2013-06-21
Explanation
This comic is a longer multi-panel strip exploring a mountain-climbing metaphor for the hedonic treadmill. In the first panel, a man climbing a mountain thinks, "If I could just get to the top of that mountain, I'''d be happy." He struggles upward through several panels, finally reaching the summit. But once at the top, he sees even taller mountains in the distance and says, "I couldn'''t see these down there."
The comic is a visual metaphor for the psychological concept known as the hedonic treadmill (or hedonic adaptation). This is the well-documented tendency for people to believe that achieving a particular goal -- a promotion, a certain income level, a relationship milestone -- will bring lasting happiness. However, upon reaching that goal, they discover new, previously invisible goals that now seem necessary for happiness. The mountain is the perfect metaphor: from the base, you cannot see what lies beyond the peak, so you assume the peak is the endpoint. Only upon arriving do you realize the landscape extends further, with higher peaks ahead.
The votey shows someone saying, "You'''ve never seen a mountain, have you?" with the artist replying, "Why?" This is another self-deprecating joke about Weinersmith'''s artistic skills, suggesting the mountains in the comic may not look entirely realistic -- a recurring gag in SMBC voteys.