Editing 2368: Bigger Problem
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Created by a <SOLUTION>. Please mention here why this world still has problems. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | |
− | The claim that someone is not working towards an important issue, [https://what-if.xkcd.com/imgs/a/146/dontcare.png while not always completely invalid], is commonly used as a cheap tactic to ignore a solution to a problem, even when the person using it does want to help out with either cause | + | [[Cueball]] is asking [[White Hat]] to help fix an unspecified problem with the world. Presumably, he is working for some form of charity, and asking for donations or signatures. White Hat responds by saying that Cueball doesn't care about the issue, and that he would be working to fix an unspecified larger issue if he ''really'' cared. Cueball then asks if White Hat would rather be working to solve that problem. However, White Hat says that he doesn't want to, but that he also hasn't come up with an excuse not to yet. White hat seems as if he couldn't be bothered, and wants to go on with his life |
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+ | The claim that someone is not working towards an important issue, [https://what-if.xkcd.com/imgs/a/146/dontcare.png while not always completely invalid], is commonly used as a cheap tactic to ignore a solution to a problem, even when the person using it does want to help out with either cause. In the last panel of this comic, White Hat admits that he does not actually care about either problem, therefore proving that he only brought up the larger issue as an excuse to not support Cueball's cause. | ||
The title text furthers this point. While the argument used by White Hat is supposed to imply that the person giving the argument cares about an issue that matters more (to the exclusion of the other issue), it's often used, as seen in this comic, as an excuse to not work to fix any problem, making it "a real slam-dunk argument against fixing any of them." | The title text furthers this point. While the argument used by White Hat is supposed to imply that the person giving the argument cares about an issue that matters more (to the exclusion of the other issue), it's often used, as seen in this comic, as an excuse to not work to fix any problem, making it "a real slam-dunk argument against fixing any of them." | ||
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Both causes in the comic are referred to ambiguously and surrounded with angle brackets to imply that they can be filled it with any two problems, as the comic is supposed to depict a common situation that happens during discussions of many different causes. | Both causes in the comic are referred to ambiguously and surrounded with angle brackets to imply that they can be filled it with any two problems, as the comic is supposed to depict a common situation that happens during discussions of many different causes. | ||
− | This comic is quite similar to [[871: Charity]] because both have a character that responds to people trying to help "by figuring out a reason that they're not really as good as they seem" | + | This comic is quite similar to [[871: Charity]] because both have a character that responds to people trying to help "by figuring out a reason that they're not really as good as they seem". |
− | People sometimes use similar fallacious reasoning against ''themselves,'' thinking that they shouldn't tackle "simple" "unimportant" problems when there are "important" problems | + | People sometimes use similar fallacious reasoning against ''themselves,'' thinking that they shouldn't tackle "simple" "unimportant" problems when there are "important" problems, even if the former are within their ability to handle but the latter aren't. This can be a form of self-sabotaging behavior. |
− | + | The high-resolution version of the comic may be found [https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/bigger_problem_2x.png here]. | |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[Cueball | + | {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} |
+ | :[Cueball and White Hat are having a conversation. Cueball is holding a clipboard in his left hand.] | ||
:Cueball: I'm trying to fix <problem with the world>. Can you help? | :Cueball: I'm trying to fix <problem with the world>. Can you help? | ||
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:White Hat: It's obvious you don't actually care. If you did, you'd be trying to fix <bigger problem> instead. | :White Hat: It's obvious you don't actually care. If you did, you'd be trying to fix <bigger problem> instead. | ||
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:Cueball: Okay, want to help fix <bigger problem>? | :Cueball: Okay, want to help fix <bigger problem>? | ||
:White Hat: No, for another reason I'll think of later. | :White Hat: No, for another reason I'll think of later. |