quantified-self
Explanation
This comic explores the question of whether humans should strive for pure happiness or for fulfillment, reframing it as a math problem rather than a philosophical one. The first character points out that if the probability of success is low and the fulfillment payoff is on a scale of, say, 1-10, then the expected value of pursuing fulfillment may actually be quite low.
Working through the math, the characters calculate that a strategy focused purely on maximizing pleasure might yield a higher expected value than one focused on meaningful but risky pursuits. The punchline arrives when one character sarcastically says "I tell you, we are here on earth to fart around," referencing Kurt Vonnegut's famous quote -- but now reframed as the mathematically optimal life strategy.
The comic humorously suggests that the inspirational advice to "follow your dreams" and pursue deep fulfillment might actually be statistically suboptimal compared to simply seeking easy pleasures. The final panel's quip about a geneticist writing self-help books adds an extra jab at the self-help industry, implying that even scientific experts might peddle feel-good nonsense over cold mathematical reality.