Comic Discussion > QUESTIONABLE CONTENT
Does Marten have goals?
pwhodges:
He's complained about Dora's behaviour (now resolved), and sighed about lack of ambition ("is this it?"), but I wouldn't call that bitching about being unhappy - it's more of a sort of neutral limbo state, I'd say.
Is it cold in here?:
Here's another way of looking at it. What does Marten have to look forward to?
Even a modest goal, such as getting a gig for the band, would give him scope for hope and pleasurable anticipation.
Right now, he might as well have had Faye poke him five times.
tomart:
--- Quote from: rje on 10 May 2011, 07:16 ---I love this topic... I know it's a personal thing because I am very Goal Oriented and I can't fathom how Marten can really be happy just...hanging out all the time.
Seriously, that's like, all he ever does. He hangs out. ... I don't know if it's my age or my personality but sometimes I want someone to just grab Marten and shake him back and forth yelling 'For fuck's sake man, stop letting life just happen to you! DO SOMETHING! Fuck, WANT SOMETHING!! WANT SOMETHING AND THEN DO SOMETHING TO GET THE THING YOU WANT!!'
--- End quote ---
Sounds like someone laid that whole horrible trip on you at an impressionable age. I'm sorry.
--- Quote from: rje on 10 May 2011, 07:16 ---Shit, he's in such a good position to take ahold of some kind of goal, if his life comfortable enough as it seems.
He just kinda...hangs out in his own life, if you know what I mean lol.
I should add Marten's not the only character I want to grab and shake. There's a few more xD ...
lol I sound like Penelope.
--- End quote ---
Yes, other than that attitude, I like Penny. :lol:
This is a lightning-rod topic for me. I've struggled with it for 50 years, worked, started a family, failed & picked myself up again several times, started another family* and now find myself drifting much like our hero. I've developed harsh feelings about The American Dream, which I'll spare everyone, but maybe someday you'll realize why the Buddha is so important. The more attached you are to desires, things, others' opinions of you, the more you suffer. The more I bought into that ambition thing, the more I was exploited and [I use the word intentionally] enslaved. Made all the worse by being self-imposed.
I would love to riff off of most of the intelligent, thoughtful posts above. Thanks, Dragontart! "I wish I had no wishes" is a great line!
There's more to life than the rat-race, or there SHOULD be.
Is it cold in here: "He's missing out on what's been defined as the essence of happiness, the exercise of vital powers in pursuit of excellence."
That sounds like Ayn Rand's definition.
* It's overrated; with kids, you have no more time, energy, or money. :-o ymmv, of course.
stoutfiles:
--- Quote from: dragontart on 10 May 2011, 10:56 ---
--- Quote ---Nobody is talking about societal status here, we're talking about Marten having zero desire to actually live
--- End quote ---
What "actually live" means is defined by the the opinion of the majority of the society you currently live in. I do not find most of the things suggested here (wanting/pursuing something in general, family, doing band-stuff for a living, etc.) automatically mean/equal "actually living", but as said I do know that the majority does think so. That does not automatically make it desirable for some others, and maybe also not for Marten, [following is to be disproven] since he never actually said why he might be unhappy.
--- End quote ---
Anyone could have Marten's career path if they wanted; it's not hard to achieve. I highly doubt anyone here would, doing the same thing day after day, not preparing academically/financially for any sort of future. The man has zero goals right now. If that made him happy I'd understand, but it clearly doesn't. There doesn't seem to be any end to this as well, he'll just keep going on this path until something happens to him and then go do something else.
I understand that different people have different goals. The key is that they have goals! Maybe someone taking a year off would want Marten's lifestyle, but that's their goal. Marten's goal is not to continue this lifestyle...he doesn't want to be single, he doesn't want to work at the library, etc. He doesn't do anything about it though.
tomart:
just a reminder, Marten is not a real person. Maybe it suits Jeph's style to have M hanging out and riffing with friends a lot. What did we mostly see Seinfeld doing? The Friends characters? Maybe when Jeph pictures Marten pursuing something, it ...doesn't go well. In fact, for our favorite universal punching bag, maybe he's LEARNED that life kicks him in the groin, so why even try when that'll happen anyway?* Maybe the semi-random path to Deathmole "success" is paved with lulz, hilarious failures, absurd drama, and requires managers, record companies, and fans, any and all of whom can screw the best-laid plans. Maybe like Nostradamus, Marten got a glimpse of that future, and was like, FUCK no!
* There: my metaphysics in a nutshell.
<removed by moderator> Maybe by now machines could be doing most of the work, and people could be, *OH GASP,THE HORROR* enjoying life??
Odin: "these things having been discussed in pretty excruciating detail with similar conclusions being reached by every society since the old Persian empire."
Oh, did I miss the memo? Please, tell me, 50 years too late, "What Should I Be Doing With My Life?" I'd like to know, really.
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