58: Living well is the best revenge
So this comic is a bit different – I didn’t adapt the story from a famous quote, it was just an idea I had. I was thinking about my Invictus comic and wondering what the boy could have done to get revenge on his bullies instead of lashing out in violence. Well, I figured he would go off and become super-successful while the bully would go on to lead a miserable life. And of course, the coolest way to become successful these days is to be a start-up superstar and there’s no bigger start-up superstar than Mr Facebook.
Let’s face it, spite can be one of life’s biggest motivators. It definitely is for me, I’m not ashamed to admit it. When I told people I was quitting my job and selling my house to start a comic blog, they said “Man, you crazy!” or “I’ll bet you come back in 6 months begging for your old job”. Stuff like that just motivates me and makes me work harder. Just thinking about those stupid naysayers faces fills me with rage which I channel into constructive work, all in the goal to prove them wrong. (Of course, lots of people were really supportive of my decision and they rock). I know this isn’t the most Zen attitude to have but it works for me.
- “Living well is the best revenge” is a quote from English poet, George Herbert.
- Just to be clear, this comic is in no-way related to the Poetic Justice saga. It’s not the same boy.
- Despite all the school bullying comics I’ve done, I was not bullied in my childhood. My school days were pretty uneventful and boring.
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Although it’s not a quote, I still love it
I almost wish you could’ve integrated a Zuckerberg quote into this…
I loved this comic, it reminded me of the exact quote you posted. You unique comic style is great, keep on making them. Best of luck
wow, is the worldwide freeshipping true? I’m getting myself some prints them!! =)
Sure is different than the approach in your other comics, in means of the message. But excellent art as always! If it is indeed a quote, maybe it should be mentioned in the end..? Just a thought.
)
Great work as always Gav! Keep ‘em coming!
P.S. Just received some posters I ordered! I can’t explain to you how fun it is!
This was not “zen” at all.
Yes it was.. it was on the site after all.
It never says everything he makes is zen. It merely says that the pencils he uses are zen, and you don’t know if they are or are not.
Not the pen, but the paper (zen paper, got it?).
If you see the Buddha on the road, kill him.
I know exactly what you mean.
On wednesday I`ll launch my bet on comics here in Brasil.
Well, it beats killing him with a hammer.
LIKE VERY KI LIKE ZEN LAPISES
“KI”???
though there’s no quote given
the impact spells in my mind
Spacebook – Gav, that’s a great idea!!!!!! We’ll be rich!!!!!
hehehehe.
excellent!! i totally appreciate the final “in your face” moment
I know this isn’t Zen but sometimes I like to lighten the mood and have a bit of fun with my work – sometimes I need a break from the philosophy and deep, heavy stuff.
I respect your work Gav, and your artistic freedom to do whatever you like with it… But look at the comments saying that this is ‘a great message’.
Is it really?
People change. All the time. It’s really a strange bully who wouldn’t have gained a little wisdom over such a long time. If he didn’t, what suffering would HE have been subjected to that he became so stuck in his ways? Does he deserve a shred of compassion for whatever is causing him to act in such a way?
If spite is a prime motivator for you, what happens when you finally ‘stick it’ to all the people who doubted your ability and resolve? Do you think that anger goes away when you’ve trained your mind to be fueled by it?
While you’re taking a break from the deep stuff, the deep stuff isn’t taking a break from you. The trick is that Puckerberg didn’t win. He perpetuated the hatred he was subjected to. It’s kind of a sad story when you think about it.
Hey Brooks, I admitted my ‘spite as motivator’ isn’t the best attitude to have. The quotes on this site are for my own personal growth as well as my readers.
Hello Brooks,
As a child I was bullied, a lot. Sadly things weren’t great at home and I was beaten at home too.
But I stuck to working hard, to studying….constantly striving to become better. The one thing that actually got me through the hellish life I had was actually ‘spite’. It was my abhorrhance of the bullies and my childhood that gave me determination to push myself and become better. Fast forward 14 yrs – and I’m finally where I wanted to be – A surgeon. Whereas my bullies are stuck in menial jobs.
I won’t lie – the fact that I’m in a good position makes me feel better. But what’s important is that the hatred is no longer there, it merely worked as a jump starter, a big push when I needed it to. Sure Spite may not be a model motivator. But never underestimate how strong human emotions can be. It can take you a looong way.
And Please don’t try to sympathize with the bully! A lot of bullies have perfectly normal happy life/childhood, they simply bully because they want to feel superior. It’s the victim that needs the compassion – it’s social alienation, rejection, inability to interact – isn’t unlikely to kids with Childhood trauma.
And to Gavin – Thank you. You just depicted my life (apart from buttock showing and spacebook – should’ve thought of that lol )
Thanks a lot for sharing JJ, appreciate the comment.
To have compassion to our enemy is the best way to insult him. Its like putting coals in his head. If Marcus, shows his butt to his former bully like that, then Marcus is now the bully. If Marcus is a really a good person, he would help his former bully. By helping his former bully, he can make it as his friend.
I have an impression that Marcus becomes the bully now.
Sometimes we see your humanity, Gav.
And that’s just alright.
Pukerberg studied hard and has been rewarded with success! It’s so evident, that’s what we see each day, right?
Uch, wish the revenge was with someone other than Mark Zuckerberg. I’m not his biggest fan…
I like to think, as a former nerd in school, that today’s comic protagonist was me. I do wish sometimes that I’d grown a pair, back then… (^= ^ )
There’s a saying I remember from my Army days… those HS star jocks and other dickheads, that period is usually the peak of their lives. Those that bloom later, usually bloom better. (‘- ‘ )
Life is beautiful! Ain’t it wonderful..here is such a great message in this cartoon.
I could share with my partner who’s having a rough time at work. This cartoon is exactly telling her story. Instead of mirroring all she has to do is channel her raging energy into positivity and use this energy to drive her success. I am very grateful. Thank you.
It was not zen, but definitely it’s inspirational.
good job!
For someone who wasn’t bullied, you express it pretty well.
I had the pleasure of living this comic, with the variation that my bully, the BMOC-jock-class-president peaked as the manager of a Wendy’s, and his cheerleader girlfriend became morbidly obese. Late bloomers can continue to bloom long after the first flowers have died. Mooning isn’t even necessary… pity is the best revenge.
hahah Puckerberg. That guy can just pucker up.
Not zen? Well… That works just fine. Take the middle path.
I’m considering this a version of the Ugly Duckling. My focus isn’t on the spite of the achiever… but the stupidity and short-sighted of young bullies.
Revenge? Job superiority?
Is a janitor at Mac Donalds someone you have the right to laugh at??
I dont like it.
I dont like your adult-but-successfull-bully.
It is too sad to see a poor guy that becomes an asshole like the asshole that he met at the start of his life. I don’t like this comic.
This website was the best thing I’ve found in a quite long time and I really admire your work Gav, but this comic has a really sad and terrible message: Puckerberg only sustained the cycle of hatred that he had suffered. Suffering will never cease if we keep following this path.
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” (Gandhi)
You see, he attempted to forgive.
His forgiveness was not accepted
What a discussion we have going on here. At last a post that divides the readers. Anyway, it wasn’t the “janitor at mcdonalds” he was laughing at. He was merely rejoicing in his success. At the expense of the bully? Sure why not! Just look at the first few images. It was just a moon. At least he didn’t hire the janitor to clean his bathroom. That would be another case.
Lighten up, people it’s not that serious!
Gavin, I love the story and your sense of humor. Keep up the great work.
I find it true but also disrespectful. Indeed the best revenge is the show how you’ve succeeded in life, but is a McDo’ janitor a person you can laugh at ? I mean, it’s a job like all the others and, from the point he loves his job and make it the best he can, we have absolutely no right to laugh at that person.
Maybe it’s just a comparison between Zuckerberg’s success and Bully’s success, then we can affirm janitor isn’t a good job, but, like I said, no one can, and shall, judge a job.
Anyway, I like this comics, a little bit less than the others.
Very inspiring. I’ve been going through a tough couple of years and your comics always never fail to give me inspiration
As a side note, could you try making a comic based on H. G. Wells “Discovery of the future” quote? (where he talks about all past being the mere beginning of a beginning) I’ll give you the text if you cant find it.
lol nice
“It is too sad to see a poor guy that becomes an asshole like the asshole that he met at the start of his life. I don’t like this comic.” –this
What you wrote here on this post. Absolute truth!
Maybe it’s just me, but I would definitely buy a poster with at least part of one of my all-time favorite quotes by Mark Shuttleworth incorporated into it. I thought you might like it, since it says a lot about space travel, science, and education, which are all things you’ve referenced in your past drawings.
http://i.imgur.com/Ki3fb.jpg
The full interview is here:
http://interviews.slashdot.org/story/05/04/04/1859255/mark-shuttleworth-answers-at-length
I really like the way you do these drawings. I started recognizing your drawing style after seeing it come up on occasion on 9gag.com. Great work, I hope this takes off for you.
Great quote, thanks!
Well, I think this comic is a very good comic, because the older brother who is a son of a bitch, because being the greatest is his younger brother like shit
I SHIT IN THE BIG BROTHER AND I GIVE THANKS TO A MINOR BROTHER
BYE!
Reminds me very much of this quote:
“Live well. It is the greatest revenge.”
– The Talmud
Living well is not the best revenge. Pressed ham is the best revenge.
Good quote and Good comic. I like it.
Now this one’s more like it. And also: you quit your job to do this? Woah… good luck! That must have been a hard decision, but with comics this good, I believe it will prove to have been the right one. And even if it doesn’t work out, remember that Teddy Roosevelt quote you illustrated; it’s better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.
Exactly right Alasdair, thanks
I wasn’t popular in high school, I never had a girlfriend, but I didn’t live well to make up for it. I didn’t get good grades, I dropped out of college, and I was never able to find a job. Live isn’t fair, just because your life sucks at some point doesn’t mean you’ll be rewarded for it later. Some times the horrible people become successful too.
As a student of computer science working evenings at McDonalds I am no stranger to being bullied by the patrons on daily basis. I wasn’t expecting to be bullied here. In a sense this comic describes my life in 180%.
It is inspiring indeed, I will just continue what I am doing and someday you might develop rheumatoid arthritis.
PS. Your Bene Gesserit comic is kind of rubbish. They were more like Palpatine than Jedi.
I am working at McD. Im not the guy who lost. I win because i have all the time i want. I dont need the money. I need the minutes to live every second. And to make good (unpaid) art.
Dont judge badly on janitors. Sometimes they are happy.
This is one of my favourite lines, and one I know from experience to be true. It basically means the best revenge is not technically revenge — but to refuse to let anyone’s abuse do more harm than good, and find fulfillment and liberation through your own achievements — something no bully can take away from you.
Well said Elaine
“Back to the Future” anyone?
I love it! Happiness is the best revenge indeed. Though according to research, in real life, unlike in pop culture, the ones who are popular in school are the ones most likely to succeed. But things can be defied I guess.
I don’t get how a high school valedictorian ends up working as a McDonald’s janitor.
Isn’t the message contradicting the other messages? Those who said that being successful is irrelevant? Also success seems to turn everyone into douche-bags.