Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling for September 04, 2015

1. He’s eating the sandwich because his taste buds enjoy the salt and fat.

2. She may be wrong for him, but they look cute together.

3. Everyone, at one time or another in their lives, really needs to yell at Wayne.

Up, up and away…!!!!!!

“Mastery” apparently consists of wondering why you’re doing things that you didn’t consciously decide to do.

“can be” and “do” are two different things.

“Why do I look like Tintin, except I combed?”

This isn’t what consciousness is about at all! The purpose of the advanced human brain is to understand other people so that you can try to convince them that you’re a good person (and so should get more food/sex/etc). The ability to understand oneself (and lie to oneself) is merely an unfortunate side effect.

On an unrelated note, I am certain that I have seen this comic before. I particularly remember ‘Why am I losing my temper?’.

Pigeons have it made!

(One more reason to hate them.)

You have to notice the birds to get the joke

Each pigeon situation in all three panels is specifically tied into the human situation. This is one of the more clever cartoons he has done

I’m reading a new book on animal intelligence: “Beyond Words” by Carl Safina. Those pigeons are thinking plenty, though, granted, maybe a bit lighter on the self-loathing.

The whole joke is that Consciousness is bad. In the first panel, the man, who can make a choice, chooses to eat something bad, while the pigeons, who are not conscious, are just eating. In the second panel, the man chooses to be with someone who is wrong for him, while the pigeons just mate. In the third panel, the man gets mad for no reason, while the pigeons conflict over space on a windowsill.

. o 0 O ( )

Ah, my favorite Tom strip. Maybe 17 or 18 years old? Changed my life.

Very Naked Ape.

lol