2011-12-14
Explanation
The comic introduces a fictional word: "Exigology (noun): A statement whose converse is its own explanation." It then provides four examples. A man says "Politicians never do what my group wants, so I never vote" -- the converse being that politicians ignore his group precisely because they do not vote. A disheveled man says "Girls aren't interested in me, so I don't see why I should care about hygiene" -- where obviously his poor hygiene is why girls are not interested. A woman at a laptop says "I'm terrible at this, so I'm not even gonna try" -- when not trying is exactly why she remains terrible. Finally, a man gorging on bacon salad sandwiches says "Life is short, so I'm eating as many bacon salad sandwiches as possible" -- where overeating unhealthy food is what will make his life short.
Each example follows the same logical structure: the speaker cites a problem as justification for a behavior that is itself the cause of the problem. The comic cleverly highlights how common this type of circular, self-defeating reasoning is in everyday life. By coining a pseudo-academic term for it, Weinersmith gives the reader a satisfying label for a frustrating pattern of human irrationality. The last example adds an extra layer of humor by being simultaneously self-destructive and oddly specific about "bacon salad sandwiches."