Explain SMBC — the wiki for Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

myth

2022-10-11 View on smbc-comics.com → 1 revision
myth
Votey panel for myth
This explanation is incomplete or may contain errors. It was generated by AI and has not yet been reviewed by a human editor.

Explanation

This comic features a conversation between a human and a robot about whether artificial beings like robots can appreciate mythology and storytelling.

The human asks the robot whether "artificial beings like you" enjoy myths the same way humans do. The robot responds philosophically, explaining that humans need to understand that the "potential for mass production" of robots doesn't diminish the value of any individual robot's experience — essentially arguing that being mass-produced doesn't make feelings less real.

The human then pivots, saying something like "I could say a statement about how human happiness is complex" and references literature: "Have you read The Old Man and the Sea? A handful of readings won't give you a full picture — it's complex."

The robot responds: "Go. Myths. Are. Highly. Efficient. Thinking. Data."

In the final panel, a character notes: "I mean most of the time, sometimes they just suck" and another adds "Games! Games! Give me those — poof!"

The comic plays with the tension between analytical and emotional engagement with stories. The robot treats myths as "efficient thinking data" — appreciating stories purely for their informational or cognitive value — while the human insists on the emotional complexity of literature. The punchline undercuts both positions by acknowledging that sometimes stories are just bad, and sometimes people just want entertainment rather than deep meaning.

View History (1) Original Comic
← Previous Comic Next Comic →