"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." What an amazing quote that is.

The difference between *fiction* and *reality, is that fiction* has to make *sense* .

Life is a cruel teacher. She gives you the test first, and the lesson later.

"There was once a farmer in ancient China who owned a horse. “You are so lucky!” his neighbours told him, “to have a horse to pull the cart for you.” “Maybe,” the farmer replied. One day he didn’t latch the gate properly and the horse ran off. “Oh no! What a disaster!” his neighbours cried. “Such terrible misfortune!” “Maybe,” the farmer replied. A few days later the horse returned, bringing with it six wild horses. “How fantastic! You are so lucky,” his neighbours told him. “Now you are rich!” “Maybe,” the farmer replied. The following week the farmer’s son was breaking-in one of the wild horses when it kicked out and broke his leg. “Oh no!” the neighbours cried, “such bad luck, all over again!” “Maybe,” the farmer replied. The next day soldiers came and took away all the young men to fight in the war. The farmer’s son was left behind. “You are so lucky!” his neighbours cried. “Maybe,” the farmer replied." - Zhuangzi, Taoist mystic

"The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced" - Alan Watts

_"Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt."_ *~ Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughterhouse Five)*

“The most important time is right now, the most important person is the person with you at the moment, the best deed you can do is do them good.” - Leo Tolstoy ( The Three Questions)

i think that the word "lie" here is misleading, however unintentionally: while it's true that many plot structures in many stories are much clearer than reality, and less morally ambigous, that in itself is not a lie: that is a technical nessecity. literature still does explore our humanity and psyche. it's an exploration of values and inspirations. "a story about dragons is important not because dragons are real but because dragons can be beaten". chesterton,

The graph of A Series of Unfortunate Events be like *not stonks* 📉

Whoever writes these videos is way too talented to be this underrated

Escapism that tries to accurately portray reality would be somewhat pointless.

My life has not been a flatline. It hasn't felt like a lie either. One thing happens. Then another thing happens. Whether or not you judge it good bad or indifferent in the moment, your perspective can change on the event over time and swing wildly between the three possibilities.

1:10 : most stories end with the protagonist higher on the axis then where they started Kafka : *Hold my non-existent happy ending*

I love pursuit of wonder you make my day coming home from school and embarking on a journey of philosophical discovery

“I think, therefore your mom gay” Damn. That quote will stick with me till my last breathe.

I forgot where I heard it, but a good way of putting it is that stories aren’t meant to be true in the way of imitating reality but instead they reveal emotional truths. People don’t really ever fall down rabbit holes or get happily ever afters but sometimes things in our lives feel cataclysmic and consuming that we can only make sense of them through stories because stories are neater whereas real life is messy. We can’t always know what’s going to negativity or positivity affect us in real life but stories have a structure so we can get glimpses of having that knowledge. This is turning into an essay of second hand ideas that I’m poorly explaining so I’m gonna stop now haha

_"If this isn't nice, I don't know what is. Music please! "_ I really love this for some reason

Real life has its ups and downs as well; only on a much shorter time scale. From far away the line will appear flat, but close in it's far more bumpy.

"To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself" -- Soren Kierkegaard I felt that quote goes extremely well with the Joseph Campbell one mentioned in the video.

My life has been a series of highs and lows. I just don't know where it's going to end and that doesn't matter because every memory and event no matter how painful is an experience I have lived and I'm grateful for it

"It was a movie about American bombers in World War II and the gallant men who flew them. Seen backwards by Billy, the story went like this: American planes, full of holes and wounded men and corpses took off backwards from an airfield in England. Over France, a few German fighter planes flew at them backwards, sucked bullets and shell fragments from some of the planes and crewmen. They did the same for wrecked American bombers on the ground, and those planes flew up backwards to join the formation. The formation flew backwards over a German city that was in flames. The bombers opened their bomb bay doors, exerted a miraculous magnetism which shrunk the fires, gathered them into cylindrical steel containers , and lifted the containers into the bellies of the planes. The containers were stored neatly in racks. The Germans below had miraculous devices of their own, which were long steel tubes. They used them to suck more fragments from the crewmen and planes. But there were still a few wounded Americans though and some of the bombers were in bad repair. Over France though, German fighters came up again, made everything and everybody as good as new. When the bombers got back to their base, the steel cylinders were taken from the racks and shipped back to the United States of America, where factories were operating night and day, dismantling the cylinders, separating the dangerous contents into minerals. Touchingly, it was mainly women who did this work. The minerals were then shipped to specialists in remote areas. It was their business to put them into the ground, to hide them cleverly, so they would never hurt anybody ever again." Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse 5.

Lost in Translation would be a straight line. It´s basically just two strangers who meet in Tokyo and have a platonic relationship while exploring the city.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a show that knew exactly what it needed to be. It always meant to have been 3 books. Once the quest is over and the war was over the characters fulfilled the major parts of their lives is over the show finishes. Even though it has powers and magical elements the show ends with fans accepting the ending rather than wanting it to keep going.

“No Country For Old Men” comes to mind when he talks about a story with a flatline. There wasn’t any good or bad (just the ones professed by many of the characters) but in the end life was just life and everything was up to chance as much as it was up to using ones smarts and cunning to find/evade one another.

"life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards." one of the best quotes i've heard.

Can he just read everything ever for me? Tell me why his voice is the most soothing, calming thing I’ve heard.

"Remember, It's not a lie, if you believe it." - George Costanza

But we watch stories with endings, good or bad, for the emotional impact. In real life, usually much time elapses before we know the results. It feels good to watch a heroic story that ends one way or the other. On and off topic, my husband never cared about the endings of stories or films. He used to aggravate me by turning off the TV before the end of a show if he could. He said the ending didn't matter. He was an extremely successful businessman who always dealt with reality. I am an artist who uses emotion to create. We actually had a good relationship and I can catch up with the endings of some old productions online.;-) (In an aside, both of us have/had direct connections to the film industry so we both knew how fake everything is on the screen.)

On a more practical level (because I am that kind of sad, sad person), the difference between fiction and real life is that, for how much the writer may try, his stories still have some kind of influence of his background and a disconnection from the randomness of our real life. A story, generally speaking, doesn't have the protagonist die from a random car crash in the middle of a character arc. All the elements of a story are (or should be) part of that story, for a reason or another, and this is the main difference from our life. And thank whatever you believe in for this.

This video has really helped me out. Life isn’t one big journey which ends with credits and applause. It’s pain and misery inundated by beautiful little victories and the occasional grand triumph. It is the lust for such triumphs that keep us in motion and the small victories which let us know we are moving in the right direction. Thank you very much for this.

stan lee said something once like that marvel stories only have the "illusion of change" but return to a similar situation at the end as at the start of it, maybe with a message but with no significant change for the hero.

Life is a line that only goes down.

No matter what your story is, sharing it with others, will more likely grant you a lot of new encounters. The magical component of a story - it engages *EMOTIONS* and bring people together.

"Eventually a show will reach it's series end, when it stops working or runs its natural course." COUGH Walking Dead COUGH.

This is genuinely my favourite video on all of youtube, I can’t think of anything more important than the lessons it teaches.

The Story of the Chinese Farmer _Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.” The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.”_ _The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.” The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbors came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.”_ The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity, and it’s really impossible to tell whether anything that happens in it is good or bad - because you never know what will be the consequence of the misfortune; or, you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune. - Alan Watts

That's why stories help us escape reality. Its fantasy and entertainment.

Man this channel seems like puts out videos straight outta my conscience Things i often think but don't think at the same time

Hey I've loved Vonnegut's philosophy for most of my life and just wanted to thank you for conveying it so well.

The only few channel on UKposts where i don't skip a single video, eventhough some of those topics don't compel me but i still listen to it knowing i can learn a thing or two . And you people don't disappoint..

Princess mononoke seems to be the realest story I have ever witnessed (in the meaning and themes that it articulates)

How the hell is Hamlet a straight path? Everyone dies

i went through a very serious Campbell phase a few years back. i think the best lesson i learned from him is this: after enjoying our favorite stories in tv, films, books, spirituality, etc., we must use those stories to help us understand our own story. most people do not reflect on the story of their own life, which is, when properly interpreted, the most exciting, important, and critical story ever.

Fiction allows the writers to find closure in a world that often prevents that. It allows them to express their biases in a non-confrontational way. And often the journey is far more important than the conclusion. I would cite Grey’s Anatomy as an example of the journey. That journey is primarily about relationships that evolve over time. Just as our own lives move from one relationship to another. Obviously very few people ever live happily ever after, old age sees to that. But stories also suggest what could be, and to quote another story line, “You’ve got to have a dream, if you don’t have a dream, how’re you going to have a dream come true?” [Bloody Mary]

When i was studying creative writing our lecturer told us how every romance story is based on one single concept: 2 people falling in love and not being able to be together and/or facing problems in their relationship. I remember how upsetting it was to me that it was all so generic, that basically every romance ,I've ever read was simply the same plot, just twisted slightly to suit the story. Every time I read a romance now, I find myself disappointed each time to find this bland , same old plot over and over again.

"A tv series that we dont want to end is one that seemingly cant end itself" How i met your mother: Look at this duuuudee

Brilliant author ❤️” If this isn’t nice I don’t know what is. That quote always stays with me .

I'd say stories are like food. A chef is to a writer as a eater is to a reader/watcher. The beauty in them is that 2 people can have the exact same ingredients and exact same recipe yet each chef will give a different result to those who take the time to experience it. The beauty is in the subtleties that no two results are exactly alike or evoke the same exact feelings. I think that's such a beautiful and human thing, which is why we have been storytelling creatures since it became physically possible.

This kind of reminds me of the anime Cowboy Bebop. That show really captures the part of reality where things aren’t good or bad, there aren’t always solutions and sometimes characters never find out things/some things are never resolved. Each episode is truly only an “episode” in the character’s lives rather than their whole story. Sure we see flashbacks etc and plot lines to drive the story forward but they mainly take the back seat. It also shows the characters going off by themselves or just laying around. Despite it being animated, something about that show always felt so real to me! This kind of helps explain that. It’s not a perfect show but is brilliant in my opinion and there’s nothing else like it that does it so well. Would highly recommend watching it and luckily for people who can’t get around eng subs over Japanese or aren’t used to anime, it apparently has a great dub!

Just saw Bojack Horseman and thought I should pursuit this wonder

Vonnegut once wrote about the purpose of life, saying “to be the eyes, the ears of the creator of the universe, you fool.” Now it can be told!

This is honestly one of the best video-essays on storytelling in general that I've seen. It's also the answer to why I love the Slice of Life genre so much. To anyone interested in what I think is the epitome of Slice of Life, of "Things still happening, but not sure if it's good or bad, or where it'll take the protagonist", I'd recommend 2 animes: "Hibike! Euphonium" and "Hyouka". And to those of you who don't "like" anime, rest assured. I didn't neither until I watched those shows. There are also some Ghibli films. But not all of them. Some like "Whisper of the Heart", "Only Yesterday" or "Kiki's Delivery's Service" are great examples of the kind of stories this video talks about. And to stop recommending just Japanese stuff (Because I honestly believe they perfected this kind of story-telling, and that American cinema is used to being the opposite of that), I'd say "Boyhood" and "Columbus" are my favorite American movies that are like this. This is just in case you think you haven't experienced a story like this (and don't feel like reading Hamlet). Again, these are truly the best kinds of stories there is, or at least I feel that way, and to anyone that already knows they like that style, I'd WHOLEHEARTEDLY recommend both Hibike! Euphonium and Hyouka :) (If I'm not mistaken, Hibike can be watched legally at Crunchyroll; I'm not really sure about Hyouka)

Claim your *"Welcome existential crisis"* card right here now.

Hello Darkness, my old friend

You can't see, but I'm giving you a standing ovation. Bravo. Well done, sir!

is the man who speaks the one who writes these stories that give me great insight to everything I do and experience ? truly amazing

"in every story someone or something starts somewhere" I could have never guesses 😂😂😂😂

Ohhhh these quotes from stories that are plateaued as a flat line are fun, let me try one too! “I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world.” ... ~ Meursault *The Stranger*

this was a joy to watch and ultimately satisfying, subscribed and so happy to have found this

In a college composition class, we had to read more than a few Kurt Vonnegut books, not easy for an ME student. So happy I got through it, and the lessons learned are far reaching.

I am left with more questions rather than answers after watching any of the videos you post.

“Once there was the ugly barnacle, he was so ugly that everyone died, The End.” - Ugly Barnacle, Patrick Star

I feel like attack on Titian will be one of those that ends the same level as the start effectively being a straight line

His videos are honestly always so deep and beautiful

I didn't even read the title. I saw bojack, I clicked.

When I saw the title, I thought you were gonna pull a Dr. Manhattan. "Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends." -Dr. Manhattan (Additionally also, nothing ever begins.)

We are so used to stories with a beginning middle and end yet it never happens in real life.

Serials on TV may not have much to tell us about life but there are still plenty of stories which do. Stories can give us insights about the lives of others and we can often be inspired by their courage or warned by the dangers they faced. Sometimes they give an insight into our past history. "Dark Emu" by Bruce Pascoe astonished me with his revelations about life among Aboriginal people before Australia was invaded in 1788. Jackie French's book "The Schoolmaster's Daughter" reveals uncomfortable truths to those Australians who pretend that we didn't have slavery here in Australia. Ahn Do's book "The Happiest Refugee" gives insights into the experience of arriving in Australia in a leaky boat and seeking refuge here.

Dude I really appreciate your work. It's great keep growing

So, according to Vonnegut, the greatest stories are the daytime soaps that run for 30-40 years?!? 😲

Your life is your story and how you percieve your comming part of story is besed on the past incidents of the story you lived....wow..

Your videos are pure art! Super amazing content.. I'm glad your channel exists

Ok that strangely made me happy

How he described a TV series is life itself

Quite important to make the case of the argument centered around how a never-ending TV series ends up being closer to reality than stories from movies or books. It reveals yet another lesson - we like to think about relatively brief chunks of either ours or others lives, but it's only one chunk out of a much longer life. There is still value in listening to stories to perhaps motivate us in a crucial chapter of our lives, but to really get a *true understanding* of how life works, it's a bad idea to only look at a year's worth of ups and downs, instead opting to look at things across many different lives that have occurred throughout centuries.

Respect for the Sopranos clips in the background. Greatest show of all time!

*_I'm always BLOWN AWAY with your editing skills!

I disagree with this video completely, just because decisions in life aren’t inherently good or bad does not mean that the ending is stagnant as it pertains to the beginning.. we all change and grow if anything reality is a multitude of stories that make up your existence, we develop from each one, from every choice we make to reach where we are now.. does life not fit the perfect template of a story? Of course not but it’s not like life is mundane the way he’s explaining it

Kurt Vonnegut... Is a treasure of modern civilization. Perhaps one of a very few.

This sponsor is one I can actually get behind :) THANK YOU for all your content!

This is why I shut down whenever someone starts quoting the hero's journey as useful self-help advice.

3:25 sounds like real life ngl

This was really a very insightful and important video. You know I was just thinking about this thing today, it came in the right time I guess. May God bless you for this amazing video❤️.

Exurb1a and Pursuit of Wonder are the best channel ever. Existential crises yet motivation

I love a television show that knows how to end well.

I’m a simple man. I see pursuit of wonder, I click.

It's 4 am in the morning and i have to go to school later. Thank you for this philosophical journey.

Thanks to this channel, I am a nihilist, a realist, an optimist, suicidal, and a writer

Someone going to have to explain the straight line concept of Hamlet to me. Most people I know thought it ended badly for Hamlet. Sure he finally got the confession and justice for father but at way too much of a cost. Tell me how “Hamlet gets revenge at the cost of his girlfriend, mother, himself, and a whole bunch of supporting characters” as ending on a neutral ending.

Anime with 12 episodes: " Am I a jOkE tO YoU ?!!”

That quote about understanding life backwards is genius.

Kurt Vonnegut is by far one of my favorite authors, what a mind

This is what my existential life crisis is all about right here...

Nice of you to reference both Hamlet, which is located in Denmark and Søren Kirkegård who was a dane!

This just made me realize that my favorite tv shows, movies and books have this straight line.

This was an excellent video. I never thought TV and existentialism can be tied so nicely with another.

I hope everyone here has a lovely and amazing day! And remember we only live once, so try out as much as you can from this life!

shows typically have a 3 season cycle before they jump the shark and add a baby, then it's ovah

‘we don’t know enough about life to know what the good news or bad news is” that reminds me of that rumi quote about the field between them.

When you quoted Joseph Campbell I couldn't help but think of Yogi Berra. One of his favorite quotes is "when you come to a fork in the road, take it ". It's sure to get a laugh, but in light of what Campbell said, it is also very profound. Pick one, anyone. It doesn't matter. It will be a adventure resulting fulfillment or fiasco. Not a bad way to go through life, ah?