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PaperclipPerfector  2d ago (text post)   2381 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for January 16, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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I can’t help wondering what his life would have been like if he’d been equally willing to assert the okayness of the rest of his identity.

I wonder what is the rest? "It's OK to be male" probably would get him cancelled as fast, and the label of misogynist is arguably even worse than "racist" - the latter gets you hated, but the former gets you despised. "It's OK to be a nerd"? But what does it mean? Some nerds are billionaires ruling the world now. Others are a caricature in a popular TV show. Others made a deep dive into various stuff Scott enumerated so eloquently. Which one is it OK to be?

But i think Adams never doubted that it's OK to be Scott Adams. His whole life, and his whole public persona, is a testament to that.

"Its okay to be a mediocre businessman."

"Its okay to be childless."

"Its okay to have a singular crowning achievement that defines your success."

Its specifically the non-spectacular aspects of himself that he seemed to want to avoid acknowledging.

I think he wrote quite a lot of his business failures. What he was probably not ok with is for his success as a cartoonist defining him for the rest of his life, but I don't think it's a bad thing. I think on the contrary, looking for being something more is what made him interesting. Yes, he failed a lot, but so what? I think him keeping at it means that's what defined his identity more than anything, and him not accepting "stick to drawing comics, monkey brain" is actually much more part of his real identity, as he saw it.

What he was probably not ok with is for his success as a cartoonist defining him for the rest of his life

Hence why I find myself with quite a bit more respect for Bill Watterson.

Go out on top, then do things you want to do without the eye of the public following you everywhere.

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