2013-07-11
Explanation
In this comic, a person lying in bed reflects on turning a certain age, saying they are not sure they got everything they could have out of life. Another person responds with an extended meditation on the subjective experience of time: a year is a long time to slow down, savor each moment, experience every craving, and treasure every minute. They describe time as a treasure when you are present with it.
But then they add the devastating counterpoint: "But time goes quickest when you're happy. The only place where time stands still is an unlit dungeon." The first person processes this and says: "So you're saying I can either have a brief happy life or a long miserable life?" The other replies: "Pretty much." The final panels show the first person saying "Now I'm depressed" and the other responding "Lucky you" -- because being depressed means time will pass slowly, giving them a subjectively longer life.
The votey shows someone saying "You suck" and the other replying "Thanks!" which mirrors the dark humor of the main comic. The comic plays on the well-known psychological phenomenon that time seems to pass faster when we are enjoying ourselves and drags when we are bored or suffering. By taking this observation to its logical extreme, the comic creates a darkly funny paradox: the only way to have a long life (subjectively) is to be miserable, making longevity and happiness mutually exclusive.