existntial
Explanation
This comic depicts the "Stages of Existential Awareness" as a three-stage cycle. In the first stage (yellow), a person panics upon realizing they are trapped in a web of connections, obligations, and circumstances they never chose. In the second stage (pink), the person swings to the opposite extreme, excitedly embracing "radical autonomy" and declaring that everything is theirs to choose. In the third stage (green), the person notices that everyone else also has radical autonomy -- and they are richer, taller, and smarter.
The cycle then loops back to the first stage, implying this existential crisis repeats endlessly. The comic satirizes how people oscillate between feeling trapped by determinism and feeling empowered by free will, with neither perspective providing lasting comfort. The third stage adds a layer of social comparison: even when you embrace your freedom, the realization that others are freer and more capable sends you spiraling back into despair. It is a compact and darkly funny take on existentialist philosophy.