Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for July 09, 2023

I hope Rat uses them, and doesn’t destroy them.

I’m guessing Rat needs for a lot of people to “understand” him.

How in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks could pig have gathered that information so she could show the correct level of empathy towards her fellow man?! Dan aka one(1) VERY shocked dude!!!!

i confess I am tearing up a little bit…we may not have a device to tell us all those things, but maybe we can start byimaging that we cannot imagine what other people are going through!

I wouldn’t trust Rat with it!

Echos of an episode of Big Bang Theory where Sheldon tried a device that showed what people’s facial expression really meant. Naturally, the results were the opposite.

They guy’s face looks like he’s wondering WTF caused her to say THAT.

This reminds me of a story I read once about a woman who went into an ice-cream store every day at the same time and bought a container of chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream. It’s been a long time since I read it, so I’m not sure if I have all the facts right, but I’ll do my best to tell it.

The woman was always grumpy and no one wanted to serve her. Finally, they decided to have her order ready and waiting for her every day and whoever served her always greeted her with a big smile. They basically set out to kill her with kindness and refused to allow her to get any of them down.

Then one day she came in at a different time and thanked the servers for what they’d done for her. She told them that her husband had spent the last several weeks in the hospital, dying from cancer and that he’d passed that day. Chocolate chip cookie dough was his favorite flavor of ice-cream. She told them that their kindness was greatly appreciated.

https://cdn.suwalls.com/wallpapers/meme/shut-up-and-take-my-money-9299-2560×1600.jpg

Good try, Pig. I hope it is a big success.

That would be a useful invention. We could start by giving one to every politician in the world.

What about those who cut you off because they’re jerks?

Askin’ for a friend.

Where do I order these?

I’d definitely throw a few bucks at that Kickstarter.

Well, we’re gonna need 8 billions of these.

Everyone is going through something, even if you can’t see it

Sounds exactly like what the world needs now.

Eh it not work when there be peoples who still pour drink on his head even after knowing everything.

It’s kind of like the “Point of View” gun from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”.

Shows all the data being collected about people is for the good, it is what makes the UNDERSTANDERER possible.Sadly though, us in the EU will be domed as over here the UNDERSTANDERER will have to run on a much limited data set.

I don’t get it.

I have to say this is the most brilliant thing you have ever done Pastes

You got your ears wrong, Pig. Everything else seems pretty right though.

Great to see Stefan include some warmth amidst the usual stream of cynicism. (Which of course has its place)

I could use one of those.

If it spares me from having to listen to the drama and soothe the psychopath……..

Bad breaks doesn’t give you an excuse to drive like a sphincter, and if he’s that down on his luck, going to a bar isn’t the answer. I’d go with pouring the drink on his head.

Pig stole the idea from AP Explainers.

If only…

Oh please make these mandatory for everyone. Especially heads of state!

But what happens if the Understander" says, “That guy is a self-important jerk?”

This is the first time ever that a comic strip brought tears to my eyes. Well done, Steph.

Somebody please invent this for real.

I don’t understand?

“Meanwhile, the poor Babel fish, by effectively removing all barriers to communication between different races and cultures, has caused more and bloodier wars than anything else in the history of creation.” – Douglas Adams

From The Count and Rat Inc… The Misunderstander… push the button and it says “Put a few drops of Visine™ in his beer and lock the men’s room door”.

Stephan Pastis must have watched the Netflix’s series “Beef” before creating this strip.

How did Pig get access to the Meta® databases to train his Understanderer KI? And will Zuckerberg sue him?

If only…..

Where can I get one? I have so little patience with the entire human race…

Rat wants them? Maybe there is some character depth.

Pig is too good for this world.

Disclaimer: Doesn’t work for psychopaths.

The Law of the Garbage Truck. http://www.davidpollay.com/book_the_law_of_the_garbage_truck.html

Maybe send a quick prayer for peace up for the jerk who cuts you off, tailgates, gives you the bird, takes your parking space…And ask for a little peace for yourself at the same time. Effective on many levels, and less bulky than carrying around The Understanderer, so to speak.

I could use one of those, too.

I wouldn’t really listen to a known cannibal.

I’ll take a few!!!

The Understanderer could change the world! Sold!

Empathy does not excuse bad behavior but it often allows us to understand such behavior and de-escalates any violent retaliation.

I can understand and sympathize with a person whose economic and social misfortunes have led them to a life of crime, but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be held accountable and punished for those crimes. However, the measure of punishment should be proportionate to the crime and the motivation for said crime.

And then the citizens in red states joined hands with the citizens of blue states and they all sang together , “ We are One!”

“The Understanderer” (patent pending) is more likely to come before a world where people aren’t jerks to their fellow humans.

Attention venture capitalists. Seriously consider development. AI could likely conflate something like her brief complaint and produce a credible sounding scenario that the user should have considered before becoming enraged. It doesn’t have to be exactly accurate, since people would not be expected to bring it up with the person they were hating on. But having heard what might be going on, they could dissipate their rage and thus become mentally healthier and perhaps less likely to get shot acting it out.

I have an idea for another versions. Pocket size, with electrodes attached to the user’s genitals. When they become angry, the device sends a jolt every three seconds until the user articulates a story that might explain why the target of their rage may have appeared to act badly. Should develp some fine reflexes.

I would also suggest that, if the Understanderer sounds like a good ides, you take a small box, label it UNDERSTANDERER, and put a dummy button on top. Mount one in your car and keep the other beside you when you watch TV news. Pushing the button reminds you to think that maybe rage isn’t the best response. (Not guaranteed for TV news use. For much of it, rage IS the appropriate response. )

My world was shook when I saw Pig’s ears – but the last panel restored my equanimity.

Thanks Steph.

Actually . . . that button could be part of an entire Compassion Kit.

Good Morning Steph, Great Story, keep it up.

“We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions.” – Stephen Covey

If only…………….

“Were it so easy.” Arbiter

I have a tee-shirt that says"Be Kind" on the front and on the back “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about”Very appropriate for this cartoon. (Available from “Til Valhalla Project”.)

How did Pig get dirty in the last frame?

Cartoon of the year, right here.

One can certainly ASSUME this of everyone to help the world, but there really are just bitter _ssholes too.

What a really decent strip; as usual, the best comic out there!

I wish it were that easy.

Sometimes, what looks like jerky behavior, is actually just a distracted lack of paying attention. If you understand that getting cut off may not be intentionally malicious, it’s a little easier to not be so angry as a reaction.

Sadly, some people are just arrogant jerks.

Twelve? Yes, great detectives spot the odd one out.

if Pig didn’t build at least 12 of them things are turning bad for Goat…

As long as Rat has one.

This should get a Pulitzer

I think there are some people I don’t want to understand, I don’t want into their thinking. There are other people that I understand all too well, and I know what they are trying to pull off.

Wow, even Rat is in!

Pastis showing his better side!

Rat wants one? That is something

I’d buy one…

That really could change the world…Unless you use it against someone with no reason.

Sadly, it’s NOT going to save the World, Pig. And your gullible friends are buying into a fantasy….

And the most beautiful strip of the year award goes to..

It’s all about giving the benefit of the doubt, a phrase and a concept that goes “nyooowww” over the heads of too many people these days.

What about the situations, where we find out he’s just a selfish bleep…………………….Rat and the bat?:

This would be really great for many many people.

It’s been two weeks and I cannot get this one out of my head. Well done Mr. Pastis.

Oversharer