Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for February 02, 2011

Safely back in the classroom where the snow goons can’t get him.

I thought his spirit was in bed.

The might of spirit!

That spirit is going to get you detention. In my day you would have gotten a strap accross the behind.

Good morning, ♠Lonewolf♠, Marg & Mike.

Calvin is touching on some important truths today, even though his motives could use some improvement.

Most of us have a spirit that cannot easily be crushed or restrained by others. Human power and authority have very little control over it.

As long as we have hope, and as long as we are able to dream, our spirit cannot be destroyed. In fact, sometimes it can be easier for us to crush our own spirit than for others to destroy it.

We may not live under an oppressive regime that is determined to destroy our hopes and dreams. But as we go through life, we sometimes encounter negative, antagonistic people who seem focused on trying to crush our spirit.

Even though those people can sometimes make us feel like victims, we always need to remember that we are the lucky ones. It is they who are the true victims, because most of them are people whose own spirits have already been crushed, and they are missing an important part of what it is to be truly human. They also seem unaware of what it is that they are missing.

Also as we go through life, we encounter countless positive people. And one of the great joys of life is getting to know those people, whether in person or sometimes from a distance, and sharing our positive spirit of hope with them.

– Hobbes

G’morning all..

It seems his spirit moves faster than the speed of thought!!!

Also it seems @Hobbes is feeling rebellious today!!!!!!

I like this kid already :-)

I think his spirit is about to met the principal’s spirit.

You’re spirit will soon be sitting in the principal’s office!

G’Morning, Grog, Marg & Mike!

Hi yuvrajhanspal

No, Calvin is feeling rebellious today, and I’m feeling philosophical.

I dare you to get me to learn.

I’d think by now the teacher would just quit calling on Calvin to answer questions….

The spirit that lives within me was given all power in heaven and in earth. No one could have power over it.

When are they going to make a Calvin & Hobbes movie - he would make Dennis the Menace look like a saint!

Hobbes, for once I’m going to grouse at you. This has nothing to do with legitimate freedom of spirit. It has everything to do with an ENFP in training who doesn’t know when to quit.

His teacher is giving him good advice. Too bad he won’t listen to a word of it even if he dials #99.

Very spiritual these last few days… I think he’s going to find his body in the principle’s office in the next strip…and his spirit somewhat dampened.

‘FREEEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOM’ in simple terms :)

@Hobbes oops.. My bad.. i meant, You are HIGH!!! ;) me and my sleepy mornings.. ;) :P

Pink Floyd’s “The Happiest Days of Our Lives/Another Brick in the Wall Part 2” come to mind whenever I read this story.

IF YOU DON’T EAT YOUR MEAT, YOU CAN’T HAVE ANY PUDDING! HOW CAN YOU HAVE PUDDING IF YOU DON’T EAT YOUR MEAT?!

Hang in there, Calvin. Reality’s just a tourist destination, not a place to live.

has anyone ever read the strips from like 1985? pretty much amazing :)

Hobbes, Can I take up collection now???

Yes, Calvin touches on a profound truth.

And so does the teacher who, in this strip, shows both restraint and wisdom.

And the bright side - at least in real life…. Even when you think nothing is getting through to an obnoxious kid, years later they sometimes come back and let you know that your input had a profound positive impact on their life.

That’s my boy.

Sometimes Calvin speaks profound words without realizing it. He intends them to have one meaning on a superficial level, but they carry a deeper meaning. Today I was writing about his words, not his actions in this particular strip, or his teacher. No offense to all of the teachers out there. I’ve thanked some of them myself in big ways.

Ironically, some of the teachers who seem like negative people to their young students are actually some of the world’s most positive people, living out their own hopes and dreams by dedicating their lives to having a positive impact on others for the future.

By the way, the comic strip For Better or For Worse has done a great job over the years of recognizing the difficulty, the rewards, and the tremendous value of teaching.

ok… so does anybody even see my posts… is there something that i am doing wrong???

Frogman_tg said, about 6 hours ago

When are they going to make a Calvin & Hobbes movie - he would make Dennis the Menace look like a saint!

Probably never, Frogman. Bill Watterson made it clear years ago that he does not want any sort of franchising of the characters, and that includes making movies or television specials. That’s one of the biggest reasons that he retired the strip more than 20 years ago. As he once put it, he doesn’t want Hobbes’s words coming out of some actor’s mouth!

Soon he will feel the “No Child Left Behind” policy

Calvin’s spirit is about to experience a wedgie as the teacher hoists him up by the seat of his pants and takes him for that long walk down the hall.

Calvin I don’t know of too many students who would speak about their soul. When teachers ask student about the book, most think please don’t call on me, and are very happy when some other gets called on. Not the word I wanted but not sure how it’s spelled not a naughty word either.

Hobbes, for a tiger, you have a pretty good insight on the human spirit. But, of course, it’s easy for you. If somebody tries to crush your spirit, you just eat them.

Hobbes, I love your post about one’s spirit not being crushed! I’m going to “borrow” it & post it on FB! THANKS!

@ dimedance

Do you mind if I don’t contribute? I just don’t feel the need. But you’re correct.

The spirit is willing …but the flesh is weak!

Hobbes - read about Masada, then talk about hope and spirit…

Hey, Hobbes, wonderful words!

By the way, at least to me, you really exist! And I love you! =)

WHEN IS SOME ONE GOING TO TAKE THAT BRAT TO THE WOODSHEAD?

odelia – and Right Behind as well.

I recall in a German class at college that folks would count the paragraphs to see which one they would have to read in translation, based on the assumption of who had done homework and who had not. When one of the reliable ones failed to produce, a scramble to correct the count ensued. Sehr entertaining.

I’m with Hobbes–but there’s also another possible side to this. Calvin, like many (if not all) persons doesn’t always like or want what is good for them. School and learning are good even for Calvin in the long run, although the discipline may be hard to accept as it’s happening.

I’d love to see Calvin in Military School (like little Arthur Carlson).

If I had spoken that way to my teacher, I would have been seriously reprimanded by the teacher, then the administration, and I don’t even want to think about what would have transpired when I got home.

As a teacher, I am disrespected daily by students who have no discipline in their lives. The No Child Left Behind Act is a joke! It should be the No Child’s Behind Left Act!

Heavens forbid we scar their delicate little psychies by actually punishing children for being defiant to authority!

Gee, I wonder why our prisons are becoming overcrowded???

But what the hey… it’s just a comic strip! Laugh and enjoy!

Fogger_man

I too was not allowed to speak in this way with my mother, she would have pulped me!

Calvin’s politician/lawyer propensities are once again showing their ugly heads, but you do have to practice sometime, right? Back in the 1950’s, if I had demonstrated such an attitude I would been smacked by the teacher, no question.

The spirit may be roaming free somewhere other than in school but I see a bodily trip to the principal’s office in Calvin’s future … and possibly a spanking for mouthing off to the teacher once he gets home and his parents find out about it.

Meanwhile, I went to a Catholic school for grades 1 to 8 (I won’t mention how long ago that was!) and had nuns for teachers (and one for the principal, as well) and believe me, you didn’t mouth off like this to any of them or there would be pretty serious consequences — both at school and home!!!!! But then, that was back in the day when responsible parents actually taught their kids to respect authority … unlike the parents of today unfortunately.

Oh yes, I have the “pleasure” of teaching (or trying to teach) a good share of “Calvins”. I agree with you Frogger_man. Some kids just have no respect.

But, seeing it on paper in a Calvin and Hobbes comic, it’s just plain funny lol.

You can lead a horse to water … You can lead Calvin to a classroom …

Thus it was and always will be.

I can’t let my boys read this one! Bold enough to try this way of thinking, but they will soon have issues!

I do not think this spirit thing can go on fore ever the meeting of body and spirit and the wood shed could be very soon.

Calvin’s spirit seems very much present (and healthy) to me. Maybe his logic will take notes to use when he is older.

Keep it up, Calvin, and your body will be in Summer School.

@Ratlum

… a meeting of the mind and the behind ???

I like how so many people are supporting child abuse in response to mere verbal defiance.

He’s a six year old, he doesn’t need to get the bejeezus beaten out of him for not blindly following “authority” along with the rest of the sheep.

Calvin is using the teacher’s request to “soapbox”….it occurs to me that he may not want to summarize for her because that would be cooperating with a power figure…He does not want others to see him as relinquishing power by responding to a request or as being the “teacher’s pet”. I see this as a plain and simple power struggle.

(of course, he may not have been listening and Can’t summarize.

Fogger_man,

Although not politically correct currently, you nailed it. Too many people want to be pampered and have their “rights”, including kids who think it’s their right to be disrespectful to parents, teachers and anyone else in authority who truly has their best interests at heart. Even the commercials on TV teach kids that they are far more intelligent than their parents who “just don’t get it”. Darwin said we get better with evolution. How much ‘better’ are we as humans than we were in the past?, and I’m not talking about technical advances, just the human nature.

Calvin’s attitude is tha same as it was in 1985!!! but he is still the litlle boy we all love… and we love the way he is, well I do!!!

mjw22307 and rogue 53: Thank you for the support… It’s nice to know I’m not alone out there! ☺

Hmm, human nature or nurture? That is the question!

Calvin’s going to be in school for a long, long, time!

lol