706: Freedom

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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Freedom
Sometimes I'm terrified to realize how many options other people have.
Title text: Sometimes I'm terrified to realize how many options other people have.

Explanation

The left Cueball comments on the absence of physical enforcement for social norms. The left Cueball goes through a list of possible things he could do that only his conscience and learned social morals prevent him from doing, including punching someone else in a conversation for no reason at all. This is enough to convince the Cueball on the right who promptly punches the left Cueball in the face.

The title text is a restatement of the first line of the comment, but reversed to show Cueball's newfound realization that the same freedoms apply to other people, to his physical detriment.

This is also an ironic reference to Zechariah Chafee's oft-quoted line, "Your right to swing your arms ends just where the other man's nose begins."

"Getting on a plane to Fiji" is a reference to The Truman Show (1998).

Transcript

Cueball: Sometimes I'm shocked to realize how many options I have.
Friend: Oh?
[Cueball shakes his fist.]
Cueball: Like, at any moment in any conversation, I could just punch the person I was talking to, and all these potentially life-changing events would unfold.
Cueball: It's only my mental rules that stop me from punching you, or stripping naked, or getting on a plane to Fiji. Sure, rules have reasons. But shouldn't you exercise that freedom at least once before you die?
Friend: Hmm.
WHAM
[Cueball is knocked down on the ground, dazed and bruised.]
Cueball: Okay, I should have seen that coming.
Friend: But you couldn't! That's the beauty!


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Discussion

The last sentence "But you couldn't", is probably also a reference to the fact that even though we and other people have many possibilities, we never expect anyone to actually use them. 173.245.49.128 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

More like we didn't expect other people to utilize the possibilities that they did. Or Didn't. Jakee308 (talk) 19:40, 8 June 2015 (UTC)

Sometimes I'm terrified to realize how many options I have 173.245.50.79 03:39, 19 September 2016 (UTC)

I think so much about this! Like, if I punched someone, what would society do? If I edited all of the comments above juuuuust a little, what would happen? If I... SilverMagpie (talk) 00:27, 9 May 2018 (UTC)

I would revert all the edits and delete your user page :]. (I'm joking. Or am I?) Beanie (talk) 14:25, 21 April 2021 (UTC)