on hope

[@audreyannslade]

Long-cord, avant-garde John is one of my favorite emerging eras.

[@emilythefox]

Same

[@onemoreguyonline7878]

Bringing the attention deficit TT users out of the great beyond

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

+

[@nikkitronic80]

Yes yes yes

[@josiejose]

John talking to John about hope is one of mine.

[@GBfanatic15]

why did it feel important for me to watch this video right after I found out hank has cancer? I dunno but it gives me hope for this world to have you two in it making it a better place

[@amandabacon128]

Same

[@LanceCorporalKitty]

Ditto!

[@Pen.nail.timate]

Me too. I came straight to this video and watch it again.

[@maureenhewett333]

Same.

[@laylayraskin]

I feel like the thumbnail is very intentional.

[@conqu2]

It's so nice of each John to wait for the other John to finish his thought before interjecting

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

+

[@simonstanton5299]

+

[@snowybowietheadventurecollie]

+

[@Daniel.Walker]

And whilst they both were looking so inexplicably pleased with themselves as well! Absolutely wonderful

[@mollyrynne8962]

+

[@wgray8231]

the inevitable sneeze after quoting "very little in history is inevitable" was poetry

[@xchodgson]

I was a big fan of the preceding, "Uh Oh"

[@GBfanatic15]

it was literally the perfect timing for that.

[@violetsnotroses3640]

And also the inevitable whispered “sneezing isn’t normal, I never sneeze” 😂

[@lucyhartwell2134]

Thank you for the ASMR "Sneezing is never normal, I never sneeze"

[@exeggcutertimur6091]

I actually laughed out load at that. What a hell of a throwback.

[@GiladPellaeon]

This was one of my favorite bits too :D

[@SamInFl]

I think of this every time I have to sneeze which is a lot this time of year😂

[@sparshjohri1109]

Dr. Neversneezer Scrooge!

[@MichaelNatrin]

+

[@duckwhistle]

Well this hits a little different after Hanks most recent video. I'm glad Johns in a relativly good place right now.

[@AdaSoto]

I came to say this. It's a beautiful video but it hits a little different now.

[@jsrsd]

Also here to say this

[@sam-the-moomin]

“Nothing is simpler than despair” and “all hail complexity” are both getting shoved into the quote section of my brain

[@max10dler]

I stand firm in that despair is by its very nature as complex as hope; rather than the opposites we often see them as, they are calls from the same section of our driving will.

[@FalcoSparvarius]

The way I want both of those in a pretty floral embroidery hoop for my office.

[@MarkThePage]

My brain autocompleted that as "All hail Complexly," and I shuddered to consider that Hank's next subscription idea might be something powerful enough to subjugate the masses.

[@CL-go2ji]

@@FalcoSparvarius I was thinking calligraphy on rice paper, but embroidery might be better.

[@mailman2310]

That MF DOOM painting is absolutely killer. The wordsmith would be proud to see himself represented that way.

[@poisonedfrog]

Thank you! I came to the comments knowing someone would identify the reference for me. 😅

[@yipyip727]

Who made the art work though? It's amazing!

[@michaelbalfour3170]

Im glad to see someone else liked it. Saw it in the thumbnail and clicked to see if anyone did.

[@jasontucker_]

I came here to mention MF Doom

[@theartassignment]

The painting is by Slim Avre, titled "Fields of Doom" from 2022! (@slimdoggmillionairee)

[@GhostsOfThings]

Last year my parents sold the house I spent most of my life in. One of the things about that piece of property I knew I would miss the most is the giant copper beech tree in the yard. Right before they sold it I found a teeny tiny sapling from it growing in the garden. I dug it up and put it in a pot, propped it up with a chopstick, and just hoped and hoped it would survive the winter. The weather is starting to warm up now and I've been watching it so closely, seeing the buds form and only a couple days ago the leaves have started to appear 🌱💚

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

💚💚

[@WinterWitch01]

Yes, grow little buddy grow 🌳

[@HelenRosemarySmith]

Aw yay! That's lovely.

[@saragonzalez3445]

🤍

[@annehere8604]

Congrats!

[@taylormeganprice]

This video was *for* Hank. This is beautiful.

[@abdullahenani9670]

Maybe “The Format” will be our always. Thanks for the video today, it’s been hard lately and this really helped me put things into perspective. I’m a big fan of your earnestness.

[@vanessapierson4913]

+

[@snowybowietheadventurecollie]

+

[@SnowOfAllTrades]

Nothing is forever, but I'm happy the Format seems to be sticking around for a while. Let's enjoy it for as long as it's here!

[@groovy_snail8188]

+

[@KatStrega]

+

[@MichaelNatrin]

I enjoy the scenario where John Green walks through a forest and treats it like a museum, observing every work of leaf art 💚

[@intrusiveshadows724]

Also, the human mind is biased towards despair, so hope is punk af

[@vanessapierson4913]

+

[@natanmaurer3510]

I actually love this gonna start saying that to myself

[@catalatorre4801]

+

[@AndreaCrisp]

​@@natanmaurer3510 same!

[@LittleJohnFish]

Is it? Sure it might be wired to Identify threats and to react to them but it's not to make you sad it's to let you prepare for hardship so you can survive it. Hardship isn't bad it's your reaction to it that is bad.

[@kavakazie]

I always return to this video when I feel the need for comfort and now is one of those times. Thank you.

[@francois-mariefilsgeorges6943]

The coronation bit got me 😂. Hat man’s party was indeed a curious event. I watched this coming down from a sneeze, I felt John’s oh oh to my core😅

[@myladycasagrande863]

Most of what I've watched from Hat Man's party were the bits when Blue Lady carried an edged weapon. A most curious affair indeed.

[@benjaminatwood]

Never saw it. Was it signifigant?

[@alexreid1173]

@@benjaminatwood Well it was… expensive

[@NanaOwlKat]

He will now and forever be the Hat Man to me. Just too good.

[@hazel0bite]

@@NanaOwlKat same 😂

[@MsCalije]

This video hits differently after having watched the announcement from Hank about his diagnosis. Thank you for making this John.

[@bradnarraway9141]

I’m a 36 year old man who has had a turbulent journey through life so far but if, at the end of my time, I hear someone sneeze and I’m able to recall “Sneezing isn’t normal; I never sneeze”, I will have considered mine a life well-lived.

[@LoryRus]

As a 32 year old woman with somewhat turbulent journey through life so far I hope that at some point in my life I'll be able to NOT recall "Sneezing isn't normal; I never sneeze". But alas, this day is nowhere near. And I'm an allergologist, soooo

[@kalinka04]

If sneezing isn’t normal … I guess that explains why I do it all the time. 😂 Cheers 👍

[@bumblebaa2327]

0:42 the composition of this frame breaks me. I love everything (the squares, the composition, the colours and especially all the cut off shapes that the mind completes out of frame) and then the lamp is smack in the top middle -straight above your coffee mug too!- and that hurts and that makes it all art.

[@connorwalters9223]

A few semesters ago I took a class called “The Politics of Global Climate Change”. The last assignment for the class (aside from the final) was a simple class discussion on the psychology of climate change and what keeps us going in the face of this horror. We all had different answers, and it all said a lot about us as people. One of my friends said that he finds hope in the struggle itself. The insistence that no matter what, he will not go quietly. Everyone had something that motivated them or gave them hope. Love of their family, love of the world, spite and hatred towards polluters. And everyone had their little parts of the world that they wanted to preserve. For some is was a specific species, or a favorite place that they didn’t want drowned underwater. One student went on a detailed description of all the amazing kinds of foods and dishes that would not exist once their ingredients were driven extinct, and what a loss for the world that would be. It was a deeply cathartic experience and by the end of it several people were outright crying. It felt good, in a weird way. Hope is a weird thing. We aren’t doing enough to stop climate change right now as evidenced by the fact that it’s still happening. But progress is being made. Conservation efforts are helping save endangered species, reforestation projects are taking off, and renewable energy sources are getting cheaper. Whatever else happens tomorrow, I still have hope today.

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

++ Both for you and the professor who wrote that class discussion in, it sounds important to have

[@hughcaldwell1034]

That sounds weirdly fantastic. I'm just so bewildered and angry that such a class is even necessary. How do we live in a world where scientific certainties become political questions?

[@kasia8306]

Hey this was actually beautiful!!

[@kerryjlynch1]

Thank you for sharing this. It made an old man's day way better.

[@KitaBFawkes]

​@@hughcaldwell1034 The unfortunate truth is that while science can answer questions of function or form or substance or consequence, it can not, nor does it try to, answer the questions of intent. Its not that "scientific certainties become political questions" as it is "the corrupt nature of our politics causes people to treat all consequences as just punishments." Its very scary to look upon. :(

[@nefertitimontoya]

This video is a work of art. The cinematography, the editing, the scene design, the artistic reframing writing

[@sarjulia]

I wholeheartedly agree!

[@Starkillr1]

Shut the **** **** you dumb stupid lying **** the camera isn't even parallel to the wall so take your stupid **** opinion put it up to the light so you can really get a good **** look at how stupid and **** unnecessary it was and then I want you to shove it up your **** **** spin around three times and whistle Dixie for me and **** **** somewhere else with your stupid **** opinions and your stupid **** observations

[@everettjohnson4498]

The ability to sooth the angst and anxiety of a generation wraught with them is a talent John Green never ceases to exhibit. Through his videos like this that invoke a feeling of "must" the idea that we must continue that we will continue is perpetually throughout his works. That boost, the shy, careful confidence of hope is what will carry us through. John Green fills me with that sentiment everytime I absorb his work. John Green thank you for granting us the space for hope in a time and space where we are constantly told that all we can do is swing and miss at the most recent set of catastrophic problems.

[@andieluke1366]

Thank you for putting into words what I couldn't, and doing it so eloquently.

[@aekaydubs]

What a fantastic way to say what so many of us are thinking!

[@herothebard]

I honestly also had that same thought

[@Queen_ADragon]

I was literally about to comment, but you said it so perfectly for me 💕

[@matthewstrick2697]

John Green, I’ve been going through some deeply painful shit in the last 24 hours and hope was something I didn’t want to even welcome in my life. You managed to deliver that to me today. Things aren’t going to be perfect, but they’re gonna be worth the efforts. Thanks

[@fadingofthestar]

it has now been 120 hours and i hope you have found a light in the tunnel, even if it might not be the end. the only way out is through, dftba

[@kathyjohnson2043]

I hope every day is better than the last!

[@belapatata1819]

wishing you good news and support through it all

[@FlameEmber]

That is so beautiful... "Things aren't going to be perfect, but they're gonna be worth the efforts." Oh my gosh, nearly brought me to tears. I wish you all the best fellow human. Thank you for feeling and then sharing such deeply inspirational words to us in this comments section. 🫂

[@Chris_and_Cory]

In a bit of a crisis of faith lately and my friend asked me, "So what do you believe?" and it floored me to realize that all I've been considering of late is what I DON'T believe, and what a colossal waste of time the analysis of non-belief is. So I told her, "I believe in humanity. In people's power to connect and grow and change for the better." It was a sentence I'd never said before but one I realized was true as I shared it, and a belief strongly influenced by this community, the faith it's given me, the restoration of "hope" if not the 'live, laugh, love' kind but the hard earned, work-to-help-others kind of hope that makes me so grateful to have something to believe in.

[@CordeliaRoseWetzkerWilson]

This is such a great comment. Boosting.

[@benjaminatwood]

The only crisis would be the crisis itself. Each day presents itself as a crisis to overcome through that very word. Indeed we must follow or not. At least we get to choose. :-) If you don't know who or what you are following, or you dont' know where to go or what to do to get where you want to go, then, now you have your questions. I assure you those answers are out there. That's the essence of hope, faith, and love in that thing that will get you on your journey, home.

[@vanessapierson4913]

+

[@phillyphakename1255]

While I understand the importance of defining your secular worldview, I think there is value in examining you previous beliefs critically. See what parts you liked, didn't like, what blindspots it might have imposed. Use that information as more clues in how to create your future. Best wishes!

[@key1526]

Sometimes these John philosophy-style videos will come to my attention. It’s often in waves, coinciding with when I experience depression and, of course, despair. The tired, scared part of me wants to scoff at mentions of hope and progress and *ugh* the idea that living is worth it. Somehow I am stuck wanting more but not daring to hope for it. It’s like John said, despair is so much simpler than trying to untangle all these things. But even when the hardest part of my day is stretching and going outside, I do it anyway, and I wait until it gets better. When I can muster it, I remind myself that things are going to be okay and that I’m not doomed to being defeated and in pain forever. And I find joy in petting my cats and talking to my friends and coworkers and seeing that other people are fighting their own despair too. So I’ll keep living imperfectly and making the world a better place by simply being in it. And that will be good enough.

[@SamanthaRichardsonWP]

I commend the "Not normal to sneeze" cross stitch following the sneeze. Such a variety of excellent art in this video ❤

[@invisibleninja86]

Thanks for this comment, I didn't catch it the first time. :)

[@SomeKindOfThing]

Yeah this topic has new meaning now. We love you too John. Hope you're getting support too.

[@gracekinne3452]

The sneeze has me very VERY concerned. So much so that I'm willing to classify this as a level 2 emergency, possibly level 1.

[@kaeson359]

Sometimes people say hope is naive or even a little foolish. But, as Anthony Bourdain said: “I’m not afraid to look like an idiot.” Humanity will find a way to keep going, it always has. We just have to keep being committed to being nice to each other more often than we’re mean to each other.

[@nirmalbhansali]

"Nothing is simpler than despair, but I don't think any simple story tells the whole story. So all hail, complexities."

[@LiquidWolf]

I’m sorry… I’m looking at this after today’s announcement… You two have been amazing mentors and role models for me for over a decade. I’ll wish you the best, and keep hope going.

[@inotanzen]

Completely unrelated to the topic, but I love that The Format has allowed us to see other pockets of John’s home that we would otherwise not get a glimpse of because we are stuck in a box confined to his basement office but seeing the eclecticism of his home and the small traces of his children just feels very John idk Obviously he isn’t obligated to show any of us home but I think it’s because of that reason that these glimpses feel special and meaningful. Man, I love The Format.

[@lougert]

Honestly, seeing plants just doing what they do gives me a lot of joy and hope. I gotta make like a tree and grow.

[@Brogenitor]

"Nothing is simpler than despair." Ugh, I've been living this concept a lot lately and it could not be more true. Despair doesn't just require no action, it often requires the specific lack of action due to that action being deemed insufficient. And despair does not impact grandiose macro issues, it bores its way down to the banal until everything is mundane and lifeless. Good video.

[@dragonflies6793]

You captured in words something I feel so deeply. Wow. Thank you.

[@dragonharris5465]

“So for me hope is not some sort of abstract consideration. It’s sort of a prerequisite for my survival.” Same, John.

[@Xassels]

I was betting on a Dickinson quote, but we ended up with Atwood. John Green is still a wild card.

[@pasttenseroyalty]

I think we got a twofer! "Sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all" ❤

[@ethanmoore886]

@@pasttenseroyalty Yes!! the thing with feathers

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

++

[@mayeginz]

Same! I was waiting all video for when John would say “Hope is the thing with feathers”, but he subverted our expectations while still quoting the poem. It made me happy, haha.

[@faithannerush]

Same! I was waiting for John to quote the “feathers” line the whole video!

[@asierra86]

It's a wonder how a 4 minute video about hope feels like a half hr essay about the wonder of humanity. I love it absolutely

[@JordanLeigh]

You two are giving me more hope than pretty much anything else online. Seeing what’s happening with the Maternal Center of Excellence moves me to tears often. Thank you for showing me there are still things to have hope for. The world feels so dark right now, especially here in the US, and you are giving me near daily reminders that good things are still happening.

[@etienneporras7252]

For the past few months I have made an established effort to watch every single vlogbrothers video that has ever been published. And after all that time, I arrive here, the first vlogbrothers video to ever drop into my recommended feed after countless hours of engorging myself on Crash Course World History. Thank you so much for the lifechanging journey. DFTBA.

[@martafioretti3793]

Nowadays I say "thank god it's Tuesday" because that's when John posts, and he's one of the only people out there who can help me feel more calm. He seems to experience consciousness in a similar way to me, and whenever I watch his videos, I feel like at least someone 'gets' me. Right now I'm struggling to finish my Master's degree and graduating late, and the broader world is on fire as always, and it's all too easy to default to despair. But that's not what I want. I see the hope in the birds chirping and the progress being made and the love in the world. I want to hope, and so I do. Or at least I try my best :)

[@groovy_snail8188]

+

[@jeannemarieskarina9074]

**graduating late** according to what schedule? You do it in your time.

[@ambiguous.and.unlucky]

Hi. I’m also graduating “late,” so to speak (the people I started classes with have all graduated and I’m returning next year.) When I was diagnosed with a few different rather horrible illnesses and was told I was going to need to start chemotherapy, I approached one of my professors and told him that I was going to continue going to classes, and struggle my way through, because I didn’t have anything else in life that I have found where I’ve been able to learn, grow, and connect with other people and the world itself in the way that I have while reading my history and philosophy literature. He listened to me talk, nodded, and then just told me very simply, “that’s fine, but it’s very important… don’t succumb to the fatalism quite yet.” That statement kind of struck me dumb for a moment, I wasn’t really sure what to say; so there was a very long silence between him and I. I sat there and listened to the cardinals sing outside his window. There’s a paired couple that always talk back and forth. One of them is kind of sick so he’s losing some of his feathers but when I go outside that building and sit on the bench he comes and sits on the tree above the bench and talks to me, because I can whistle back at him. His partner always calls him back though and he’ll take off and they meet at the same branch on the same tree. It’s a beautiful routine, and quite beautiful to think that they’re communicating with each other, isn’t it? I think that if there are tiny little things we can find that are fascinating and extraordinarily beautiful about the world, then we can justify not succumbing to the fatalism quite yet, don’t you?

[@Concord003]

​@@ambiguous.and.unlucky there is beauty in your comment

[@cesabutterfly12]

"hope is not some abstract consideration it's sort of a prerequisite for my survival" I'm writing that in my journal because I need to remember this

[@mcgee779]

Thank you John for choosing to hurl your words into the darkness.

[@DKBingham]

The timing of this video after learning about Hank's cancer gives it so much deeper meaning.

[@MinurielVilquen]

"no simple story tells the whole story" I needed to hear that. In grappling with the growing realisation of the toxicity of my family, and its simultaneous being better than the families that it came from, is a minefield, especially with the added complexity of emotional flashbacks. Trying to reclaim my eroded self-protective anger while not buying into the black and white thinking of "It's 100% your fault"? Trying to face that what my parents gave me wasn't good enough, while it was maybe everything they could give? Trying to understand that my parents do have valid points and we're both wrong sometimes, without caving to the gaslighting that "everything was okay"? I need to remind myself that hope is a powerful tool, not a lucky happenstance. I find it hard to believe in the good in humans when I'm this deep in this mess, but the fact that you - with a lot of insight into the darkness of humans, and a lot of willingness to face and name this darkness - still choose to do so... it gives me a little bit of hope. If that was what you were trying to achieve, well done.

[@ypdd91]

This hits different now 😢

[@kimoffutt37]

"I don't think any simple story tells the whole story." Thank you for your many thoughtful, kind, curious, and joyful words.

[@Pendragons_Art]

I have to say goodbye to my cat tomorrow. I’m currently not sleeping because I keep kinda hoping time won’t continue to pass if I don’t close my eyes. He’s been the best emotional support cat and companion I could’ve asked for, even with his chronic health issues that made things hard on both of us. So, the line “I have to believe that consciousness is worth it..which of course comes with misery and consternation and pain is nonetheless valuable” hits really hard. In a lot of ways I just want to sleep until the grief hurts less, but I also know that my being conscious with him, loving him with my whole being for what little time he has left (and for a long time after) is worth it. Even though it hurts. And of course, it hurts *because* I got the privilege of loving him, and as much as I am going to miss him, I will never not be thankful for the time I got to have with him, and that means that pain is worth it even though it’s sucks so so much. Maybe that’s a lot, all for a cat, but to be honest I don’t really care about being normal about him anymore, he’s family after all. I came back to this video tonight because I had a feeling something in it would soothe a bit of the ache and I was right, so thank you once again John for your thoughtfulness and for sharing it with us. 💛

[@SarahDarkhand]

The sneeze joke is probably one of my favorite ongoing nerdfighter jokes to date

[@subliminalreviewer5657]

would u mind explaining it to me 🥲 i’m newer here

[@JLyoung32]

@@subliminalreviewer5657 “sneezing isn’t normal I never sneeze” John went to the doctor for a physical and as part of the doctor’s questioning he asked ‘how often do you find yourself sneezing’ John answers ‘I don’t know, a normal amount?’ To which the doctor says with all seriousness ‘sneezing isn’t normal , I never sneeze’

[@subliminalreviewer5657]

@@JLyoung32 thank u lol!!!

[@squirrel5809]

@@JLyoung32 it was a person who sent it in as a question to Dear Hank and John podcast

[@katyjlol]

This video is so different knowing what was happening in the background..

[@jessehughes8274]

john-to-john-on-screen works so well and it surprises me how deeply it resonates to watch past/future john sit and stare into the distance as if hearing an echo of himself from beyond time and one chair away.

[@kellyspaghettti]

I appreciate this video even more today.

[@frailty7280]

John's videos always feel like they were filmed directly after he has experienced a rather cathartic existential crisis

[@julietgore5940]

as a freshly eighteen year old who is currently homeless this video is really what i needed right now. getting through every day is a struggle in itself and your videos are often my only small light.

[@danielle111796]

I love this era of John’s content because I really like seeing how he and Sarah have decorated their home. They have such cool style and gorgeous art pieces. It’s so well put together but still so homey and it makes me smile.

[@marialauraweems7553]

I periodically listen to this again, and one of these days I'll be convinced John's view is correct.

[@Bibliotics]

John this video has a lot more context, now that we know about your brother. Having had multiple family members go through cancer, I learned that hope can be daily. Like hoping and enjoying that good moment with your family member as they go through their pain. Learning to find hope in the small moments is probably one of the biggest lessons we gain in life. And you are right, those leaves are beautiful.

[@Xandycane]

There is a reason Pandora's box had hope at the bottom, which survived all the dark emotions us humans can have. When everything else is darkness and despair, having the tiniest bit of hope is there to help you move forward to see the better days.

[@ruthiecarroll312]

i never find myself thinking "sneezing isn't normal" when i myself sneeze, but when i see john about to sneeze in a video, i immediately know it's coming.

[@Stealthybeef]

Needed this, after almost a year after upload. I had no idea just how long I'd been in despair or if I was in it at all. I had been thinking about it, and the concept of hope and found this video. And it genuinely made me feel a lot less alone. Thank you John, now I just have to figure out how not to despair all the time

[@mattatron64]

Man, I love the chill vibes of "The Format" so much.

[@shepshep8654]

Sorry to hear about your brother's diagnosis. Can't be easy on you. Rooting for you both.

[@doyourememberanna]

This is especially poignant in light of Hank’s diagnosis. Sending so much love your way John and Hank. ❤

[@jamiehall1316]

This is such a valuable and inspiring perspective, especially after hearing from Hank today

[@gracemurphy6193]

Just finished having a conversation with my therapist about this and then I come here and John has made the exact video I needed. Incredible

[@LadyCynthiana]

Something I learned first hand is that when you're feeling hopeless, try giving hope to others. Just the act of trying to find hope for someone else will return a little bit to you.

[@TheCrossroads312]

I can always count on John to restore my faith in humanity

[@wolfieolfie]

3:40 And nothing is simpler than despair. That hits hard

[@t3hsis324]

John had me laughing at several points, yet still bringing me back to the serious subject matter. Thanks, man. I love your existence. That's ok to say, right?

[@CL-go2ji]

Esther Day is comming!

[@laurab3273]

Thank you for leaving the sneeze in. That was art.

[@JulieAiken]

Sometimes -- like, more than just a few times -- John Green strikes exactly the right chord at exactly the right moment. This was one of those times for me. ❤

[@cesabutterfly12]

"nothing is simpler than despair" wow.... You're right

[@requa407]

There needn't have been a comment here supporting this video. It's happening because millions of people created this community and have supported the efforts of 2 vlogbrothers who have tirelessly committed to decreasing world suck. But, it is equally true that there have been comments here for over a decade supporting this endeavour, and I hope they continue for decades more.

[@unon735]

count on John to remind you Emily Dickinson's lines "Hope" is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all - Love these lines by Emily Dickinson so much, thanks for introducing me to them and then also reminding me of them again

[@DrewLytle]

We're singing a song set to that Emily Dickinson poem in my community choir this week, and I have been so focused on learning the music that I took very little time to ponder the lyrics. Thanks for giving me 4 minutes to do that, John!

[@hughcaldwell1034]

I need to read more Dickinson. Her work has a simple grace, like Robert Frost or AE Housman.

[@lexhdz5803]

3:07 "the kind that sings the tune without the words and never stops at all" this one line brought me back to your "were here because were here" video and now im crying thanks

[@oscarisbestboi8118]

As I’m gearing up to getting my own channel up off the ground, it’s wonderful to hear someone else expound the exact life philosophy I’ve tried my best to spread around me for so many years now. Thanks for always trying your best to put real value into the world. I’m sure you probably wouldn’t agree, but you’re one of the wisest and most beautiful souls on this platform.

[@Ellianette]

Hope is being in a world with Hank and John. You two are great

[@thebigunodos3559]

These are the thoughts I had, and still have, for years. I never could convey them to people because I felt they would see me as strange. Glad to see your channel going strong with these musings on humanity. It's something I greatly relate to. Thanks John.

[@meg2444]

John I want you to know that yesterday I got a quote from this video tattooed on my arm: "despair is a simple story, but no simple story tells the whole story, so all hail complexity". This whole video changed me forever, and it's no exaggeration to say that those words have saved my life. Thank you for your wisdom. Thank you for saving me.

[@brianachamberlain742]

The agony leading up to a sneeze knowing sneezing isn’t normal is just so relatable

[@persimnon]

When I first watched this video ~2 weeks ago the day it was posted I found it very similar to John’s fun, idiosyncratic philosophical rambling videos. But now with the added context of the grief that likely inspired it, I find it a lot more special. I will try to remember to hail the complexity behind everything, even if I am unaware of it :)

[@emvandermeulen1908]

This hits different now.

[@ComunicacionClimatica]

I love this video. I saw it when it first came out and I revisit it every once in a while

[@woodfur00]

You sneezed, I paused to chide "That wasn't normal, John!" and hit play to see if you would comment something similar yourself, and only then did I realize it was inevitable you would. _That's_ poetry.

[@DanielledeVreede]

Saw the format thumbnail. Jup, that's the mood I'm in. Click!

[@kristingordon1683]

Looking back on this video 10 days after my first viewing, firstly, the peppers and sneezing bit made me laugh just as hard and secondly, John had to have known about Hank's recent diagnosis. With the shots of John on the floor as if to portray a feeling of forlornness (is that a word?), the side-by-side John scene wherein yes, he's sitting in the room with himself but the unbeknownst background of this hope-filled video is Hank. It's really Hank and John sitting there. And finally, with the Sierra Leone hospital fully underway, it is John's hopeful thing. That and leaves. Of course not to undermine all the other stuff we don't know about in John's life, I do know that his heart swells with pride and gratitude when it comes to the hospital. What he and all of Nerdfighteria needs right now is hope and maybe a little distraction and the hospital serves as both of those things. I might be way off base though. Anywhozzle. I've been thinking about Hank and the cancer all day today. I will admit, I cried when Hank told us the news this morning. I felt a little silly because I don't personally know these dudes but they're both such a net positive that you really can't imagine a world without either of them. And over the last decade and a half, we've become so invested in the story of Hank and John and in the stuff we do as a community that even us not totally active participants in Nerdfighteria are heartbroken and scared and empathize to the point of eye ball precipitation. In thinking about this today, I am also worried about John. I hope he's OK too. Same with Kathrine and the kids and Mr. & Mrs. Green and the whole fam really. John and Hank, thank you for being net positives. HITTWF and DFTBA.

[@RikisVlogs]

I have been watching this video multiple times the past few weeks: just really been needing it.

[@kemious9361]

I swear this hits harder after the Hank Video

[@jasminvomwalde7497]

„So that‘s why I am - despite everything - broadly in favour of humans.“ 😂😂😂

[@wolfieolfie]

Something about how you refer to the king of england as just a “elderly man with a fancy hat” also gives me hope on how things can change.

[@bradyholmok8124]

"Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

"Thinking out loud about hope while pressing forehead into a table" is a really succinct way of expressing how I feel sometimes and I'm only joking a little bit. Thanks y'all

[@sabrina-wq4uu]

It reminds one that accepting hope can lift your head up to see what's coming next and hoping for the best.

[@NathanrHeld]

John, you're the role model I never knew I had. You make me want to be a better me, while giving compelling examples of how to do so. Thank you for all that you do.

[@jeniferjoseph9200]

I feel like only now do I realize why this video was made

[@tucoravid3510]

Yeah… had to come rewatch it again because i feel like now i can understand it a bit better

[@erinthetraveler6168]

A good reminder that nothing can ever truly be simplified down to one emotion. It's a relief to be reminded to look at both sides.

[@nubbsy]

I’ll never understand why some people pretend to sneeze, like it’s something people actually do.

[@rabbitfishtv]

The idea that the urge to despair is a longing for a simpler narrative is a very helpful one. Thank you for that.

[@ObviouslyBenHughes]

ˢⁿᵉᵉᶻᶦⁿᵍ ᶦˢⁿ’ᵗ ⁿᵒʳᵐᵃˡ ᴵ ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ˢⁿᵉᵉᶻᵉ

[@julietteferrars3097]

My mom is dying of cancer and I’m her caregiver. In my early 20’s I had wished to be away at college or doing something fun with my newfound freedom as a young adult. Instead, I am at home watching my mother decline more each day and wondering why we even bother putting ourselves through this whole life thing. Thank you. I’ll try not to lose that sliver of hope.

[@samhuntress]

I just saw the more recent announcement video. I hope things go well for you.

[@narnigrin]

"Nothing is simpler than despair." JFC, John, here you are again, a strange man on the other side of the world, delivering *words* into my brain that somehow rearrange my perspective completely. I might paint this phrase on my wall.

[@CL-go2ji]

Hmmm. Good idea, I´m up for it!