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{{comic
 
{{comic
 
| number    = 220
 
| number    = 220
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| date      = February 7, 2007
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| date      =  
 
| title    = Philosophy
 
| title    = Philosophy
 
| image    = philosophy.png
 
| image    = philosophy.png
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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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In all of {{w|philosophy}}, perhaps the most important questions consider the {{w|meaning of life}} and can be expressed as "Why are we here?" or "What does it all mean?" Many philosophers and {{w|Theology|theologians}} have attempted to answer the question over the course of human history, and every religion claims to have some sort of answer.
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In all of philosophy, one of the most important questions (if not ''the'' most important question) to consider is, "Why are we here? What does this all mean?" Many philosophers and theologians have attempted to answer the question over the course of human history, and every religion claims to have the answer.
  
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[[Megan]] has been considering that the question is essentially meaningless. However, if that is true, she can't understand why it continues to be in her thoughts. This might feel frustrating for Megan. Two of her friends (both [[Cueball]]-like) notice that she is seemingly stuck in this existential question and have a short-term solution for her. One friend reaches for a {{w|Super Soaker}} 50, a powerful toy squirt gun, to shoot at [[Megan]] while she is having an {{w|existential crisis}}. (Megan uses this soaker later against Cueball in [[517: Marshmallow Gun]] and [[2334: Slide Trombone]], and in comic [[625: Collections]], she has another one of her crises.)
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Megan realizes that the question is essentially meaningless-- it's not a question of "why", but of what to do with one's life.  Yet the question of the meaning of life continues to go back into her head. Fortunately, her friends have a ready-made solution for her.
  
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The title text refers to the {{w|operant conditioning}} technique (a form of behavioral modification) commonly used with house cats. If they start scratching the furniture, many people spray them with a squirt bottle (since they hate water) to discourage that behavior (though it seldom works).  It may also allude to the idea of hitting a break key where a program is stuck in a logical loop.
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The title-text refers to the behavioral modification technique commonly used with house cats, who hate water. If they start scratching the furniture, many people spray them with a squirt bottle to discourage that behavior.  (Note:  It seldom works to prevent future incidents.)
  
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Megan has since this comic had existential crises both in [[1111: Premiere]] and in [[1822: Existential Bug Reports]].
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==Trivia==
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Randall gave permission to use this strip's fourth panel for the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xkcd Wikipedia article] on ''xkcd''.
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The Super Soaker appears again in [[517: Marshmallow Gun]], this time by Megan, as retaliation against Cueball for using the marshmallow gun on her.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
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:[Megan sits on a chair for two panels without moving.]
 
  
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:[In the third panel, Megan has still not moved but makes the following comment to no one in particular.]
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:[Girl sits on chair, thinking]
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:Megan: If the question of what it all means doesn't mean anything, why do I keep coming back to it?  
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:[Two panels pass, the girl does not move]
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:Girl: If the question of what it all means doesn't mean anything, why do I keep coming back to it?  
  
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:[Two Cueball-like friends of Megan are talking to each other. One of them is standing behind the office chair in which the other friend is sitting, behind a desk with a computer. The standing friend starts to walk toward Megan. The sitting friend pulls a large yellow and green super soaker from a drawer.]
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:[Two boys are talking to each other]
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:Standing friend: She's getting existential again.
 
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:Sitting friend: It's okay, I have a super soaker.
 
  
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==Trivia==
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:First boy: She's getting existential again.
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*[[Randall]] himself uploaded the strip's fourth panel to {{w|Wikimedia Commons}} ([http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Xkcd_philosophy.png here]) for use on {{w|xkcd|''xkcd's'' Wikipedia article}}. xkcd is licenced under [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ this] {{w|Creative Commons license}}, which is incompatible with [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ this] CC license that Wikipedia uses, because the latter allows commercial use. Randall says {{w|Talk:Primer (film)/Archive 1#xkcd|here}} that he is willing to unlock more strips to Commons for similar purposes.
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:Second boy: It's okay, I have a super soaker.
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:[Second boy pulls a large super soaker from a drawer]
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
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[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
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[[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]
 
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[[Category:Philosophy]]
 

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