Hyperbole and a Half

You need to know your audience. You need to think of ways it could go wrong. This means researching if it sounds or looks like something offensive. Sexual, political, racist, swear words, unpleasant associations, etc. But there is plenty of marketing that hinges on there being an acceptable sexy interpretation of a name or catch phrase -- hot and ready pizza, Easy Stripper paint removal product -- so it isn't even as simple as "Just make sure it can't possibly be interpreted as sexual." Different people approach this space differently. I like casually collecting stories or examples of successes that break the mold. Questionable Content has a .net name and as far as I know is the best monetized webcomic on the planet, or was at one time. Hyperbole And A Half uses blogspot and has no TLD. She just uses the blogspot url. https://questionablecontent.net/ http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/ Aflac is not the actual name of the Fortune 500 insurance company best known by that name. Their legal name is still American Family Life Assurance Company. They originally incorporated as American Family Life Insurance Company. Internal tales from when I worked there indicated that they lost the original name in "a gentleman's coin toss" between two CEOs because there was another company in another state with the same name and it had to be settled somehow. They had low name recognition for an industry that already lacks sizzle and tends towards poor name recognition and thought about…

Okay this is a fake headline designed to clickbait you into reading the entire article, which I did, and comes with a Big Letdown Punchline at the end, that it is not actually a "coffin" at all. But if you enjoy family-drama, crazy-kids, harried-young-mom type stuff, why not read about it from the child's witty perspective? https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/

The best definition of depression I've read. https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-depressio… https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.htm…

As another commenter said, get to a doctor ASAP. In my country you should even go to the Emergency door for issues like this. Don't know what's best in your country. When I was depressed, these posts helped: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-depression… http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html And if you like them, I find everything by her extremely funny, so go ahead and read up. Good luck and hope you get better soon!

For me, doing those small things did seem impossible and even when I managed to achieve it, I didn't feel the reward. There didn't seem any point in making the bed if I felt the same whether the bed was made or not. Eventually I reached a mental place where I could turn that around: If it doesn't make a difference in how I feel, why not make the bed? I had to more or less take it on faith that eventually the rewards would come, and they did. Anyone out there dealing with this: Keep fighting, but don't kick yourself if you have a set back. You wouldn't kick someone else when they're down, so don't do that to yourself. Edit: Just want to plug Allie Brosh here. This comic is maybe the best description I've ever read on how depression is experienced: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html

> but for anyone else who views emotions as "obstacles"/unnecessary and is depressed, that's probably why I completely disagree. She was very clearly stating that that is not the proper lens to look at life through, but it was a byproduct of her depression that lead to that conclusion, as a means to combat the strong pull of her emotional states. I recommend reading "Part 1" of this strip: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-depression… What you're saying is correct, that we need to learn how to regularly express feelings in a healthy way, no matter what they are. But to state that this was the cause of her depression was HUGE reach and really downplays and patronizes the reality of depression in so many people's lives.

> Writing about a lack is difficult, and perhaps no one has ever captured exactly what it feels like to be depressed, simply because one can’t describe a negative. For those who haven't seen it, Allie Brosh's comics on the subject come as close as any other work I've found to "describing the negative" here: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-depression… http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html Often the best way to grapple with the intangible is to do so through humor.

The term may be overused, but depression unfortunately does have a specific clinical meaning. Depression is not simply being sad. In fact, people suffering from depression often describe it less as sadness and more as feeling nothing at all. One of my favorite examples are these Hyperbole and Half posts (http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-depression… http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html… This isn't a perfect test, but the linguistic cue to pick up on the difference between clinical depression and mere sadness is whether the person describes it in terms of temporary emotional state ("I'm so depressed") or something more permanent ("I live with depression").

I feel a bit silly posting a comic, but at one point i discovered it while feeling really down, and i found it very encouraging. I apologise if it doesn't resonate with you, i don't know what you're going through. http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html TLDR: speak to someone, get help -- there's a silly social taboo on expressing depressive feelings, but there are many many options available. People who are willing and more importantly able to help you. I don't know you, but like the others here have said, i guarantee that there are people who love and appreciate you, even if we're only talking about potential future new friends you will meet if you stick around here :)

How could I forget Hyperbole and a Half's classic post on depression? If you've ever felt depressed and like nobody understands, or if you've ever struggled to understand somebody going through depression, read this web-cartoony thing: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html

Curiosity really. Things will happen in the next 50 years that I'd like to learn/know/see/do, and something (life) is better than nothing (death). Even if I knew in that all the broader goals of my life I would fail and be miserable, I'd still derive some pleasure from reading and learning and just observing humanity as a whole. Allie Brosh wrote two excellent blogs about depression that you may enjoy (or at least relate to, my partner swore this was the best explanation for her depression): http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/adventures-in-depress… http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/depression-part-two.h…

In case you hadn't seen it, the author of Hyperbole and a Half recently posted about her depression, and she hit on similar things in a poignant way: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/ Extensive HN thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5684773

You should really check out her back catalog. The following is one of my favorites: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-…

I can't praise these two entries on the matter enough (here's the first one - http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-depression… They've allowed me to better explain to those on the outside what it truly feels like. She does an amazing job with her illustrations and her words, and I wish her all the best in her recovery.

Sorry, off-topic, but as a fan it really bugs me that graphic halfway down appears taken without attribution from Hyperbole and a Half. http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/

Trying to pick things not yet mentioned. Cooking blogs (I read a bunch more, but these are the best): http://thestonesoup.com/blog/ http://smittenkitchen.com/ http://globaltableadventure.com/ A blog ostensibly about learning Japanese but really about learning anything: http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/ Humor: http://www.qwantz.com/index.php http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/ Programming: http://prog21.dadgum.com/ Inspiration / business: http://www.jamesaltucher.com/ http://unicornfree.com/ A little of everything: http://jsomers.net/blog/

As person who added it to the list, I maintain that it has a place here. (And yes, I know it is controversional. And yes, I have had depressive episodes. And I had been leaving with a close person with depression for a prolonged time.) Description may be not ideal - so feel free to propose a different one (via PR). > Everyone has experienced depression. Not everyone. And people who have never had it go into annoying and counterproductive 'get over it' as they really think that it is about typical sadness, laziness or (very temporary) low mood. Or that people suffering are just too dumb to realize that some activities may help them. And I found this game useful in explaining depression to such people. Especially as: - very often one is well aware of beneficial steps, yet having no energy/will/hope to do them (captured wonderfully in this game!), - that even positive things (committed relationship, social gathering etc) are at best small steps, they aren't enough just to "cheer someone up". For a better resource (but not a game), I send: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html… EDIT: That said, I don't mean that Depression Game is a good game for everyone. EDIT2: IT is here are its mechanics is mechanics of depression (psychology).

The author of 'Hyperbole and a Half' also gives a fantastic explanation (the whole blog post is well worth a read, http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/depression-part-two.h… "I remember being endlessly entertained by the adventures of my toys. Some days they died repeated, violent deaths, other days they traveled to space or discussed my swim lessons and how I absolutely should be allowed in the deep end of the pool, especially since I was such a talented doggy-paddler. I didn't understand why it was fun for me, it just was. But as I grew older, it became harder and harder to access that expansive imaginary space that made my toys fun. I remember looking at them and feeling sort of frustrated and confused that things weren't the same... I could no longer connect to my toys in a way that allowed me to participate in the experience. Depression feels almost exactly like that, except about everything."

I'm torn between wanting to close this tab immediately before I get irrationally furious at people who probably mean well, and wanting to battle this out with every comment like yours in the small hope that it changes at least one person's attitude towards depression. > The parent comment is suggesting that people with depression need to take control of their own life by recognizing what makes them unhappy in order to overcome it. Your comment is suggesting that depression -- clinical depression, not, "boo hoo things are tough right now and I'm unhappy" -- is the depressed person's own fault and all they need to do is change everything in their life until they're happy. It's really wrong. When you learn to levitate by taking control of your own life and recognizing what makes you happy, then you will have something to teach people who suffer from depression. Until then, I beg that you do more reading on the subject, and I'm happy to offer some of the material that I've found most useful. It's somewhat unfortunate that Allie Brosh's most famous work ended up being about her depression, but: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-depression… -- when she published this, people struggling with depression suddenly appeared out of nowhere and said, "YES, yes, this is it exactly!" It's a great and easy primer into the depressed mindset. She wrote a part two: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html Then watch this video:…

I've dealt with depression for quite a while now, for a number of reasons ranging from feeling cynical about a few things, girl problems, rejection, all the way to not feeling like I belong in the place I work from not feeling satisfaction in what I'm making, and feeling really limited in the solutions I can bring to my team. Depression has proven to be huge soup of confusion and feelings that are really difficult to sift through and understand. Hyperbole and a Half couldn't have explained it better: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2011/10/adventures-in-depression… How have I addressed all this junk? I've been seeing an EMDR therapist for about 7-8 months now and simply talking through these issues, asking hard questions, and confronting my feelings with an honest-as-possible lens. Much of it has been tackling shame head-on, walking past it, and acknowledging how much I've grown into a person I'm starting to love more. Part of it is also finding nuggets of a person I once loved being and reclaiming them, challenging myself to love others without restraint, have empathy, and place others before me. EMDR therapy in particular has been really interesting. While I don't think it's an end-all solution, it has been well researched, and takes talk therapy to a new level. It forces you to process memories as you would while sleeping (specifically, REM sleep), with a hope to reprogram your feelings towards those memories, or scenarios you've created that lead you to…

I suffered from a major depression some years ago, and with "major" I mean a condition where I used to have panic attacks everytime I left my house. It was painful and took me a very long time (2 years in the middle of my twenties), but in the end I made it. Some random advices based on my own experience that helped me feel better and bow out of depression (please consider that I am not a doctor): 0) You are not alone, so you don't have to feel alone; talk to people that you won't feel judged by (the internet is great for this, and so are the therapists) and spit out everything 1) As you pointed out, medications can alter somehow your ability to focus, particularly on the first days. I lived my depression as a condition where I hadn't really too much control over myself, so I decided not to take any med because I didn't want them to take control over myself: you probably want to do the same 2) Day by day, write down simple todo lists, and try to complete all items. These lists will help you distinguishing days by their completed items and reacquire the awareness of time. Additionally, there is always a little bit of satisfaction in completing things you were supposed to complete, and we all need that! 3) Your job pays your bills, work hard but don't forget that you're only in it for the money, your life is something else, somewhere else 4) When you feel you're at the lowest mood, don't question if you deserve to be alive or not, rather smile and think that one day you…

>I wonder if you can be truly depressed if you don't fear anything? I would say yes, often times depression manifests itself not as a feeling of fear or dread but as apathy. See for example Hugh Laurie's personal life [1,2] or Nine Inch Nails' Everyday is Exactly the Same[3] which captures that exact feeling. Or of course the wonderful Hyperbole and a Half's account of depression[4], especially the second part makes the point that depression at its worst is a void. No positive feelings, but also no negative ones. Now I made myself sad^H^H^H apathetic going through those sources. Why does Trent Reznor have to be so good at projecting? As for the anxiety bit (anxiety and depression are to completely different things), the article mentions her response to having her blood-co2 levels elevated, which seems to me to be a standard anxiety response. A feeling of restlessness and dread. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Laurie#Personal_Life [2] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2316880/Playing-House-nig… (I know, I know, Daily mail but the quotes are worth it) [3]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Aj9_8t1eQc [4] http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.nl/2011/10/adventures-in-depression.…

[I'm not the grandparent poster, but in case it's useful:] Allie Brosh in Hyperbole and a Half puts it as well as I've seen http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html One aspect is the anhedonia (joylessness); another is the pain. I suppose you might call some of this “disillusionment”, but that makes it sound cognitive, and intellectual, and amenable to argument and reasoning. Whereas it's more an affective and emotional state, not a set of propositions or an intellectual theory about the world. When I'm not depressed, it's not that I believe intellectually in a god or a purpose to life any more than when I am depressed. It's just that my non-depressed self generally enjoys being alive; or that when he doesn't, he knows that he can wait out a period of blah or even normal-grade sadness or grief to reach a point where he'll again experience moments of joy. When I am depressed, the subjective experience of being alive is at best deadened and deadening (although my depressed self knows intellectually, from experience, that he'll reach the other side), and at worst so actively painful that it doesn't seem like any period of happiness at the other end could be worth suffering through the bad stretch. As though someone said we're going to torture you on the rack now, but after a month or two you can have a lollipop, so just hang in there. Anyway, read the Hyperbole and a Half comic. I don't know how many people who have been depressed are…

I wanted to add a comment here because I'm seeing a lot of well intentioned but terribly uninformed comments, especially along the lines of "get a new hobby, set some new goals for yourself, do something you love!". If you haven't been through it, it's something that's very difficult to understand. People with depression often suffer from anhedonia. A lot of human drive is set on reward and goals, which is why things like MMOs are appealing and addicting. In addition, in healthy human beings, you get a rush of dopamine upon this kind of reward, so it's perhaps realistic for someone who is just "feeling down in the dumps". It's not realistic with someone with serious depression and especially with anhedonia. You don't want anything. You don't feel pleasure, you don't feel relief, nothing changes when something "good" happens. Nothing is fun, and you can't even tell if you like something, if you hate it, or if you're neutral. It is the worst sensation imaginable, and hard to explain to someone who has not been through it. It's easy to see how living life breaks down at this point, and a more immediate and serious solution is needed. You can't just pull yourself up and motivate yourself because nothing means anything anymore. If you don't have any first hand experience with depression, please check out this comic from Hyperbole and a Half: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html It may seem goofy but it actually helped some family members of…

"Writing is inherently about its author, and is a product of their personality and opinions – that’s not something to be shy about, and we shouldn’t try to change it either. So, write for yourself – and hold yourself to an appropriate standard, because you’d better believe that others are judging the person as well as the piece – but as soon as you publish your views, you’re inviting readers to take a look." Matt comes very close to one of my beliefs about writing... Creative writing is a way to give yourself an opportunity to think through an topic or story and give the rest of us an insight into how your mind works. That's the kind of writing I love -- the kind where I can see the gears moving to a certain degree and I know the author is honestly putting an effort into analyzing a subject or putting something difficult into words. As an example, I think this is why the recent "Hyperbole and a Half" (http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html… about Allie's experiences with depression is so valuable and compelling. And it's why I find listicles and articles that purport to be delivering glorious nuggets of truth from the top of Mount Bullshit to be boring, frustrating, and obnoxious. (If you look at my comment history, you'll probably find a fair amount of bitching about articles that are nothing but (often wrong or over-simplified) conclusions with no evident thought process behind them.) I think it's actually something that's hard to fake.…

On the other hand, plenty of art can lean into being intentionally brash and be all the more memorable for it. The phrase "bad MS paint blog" immediately makes me think of Hyperbole and a Half[1] where the style feeds into the zany ADHD vibe of the blog. Often, you find ugliness and rule breaking as a backlash to an overly polished status quo. AM radio rock gave way to punk, hair metal gave way to grunge, and EDM gave way to hyperpop. The most iconic album cover of 2024 was the word "brat" badly rendered on a plain, garish background.[2] [1] https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/05/sneaky-hate-spiral.html [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brat_(album)

OT, but seeing "alot" always sends me here: https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you… Language is what people use, and "alot" is close to critical mass, so you'll outlive this species of pedantry. I just like the cartoon.

Reminds me of how, whenever I see a comment on an Internet forum where someone writes "u" and "ur" for "you" and "you are", I naturally read it phonetically as "ooh" and "urr", and it sounds a bit like the style of language traditionally used in fiction to represent the primitive speech of cavepeople, and I imagine the author typing the comment using the numeric pad on a turn-of-the-century Nokia candybar phone (though even those had autocomplete). And never forget the fabled alot: https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you…

Can he draw an "alot" made of tokens? https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you…