe,” the farmer replied. A few days later the horse returned, bringing with it six wild horses. “How fantastic! You are so lucky,” his neighbours told him. “Now you are rich!” “Maybe,” the farmer replied. The following week the farmer’s son was breaking-in one of the wild horses when it kicked out and broke his leg. “Oh no!” the neighbours cried, “such bad luck, all over again!” “Maybe,” the farmer replied. The next day soldiers came and took away all the young men to fight in the war. The farmer’s son was left behind. “You are so lucky!” his neighbours cried. “Maybe,” the farmer replied." - Zhuangzi, Taoist mystic

[@55vermeer]

@@davidjacobs8558 ""I heard it from the son of Aided-by-Ink, and Aided-by-Ink heard it from the grandson of Repeated-Recitation, and the grandson of Repeated-Recitation heard it from Seeing-Brightly, and Seeing-Brightly heard it from Whispered-Agreement, and Whispered-Agreement heard it from Waiting-for-Use, and Waiting-for-Use heard it from Exclaimed-Wonder, and Exclaimed-Wonder heard it from Dark-Obscurity, and Dark-Obscurity heard it from Participation-in-Mystery, and Participation-in-Mystery heard it from Copy-the-Source!" - Zhuangzi

[@kelf114]

@@55vermeer Heard it from a friend who Heard it from a friend who Heard it from another you been messing around. 😁

[@55vermeer]

@@kelf114 You got dat right !!! :D

[@CrumCringle]

Man, this neighbor is one boring guy! :P Maybe...

[@55vermeer]

@@CrumCringle Most are! No maybes about it...

[@ms.annemartina]

I forgot where I heard it, but a good way of putting it is that stories aren’t meant to be true in the way of imitating reality but instead they reveal emotional truths. People don’t really ever fall down rabbit holes or get happily ever afters but sometimes things in our lives feel cataclysmic and consuming that we can only make sense of them through stories because stories are neater whereas real life is messy. We can’t always know what’s going to negativity or positivity affect us in real life but stories have a structure so we can get glimpses of having that knowledge. This is turning into an essay of second hand ideas that I’m poorly explaining so I’m gonna stop now haha

[@RudolfJvVuuren]

No I liked your thinking! Thx for taking the time to post it!

[@ms.annemartina]

Rudolf Janse van Vuuren aw thank you for the nice reply!

[@sunflowerstrength]

I agree, thanks for sharing your viewpoint :)

[@EmpressAdelaide]

Sounds like something Jordan Peterson would say.

[@feetfinderguy7044]

@annemartina yeah, I agree

[@ErraticMagics]

Real life has its ups and downs as well; only on a much shorter time scale. From far away the line will appear flat, but close in it's far more bumpy.

[@thelostcosmonaut5555]

This video has really helped me out. Life isn’t one big journey which ends with credits and applause. It’s pain and misery inundated by beautiful little victories and the occasional grand triumph. It is the lust for such triumphs that keep us in motion and the small victories which let us know we are moving in the right direction. Thank you very much for this.

[@atomiccritter6492]

I thought the point was that life is meaningless and there is no right or wrong direction, no good or bad

[@chongwillson972]

@@atomiccritter6492 that just sounds like an excuse to not think of life and the meaning people can get from it . and a excuse to commit terrible acts with no remorse or putting much thought into them.

[@feetfinderguy7044]

@The Lost Cosmonaut well said...

[@abeloicha8849]

"life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards." one of the best quotes i've heard.

[@lovepeaceisneverguaranteed7385]

Long story short live in the now

[@bingbongjoel6581]

“I think, therefore your mom gay” Damn. That quote will stick with me till my last breathe.

[@katchibediako7036]

🤣 I came ill prepared. You gave me feels. You brought me up, (🤔😏) then you brought me down (😮🥺...🤫)then you left me higher with laughter. (🥴🤣) 🏆best YT short story yet.

[@paulwalsh7134]

Cacatum non est pictum.

[@katchibediako7036]

@@paulwalsh7134 in this case, maybe it was?

[@guyinaroom7771]

Your last breathe

[@kidsoulworld6879]

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a show that knew exactly what it needed to be. It always meant to have been 3 books. Once the quest is over and the war was over the characters fulfilled the major parts of their lives is over the show finishes. Even though it has powers and magical elements the show ends with fans accepting the ending rather than wanting it to keep going.

[@juliann8104]

"It was a movie about American bombers in World War II and the gallant men who flew them. Seen backwards by Billy, the story went like this: American planes, full of holes and wounded men and corpses took off backwards from an airfield in England. Over France, a few German fighter planes flew at them backwards, sucked bullets and shell fragments from some of the planes and crewmen. They did the same for wrecked American bombers on the ground, and those planes flew up backwards to join the formation. The formation flew backwards over a German city that was in flames. The bombers opened their bomb bay doors, exerted a miraculous magnetism which shrunk the fires, gathered them into cylindrical steel containers , and lifted the containers into the bellies of the planes. The containers were stored neatly in racks. The Germans below had miraculous devices of their own, which were long steel tubes. They used them to suck more fragments from the crewmen and planes. But there were still a few wounded Americans though and some of the bombers were in bad repair. Over France though, German fighters came up again, made everything and everybody as good as new. When the bombers got back to their base, the steel cylinders were taken from the racks and shipped back to the United States of America, where factories were operating night and day, dismantling the cylinders, separating the dangerous contents into minerals. Touchingly, it was mainly women who did this work. The minerals were then shipped to specialists in remote areas. It was their business to put them into the ground, to hide them cleverly, so they would never hurt anybody ever again." Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse 5.

[@teageamusic2033]

Wow

[@kelly2fly]

Somewhere in another universe time is unfolding backwards.

[@ale9507]

This is one of the most intriguing perspectives of a story I've ever seen. Very very clever. Thanks for sharing.

[@aapp776]

@@kelly2fly this is a refreshingly unique idea.

[@rory4623]

Wow

[@Hyperversum3]

On a more practical level (because I am that kind of sad, sad person), the difference between fiction and real life is that, for how much the writer may try, his stories still have some kind of influence of his background and a disconnection from the randomness of our real life. A story, generally speaking, doesn't have the protagonist die from a random car crash in the middle of a character arc. All the elements of a story are (or should be) part of that story, for a reason or another, and this is the main difference from our life. And thank whatever you believe in for this.

[@sm0000]

Well, I am not a sad person, I love to be in solitary ....and most of the time passes by knowing myself . See, I think in most stories there's a conflict, and at end protagonist either solve it...or get defeated. Some stories have more than one protagonist Sometimes we are so dumb we cant understand who the actual protagonist is. Like in Dark Knight...Joker may be the actual Hero... because of his weired deeds , he made Gotham more United than previous time (it was so crime striken before) I heard it somewhere. But writer's background do matter.. We mostly dont know what is Happiness or Sadness.. What is investing or wasting.. It always sums up in that one thing. "At the end what we get" If all over there's bad and dreadful things happening..but at the end the protagonist achieve something..then will it be called a Tragedy? This is only upto the writer how he/she potrays it (so writer's background matters)

[@Hyperversum3]

​@@sm0000 That's a point, but more than that my point is another one. Stories are stories, they must have a meaningful structure otherwise they feel like shit. Yes, things like Ulysses or Waiting for Godot have been written, but even these are still affected by "what is shown here is relevant to the point I try to make or the emotions I want to provoke in the reader/viewer". So, my take is that the big difference between fiction and real life is that fiction, no matter what, has a structure and a meaning behind most things, while our real life is a convoluted mess created by random events.

[@sm0000]

@@Hyperversum3 your thought of real life is absolutely right... It's random and weired.. sometimes without meaning.. Like residing in earth we find it is filled with shitty selfish people, being among them is trash. But you observe earth from space, it seems beautiful. May be what you think is meaningless...has a deeper meaning which is beyond human understanding. I am an Indian..and the fact 0 was created is not because make maths easy.. It was made to signify emptiness. Emptiness doesn't mean something which doesn't exist.. 0 is a symbol, a respect given to unknown, to the thing beyond perception... Feel the presence of absence. I went quite off road ,... He he...😁

[@andromaxbse6459]

@@sm0000 There isn't anything beautiful. Merely it is only judgement created by our mind. See it is for what it is.

[@sm0000]

@@andromaxbse6459 then whats the difference between you and a machine..? Have you looked up at the stars and felt nothing ? See I also don't have any materialistic things...but I do feel the presence of void.

[@vulnerablerummy]

1:10 : most stories end with the protagonist higher on the axis then where they started Kafka : *Hold my non-existent happy ending*

[@sunnyplayzgacha9346]

Or rather, *_BURN THESE MANUSCRIPTS_*

[@singularityraptor4022]

U said 'most'

[@MultiBOZA]

It's most stories, not all, and by "most" he meant mostly children's stories and cartoons and simple video-games that lack self-awarness and are just down-to-earth.

[@vulnerablerummy]

@@MultiBOZA yeah, i knew i could count on you guys to make this joke funnier, thanks!

[@DiegoSartorato]

@@vulnerablerummy Jokesplaining is the worst type of mensplaining

[@TheJollyMisanthrope]

Escapism that tries to accurately portray reality would be somewhat pointless.

[@myilmazalper]

Vonnegut, or even Shakespeare, could be defined with many words, "cathartic" is one of them, but "escapist" isn't.

[@galvanizeddreamer2051]

@@myilmazalper But noone said they were.

[@irenemax3574]

Jolly Misanthrope Yep, we need our illusions and delusions to survive on “this bitch of an earth”.

[@rkid4734]

Guessing you've never seen Euro Truck Simulator?

[@mascotwithadinosaur9353]

Storytelling doesn't have to be escapism.

[@jlinus7251]

My life has been a series of highs and lows. I just don't know where it's going to end and that doesn't matter because every memory and event no matter how painful is an experience I have lived and I'm grateful for it

[@KateJRoberts]

Can he just read everything ever for me? Tell me why his voice is the most soothing, calming thing I’ve heard.

[@viveksalotkar839]

Abso-fkin-lutely Right!

[@NEVERMIND-io5mp]

I know his voice is amazing

[@LL-pl2ek]

My head hurts

[@sevandri]

Bob Ross

[@lewishotberry7976]

Because we needed it to be, apparently

[@Horus4302]

Lost in Translation would be a straight line. It´s basically just two strangers who meet in Tokyo and have a platonic relationship while exploring the city.

[@grievingmom]

Another is The Station Agent

[@jamjox9922]

Another is the "Before Sunrise" trilogy where a couple spends 24 hours together and we find out everything between them without much "drama" of the usual longer-time stories.

[@annieinwonderland]

La with out a map a very underrated movie. It's a very straight line.

[@tracesprite6078]

The point of that story might be that exploring a city and exploring a relationship are both worthwhile ways to spend your time. You don't need drama to create meaning in your life.

[@bubbalandbeau9872]

I was very disappointed in Lost in Translation. If that is what straight line is please tell me the lie.

[@osse1n]

No matter what your story is, sharing it with others, will more likely grant you a lot of new encounters. The magical component of a story - it engages *EMOTIONS* and bring people together.

[@somewiseguy7245]

Are you subscribed to every self-improvement and philosophy-orientated channel on KZbin bro?

[@amadiohastruck4331]

A true MGTOW he is

[@lovepeaceisneverguaranteed7385]

Good I really like your comments keep it up.

[@buk1733]

Emotions what is that?

[@lovepeaceisneverguaranteed7385]

@@buk1733 Expression of a feeling

[@daisyphreekshow2197]

“No Country For Old Men” comes to mind when he talks about a story with a flatline. There wasn’t any good or bad (just the ones professed by many of the characters) but in the end life was just life and everything was up to chance as much as it was up to using ones smarts and cunning to find/evade one another.

[@chuckcartwright1328]

Some years back, I worked in a chain bookstore, which was patronized by a fair number of local attorneys and judges. One particular judge always bought mystery novels, almost exclusively. One day, as I rang up his purchase, I asked if he didn’t get enough of crime drama on the job. Waving his new books at me, he replied, “Yes, but these are always resolved.”

[@lexiemaep7930]

That's why stories help us escape reality. Its fantasy and entertainment.

[@fz1792]

True That's why I love them

[@wormwood078]

"Eventually a show will reach it's series end, when it stops working or runs its natural course." COUGH Walking Dead COUGH.

[@legendaryzet8450]

It's still airing.

[@peti010218]

@@legendaryzet8450 That's the problem.

[@joshlewis575]

Been shit for a few years now

[@jrllarenas1661]

@@amazingjay3957 did he though?

[@FoxGaijin]

It's called walking dead for a reason.

[@Талсе]

Man this channel seems like puts out videos straight outta my conscience Things i often think but don't think at the same time

[@samarthsingh8735]

After seeing so many comments saying that this channel just puts into words what they think, it's entirely possible that a whole lot of us have the same thoughts, the same feelings and yearn for the same things. It's dumb when I say it out like this, but it somehow makes me feel connected to all 697k of y'all

[@Талсе]

@@samarthsingh8735 yeah i feel the same bro

[@uncomfortablecat]

"Remember, It's not a lie, if you believe it." - George Costanza

[@theemirofjaffa2266]

Deep!

[@anthropocene-]

The only few channel on KZbin where i don't skip a single video, eventhough some of those topics don't compel me but i still listen to it knowing i can learn a thing or two . And you people don't disappoint..

[@HieronymusHeim]

stan lee said something once like that marvel stories only have the "illusion of change" but return to a similar situation at the end as at the start of it, maybe with a message but with no significant change for the hero.

[@BG-it7hb]

Yep, all the classic superhero story's do.

[@atomiccritter6492]

superhero comics are just cash cows aimed at pubescent boys

[@annalisette5897]

But we watch stories with endings, good or bad, for the emotional impact. In real life, usually much time elapses before we know the results. It feels good to watch a heroic story that ends one way or the other. On and off topic, my husband never cared about the endings of stories or films. He used to aggravate me by turning off the TV before the end of a show if he could. He said the ending didn't matter. He was an extremely successful businessman who always dealt with reality. I am an artist who uses emotion to create. We actually had a good relationship and I can catch up with the endings of some old productions online.;-) (In an aside, both of us have/had direct connections to the film industry so we both knew how fake everything is on the screen.)

[@katiec759]

When i was studying creative writing our lecturer told us how every romance story is based on one single concept: 2 people falling in love and not being able to be together and/or facing problems in their relationship. I remember how upsetting it was to me that it was all so generic, that basically every romance ,I've ever read was simply the same plot, just twisted slightly to suit the story. Every time I read a romance now, I find myself disappointed each time to find this bland , same old plot over and over again.

[@katiec759]

@@taborlin8595 I love that!

[@noice2606]

Which is why I don’t like romantic movies/books. There are a few exceptions.

[@Mhadyourfriend]

What about the before trilogy ?

[@Matty18795]

I find this with a lot of things. Its all just the same things over and over again and most people never realise. I was invited to a stand up comedy show last week everybody was in hysterics and i was secretly bored as hell.

[@alyssahansen1400]

Well yeah... that's just like saying every story has a conflict. If the story centers on the relationship then the conflict is gonna be in the relationship. I don't see how that makes them all the same. Then again, I don't care much for romance stories so maybe they really do all play out the same, I wouldn't know.

[@Higuy7500]

This is genuinely my favourite video on all of youtube, I can’t think of anything more important than the lessons it teaches.

[@jtotheb-ip2hh]

i went through a very serious Campbell phase a few years back. i think the best lesson i learned from him is this: after enjoying our favorite stories in tv, films, books, spirituality, etc., we must use those stories to help us understand our own story. most people do not reflect on the story of their own life, which is, when properly interpreted, the most exciting, important, and critical story ever.

[@tylermacdonald8924]

Princess mononoke seems to be the realest story I have ever witnessed (in the meaning and themes that it articulates)

[@dango6266]

There are no bad guys. Just people with motives that clash. That was my favorite part.

[@scruffytuna]

nahhhh ashitaka was a centrist, and centrists always side with the oppressors

[@tylermacdonald8924]

@@scruffytuna yeah I'm not so sure about that. People don't act on strict political narratives

[@weirdreportt]

It's fascinating to watch or read stories that aren't linear nor have a typical good or evil sides in which has to choose from. Morally challenging stories and characters are best in my opinion, wherein you as a watcher / reader having a hard time figuring out which one is good and which one isn't. A moral gray area to challenge one's ideals, philosophy, and how they look at a certain standpoint. You know good guys can be bad guys, bad guys can appeal good, and so on.

[@scruffytuna]

@Tyler MacDonald I know he didn't act on it intentionally, but if someone is stealing and destroying the land someone needs to LIVE, and you just stand by and condone it, you allow the destruction to continue.

[@PeedyJ]

Vonnegut once wrote about the purpose of life, saying “to be the eyes, the ears of the creator of the universe, you fool.” Now it can be told!

[@Zoobie16]

Dude I really appreciate your work. It's great keep growing

[@tracesprite6078]

Serials on TV may not have much to tell us about life but there are still plenty of stories which do. Stories can give us insights about the lives of others and we can often be inspired by their courage or warned by the dangers they faced. Sometimes they give an insight into our past history. "Dark Emu" by Bruce Pascoe astonished me with his revelations about life among Aboriginal people before Australia was invaded in 1788. Jackie French's book "The Schoolmaster's Daughter" reveals uncomfortable truths to those Australians who pretend that we didn't have slavery here in Australia. Ahn Do's book "The Happiest Refugee" gives insights into the experience of arriving in Australia in a leaky boat and seeking refuge here.

[@nicolaimarquez2211]

This is honestly one of the best video-essays on storytelling in general that I've seen. It's also the answer to why I love the Slice of Life genre so much. To anyone interested in what I think is the epitome of Slice of Life, of "Things still happening, but not sure if it's good or bad, or where it'll take the protagonist", I'd recommend 2 animes: "Hibike! Euphonium" and "Hyouka". And to those of you who don't "like" anime, rest assured. I didn't neither until I watched those shows. There are also some Ghibli films. But not all of them. Some like "Whisper of the Heart", "Only Yesterday" or "Kiki's Delivery's Service" are great examples of the kind of stories this video talks about. And to stop recommending just Japanese stuff (Because I honestly believe they perfected this kind of story-telling, and that American cinema is used to being the opposite of that), I'd say "Boyhood" and "Columbus" are my favorite American movies that are like this. This is just in case you think you haven't experienced a story like this (and don't feel like reading Hamlet). Again, these are truly the best kinds of stories there is, or at least I feel that way, and to anyone that already knows they like that style, I'd WHOLEHEARTEDLY recommend both Hibike! Euphonium and Hyouka :) (If I'm not mistaken, Hibike can be watched legally at Crunchyroll; I'm not really sure about Hyouka)

[@crstph]

yeah my neighbor totoro TOTALLY fits this, ur right. i always watched it like ok but where is the plot? nothing HAPPENS ...& thats the point

[@nicolaimarquez2211]

@@crstph THAT'S RIGHT! My Neighbor Totoro is another one of those stories. But it's also from the point of view of children, which gives it a very whimsical tone. Nothing might happen, but you feel enthralled in the simple way the kids explore their surroundings with wonder. I like it very much :)

[@markayala]

I am left with more questions rather than answers after watching any of the videos you post.

[@cherubin7th]

Life is a line that only goes down.

[@ramkumarm8957]

Was this a joke or are you serious lmao

[@davidthe16th90]

"A tv series that we dont want to end is one that seemingly cant end itself" How i met your mother: Look at this duuuudee

[@snappyego908]

Overrated crap

[@levitating-phonkster]

that show ended so retarded like two and a half men

[@immanuelwilliams182]

Kurt Vonnegut... Is a treasure of modern civilization. Perhaps one of a very few.

[@nikeshsapkota8904]

Your life is your story and how you percieve your comming part of story is besed on the past incidents of the story you lived....wow..

[@tcironbear21]

How the hell is Hamlet a straight path? Everyone dies

[@luisamota7160]

I though the same thing! Oo

[@JWSaunders14]

But they were always doomed to die

[@malirabbit6228]

No one gets out alive! Reality, oh my!

[@markofsaltburn]

Everyone dies. There is no straighter, surer path.

[@RelativelyBest]

OP makes a good point, and y'all are missing it. Hamlet is classical tragedy, for crying out loud. It's a story about a character who brings about his own ruin/destruction due to an inherent fatal flaw. It _can't_ be a straight line on the "Fortune Axis" Vonnegut was talking about because that's not how tragedies work. They would, if anything, be a downward slope. The ending is not "ambiguous", it's _supposed_ to be sad and disastrous.

[@infinitearrow8]

I disagree with this video completely, just because decisions in life aren’t inherently good or bad does not mean that the ending is stagnant as it pertains to the beginning.. we all change and grow if anything reality is a multitude of stories that make up your existence, we develop from each one, from every choice we make to reach where we are now.. does life not fit the perfect template of a story? Of course not but it’s not like life is mundane the way he’s explaining it

[@neinnien6503]

Everyone's got their opinions

[@thenew4559]

Yes, I definitely agree with this sentiment. Our lives are not a flat story. While it may be impossible to truly understand the positive or negative significance of a specific event in our lives at the moment it occurs, it is clear the events in our lives gradually build up to either a more negative or more positive outcome than where we started at. And when we look back at our lives later on, if we have enough wisdom to see it, we will then be able to understand more fully the significance of each event that led to where we ended up.

[@dreamingblue3939]

I agree with you, if only because I personally know people who obviously don't fit what this video is saying. One of my brothers has an insane life story that's crazier than any movie and has stark ups and downs. The 'shape' of his story would look very much like that of one of the fictional stories they showed in the videos. Definitely not a flat line.

[@RudolfJvVuuren]

Guys I think you missed the point of the "flat line"

[@johnarvirviray5236]

Whether or not they missed it, they had a point worth sharing. We don't have to defend Pursuit of Wonder's video. I love Pursuit of Wonder, as it has shown me the riches of Philosophy. But I bet Pursuit itself wouldn't like to be treated as infallible, insomuch that "disagreements" with its videos are ought to be canceled out.

[@drgod8433]

Just saw Bojack Horseman and thought I should pursuit this wonder

[@Thrna_1]

We see that

[@allankuria9923]

Aren't you the horse from Horsin' Around?

[@vallary336]

what is this? a crossover episode?

[@nice7004]

@@vallary336 that's too much mannn...

[@matarono]

it gets easier

[@TBRulh]

You can't see, but I'm giving you a standing ovation. Bravo. Well done, sir!

[@SamueleVitaglione]

"we don't know enough about life to know what the good news is and what the bad news is" I respect this statement so very much

[@A88-p5e]

This kind of reminds me of the anime Cowboy Bebop. That show really captures the part of reality where things aren’t good or bad, there aren’t always solutions and sometimes characters never find out things/some things are never resolved. Each episode is truly only an “episode” in the character’s lives rather than their whole story. Sure we see flashbacks etc and plot lines to drive the story forward but they mainly take the back seat. It also shows the characters going off by themselves or just laying around. Despite it being animated, something about that show always felt so real to me! This kind of helps explain that. It’s not a perfect show but is brilliant in my opinion and there’s nothing else like it that does it so well. Would highly recommend watching it and luckily for people who can’t get around eng subs over Japanese or aren’t used to anime, it apparently has a great dub!

[@tobyvision]

It is a very unique show. Of the five main characters, they all have pretty dramatic and startling backgrounds, three of them being borderline superhuman. But in the show this is rarely relevant or mentioned. And the English dub is one of the best ever for a series.

[@jamjox9922]

"It’s not a perfect show," but it's pretty damn close.

[@user-nf7hp5wk3s]

See you... space cowboy

[@kelf114]

Love that show.

[@P.Petrov550]

Hello Darkness, my old friend

[@cereal483]

I've come to talk with you again.

[@prasantamukherjee6418]

Because a vision softly creeping

[@WintersEnvy]

And the vision that was left in my brain

[@nitishgurav5229]

Still remains

[@shiramischmid7572]

within the sound of silence

[@ericjohnson6665]

Fiction allows the writers to find closure in a world that often prevents that. It allows them to express their biases in a non-confrontational way. And often the journey is far more important than the conclusion. I would cite Grey’s Anatomy as an example of the journey. That journey is primarily about relationships that evolve over time. Just as our own lives move from one relationship to another. Obviously very few people ever live happily ever after, old age sees to that. But stories also suggest what could be, and to quote another story line, “You’ve got to have a dream, if you don’t have a dream, how’re you going to have a dream come true?” [Bloody Mary]

[@caramason56]

Brilliant author ❤️” If this isn’t nice I don’t know what is. That quote always stays with me .

[@nanashi6865]

is the man who speaks the one who writes these stories that give me great insight to everything I do and experience ? truly amazing

[@lxverdant1837]

Claim your *"Welcome existential crisis"* card right here now.

[@Rectiifyy]

Alexander The Snivy appreciate it sir

[@TheOne-zt6tb]

@@PBryanMcMillin dummy wrote that down before even watching the video, I guess. Just try to ignore

[@taski1]

good timing. I have to renew mine

[@jamjox9922]

Sorry, I'm late; been busy existentially crisising illegally. I'll take mine.

[@TJfromEarth]

never have to scroll far to find the lemming who mindlessly posts the "existential crisis" comment on every single post on this channel. Was thinking of something original to say too hard?

[@blzahz7633]

The Story of the Chinese Farmer _Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.” The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.”_ _The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.” The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbors came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.”_ The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity, and it’s really impossible to tell whether anything that happens in it is good or bad - because you never know what will be the consequence of the misfortune; or, you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune. - Alan Watts

[@valideno9592]

I love that story! So true... Thanks for remanding me it exists.

[@AlisonBryen]

I bloody love Alan Watts.

[@repox97]

"in every story someone or something starts somewhere" I could have never guesses 😂😂😂😂

[@michaeldavis6993]

His videos are honestly always so deep and beautiful

[@JohnSmith-td7hd]

This assumes a show where each episode leads into the next. Many shows don't do that. Many shows reset everything before they end, and the next episode will be on a brand new story line or topic.

[@nobodyinparticular8370]

When I saw the title, I thought you were gonna pull a Dr. Manhattan. "Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends." -Dr. Manhattan (Additionally also, nothing ever begins.)

[@albinozebra276]

“Once there was the ugly barnacle, he was so ugly that everyone died, The End.” - Ugly Barnacle, Patrick Star

[@HumansOfVR]

*_I'm always BLOWN AWAY with your editing skills!

[@Darrell9000]

That quote about understanding life backwards is genius.

[@re-mo3jq]

Exurb1a and Pursuit of Wonder are the best channel ever. Existential crises yet motivation

[@redmed10]

We are so used to stories with a beginning middle and end yet it never happens in real life.

[@2msvalkyrie529]

Death seems a fairly conclusive ending to most lives. ? And most of us start out by being born ? Then , in between , there's the bit in the middle . I think it's called Life ?

[@coremitsi922]

I didn't even read the title. I saw bojack, I clicked.

[@vallary336]

same.

[@phantomandfriendsgaming4984]

What's a bojack, and where can i find one?

[@somethingcraft3148]

juan valdes Netflix

[@tagaway6173]

@@somethingcraft3148 I know I'm late, but what is it sbout, without spoilers. Who is the target audience.

[@limendime3720]

@@tagaway6173 A former Hollywood star tries to enjoy/live his life after his glory days are over while facing many of his own personal demons. It's for older teens and adults. I'd definitely recommend it. It has a surprising amount of detail and touches upon a lot of things and issues that are typically avoided in entertainment.

[@user-vr5zk9ox8d]

Ohhhh these quotes from stories that are plateaued as a flat line are fun, let me try one too! “I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world.” ... ~ Meursault *The Stranger*

[@brianwilliamsart]

"Art is a Lie in the service of the truth"...... Pablo Picasso The more you think about it, the more profound this quote is. And it really applies to all the arts too, including the art of story-telling too, doesn't it? This quote has been so useful to me in my own work, and this quote from the comments below will be too, especially when I'm having trouble starting or finishing a painting: "To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself" -- Soren Kierkegaard

[@TheDiamondNet]

Perfect summary of the Buddhist parable of the Wise Neighbor. “Who can say what’s good or bad.” And the only resolve is to live in the moment. I would love to collaborate at some point.

[@alexanderschreiter943]

I feel like attack on Titian will be one of those that ends the same level as the start effectively being a straight line

[@vroomy619]

dropped it around season 2 but I think you’re right

[@TheScourgeable]

How he described a TV series is life itself

[@pestifermundi2591]

Ok that strangely made me happy

[@aeronaut7346]

Liam O’Neil LMFAO

[@lovepeaceisneverguaranteed7385]

Same

[@xsiga7635]

Do heroin

[@mal_3157]

Thanks to this channel, I am a nihilist, a realist, an optimist, suicidal, and a writer

[@Maid_of_Spiders]

I'd say stories are like food. A chef is to a writer as a eater is to a reader/watcher. The beauty in them is that 2 people can have the exact same ingredients and exact same recipe yet each chef will give a different result to those who take the time to experience it. The beauty is in the subtleties that no two results are exactly alike or evoke the same exact feelings. I think that's such a beautiful and human thing, which is why we have been storytelling creatures since it became physically possible.

[@differous01]

Somewhere along the Flint-Knapper line the tale turned from cutting edges To sparks in tinder. Freed from the need to chew food raw, Prometheus, with time to think, pursued the bear into the cave, And drew his menu on the wall. “The History of every major Galactic Civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases... the first phase is characterized by the question 'How can we eat?' the second by the question 'Why do we eat?' and the third by the question 'Where shall we have lunch?” [Douglas Adams]

[@Maid_of_Spiders]

@@differous01 Don't forget your towel.

[@Aivaids]

Anime with 12 episodes: " Am I a jOkE tO YoU ?!!”

[@bgiv2010]

I love a television show that knows how to end well.

[@booksteer7057]

So, according to Vonnegut, the greatest stories are the daytime soaps that run for 30-40 years?!? 😲

[@BG-it7hb]

😂🤣😁

[@jeremiahsmith916]

You may mock the soaps but if they manage to attract enough dedicated audience for such periods of time, there is something about them.

[@booksteer7057]

Every show ends with 2 or 3 cliffhaners. People get addicted to them like a drug. It aint the quality of the stories. 😕

[@animateddepression]

​@@jeremiahsmith916 Their whole purpose is for people to watch it so the network could sell ad time so the show could make more money than it cost to produce.

[@atomiccritter6492]

the same could easily apply to superhero comics where its just the same stuff regurgitated again and again and again

[@Tine_of_Nice_Dreams]

Hey I've loved Vonnegut's philosophy for most of my life and just wanted to thank you for conveying it so well.

[@edwardreed67]

Life is a comedy. Whether it is a Tragic comedy or a humorous comedy is not the question. Because it is both. Life is tragic, and therefore funny. But in being funny, it is also tragic.

[@dieselcum]

I’m a simple man. I see pursuit of wonder, I click.

[@Arkhs]

This is why I shut down whenever someone starts quoting the hero's journey as useful self-help advice.

[@apegrasshoplizard]

We are all demi-heroes ...

[@Entropic_Alloy]

So you stopped watching this video halfway through then?

[@Arkhs]

@@Entropic_Alloy the traditional hero story has conclusiveness. Halfway through the video they may use the term continuous hero story but It's not really a hero story per se. To reiterate with some clarity. When someone starts trying to tell me that slaying my "Dragon" guarantees my unambiguous success. I turn off because it's blatant too good to be true manipulation for financial or other gain.

[@malvinastanoilova8096]

I hope everyone here has a lovely and amazing day! And remember we only live once, so try out as much as you can from this life!

[@animateddepression]

I'm eating pizza in bed. Does that count?

[@stews9]

Zen/Tao philosophy teaches that we cannot know good from bad, and the only thing we can do is lessen suffering at arm's length, hoping to do the least harm. Find nice moments, yes. That's about it. And so it goes.

[@howardrickert2558]

In a college composition class, we had to read more than a few Kurt Vonnegut books, not easy for an ME student. So happy I got through it, and the lessons learned are far reaching.

[@Kneightt]

What's the song at the end of the video? I love the music-box-sounding instrument.

[@renatobaptista2790]

Do you know already?!

[@Kneightt]

@@renatobaptista2790 Sadly, no.

[@Kneightt]

@@renatobaptista2790 Okay, I tried running it through a voice assistant and I got it! It's called "The Girl From Summer Camp" by Par.

[@renatobaptista2790]

@@Kneightt yessss 👌👌👌

[@84knucks05]

This is what my existential life crisis is all about right here...

[@lovepeaceisneverguaranteed7385]

Cheer up u r a good person dont worry blessing🙏

[@avestabagheri4637]

If u see this comment have a good day ❤️

[@ryangoldstrich7334]

no u

[@samarthsingh8735]

If this isn't nice, I don't know what is :)

[@pedrambabaie1178]

Avesta Bagheri you too

[@avestabagheri4637]

pedram babaie thanks 👍😉

[@josuenolasco3655]

Thanks you too bruv

[@anarchy8968]

the problem with this explaination is that it is so simplistic. Think about it. Where does your life start in this chart? On the good side, or the bad? You might not know the answer for this, so most people settle for the "middle". But are you actually in between? You don't know, do you? And will you ever be completely happy, or completely sad? Where are you aiming for? You don't know, you just live. And when you look back, you still can't be too sure if you moved upwards or downwards in the chart, because you don't know what would happen if you didn't make those choices.

[@arealhumanbeing4651]

One of the more positive Pursuit of Wonder videos

[@chaotic6107]

oh shit, new Pursuit of Wonder vid uploaded one min ago? existential crisis time

[@TNTITAN]

Someone going to have to explain the straight line concept of Hamlet to me. Most people I know thought it ended badly for Hamlet. Sure he finally got the confession and justice for father but at way too much of a cost. Tell me how “Hamlet gets revenge at the cost of his girlfriend, mother, himself, and a whole bunch of supporting characters” as ending on a neutral ending.

[@rideon6140]

It's neutral in the sense that this or any human story, no matter how dramatic, is in the end, a tale told by an idiot, signifying nothing. That is to say, what matters so supremely to us, doesn't really amount to a hill of beans. Our reality is only our reality and of no consequence to the universe. The sun will still set and rise the next morning regardless. Shakespeare often used a five act structure. It takes three acts to recycle and update the usual beats and endings, but once they are exhausted Shakespeare in the next two acts looks at things from a far less relatable point of view. He sees things from the standpoint of eternity without the usual human bias and prejudice that comes from and is driven by the emotions which we like to think are life itself. Hollywood always stops after three acts.

[@waynekenney9311]

I think it's not that it ends neutrally, it's that the ending is not clearly a good or a bad thing. And the same with all the other events, nothing is certainly good or certainly bad.

[@TNTITAN]

@@waynekenney9311 Um Hamlet died so it was bad for him. I guess it the same way I suppose to think of MacBeth as a tragedy when most people would be like screw that guy.

[@traywor]

6:36 what music is this? I wanna listen to that. Edit: ​Hermit Slug found it: Par - The Girl From Summer Camp

[@polar627]

I'm responding to this so you'll get false hope that someone knows the song.

[@Sebhes1111]

T Woods ahahahahahahahahahaha made my day 😂

[@yusacetin4235]

Im replying to hopefully raise this comment up higher on the list so somebody will notice and answer

[@ramirezlloydmarkc.8448]

Darude-sandstorm

[@traywor]

@@yusacetin4235 Thats kind, thank you.

[@exoscalmfan191]

‘we don’t know enough about life to know what the good news or bad news is” that reminds me of that rumi quote about the field between them.

[@KezanzatheGreat]

Kierkegaard's quote reminds me of another saying I've heard: hindsight is always 20/20. Which isn't quite true, but it's still a great saying. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if this trend is because a lot of the time, stories are played and presented as forward, but in reality, they are developed backward. Oftentimes you have to start with the conclusion of a story and then figure out where the story begins. So the reason why stories seem to follow these arcs is because they actually are technically in hindsight. They may seem forward, but they're not. Food for thought from someone who likes to write in their spare time. :)