todo-3
Original: todo-3 on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1:
Man: How are you so relaxed all the time?
Woman: I discovered a recursion paradox.
Panel 2:
Woman: Every morning I wake up and make a to-do list.
Panel 3:
Woman: Regardless of what else is on the list, the last entry is always the same.
(Her to-do list reads: "and send" / checkbox "Leave at least one to-do list box unchecked")
Panel 4:
Woman: If I leave at least one box unchecked, I fail. If I check all the boxes I cannot check that last box. By construction I can never finish my todo list!
Panel 5:
Woman: You see? I have given up all hope! I'm free of the chains of desire!
Panel 6:
Man: This would just drive me to madness.
Woman: That's the other key to happiness!
Votey:
Text (no characters): One day "stoicism achieved through guaranteed failure" will be considered my contribution to human wellbeing.
Man: How are you so relaxed all the time?
Woman: I discovered a recursion paradox.
Panel 2:
Woman: Every morning I wake up and make a to-do list.
Panel 3:
Woman: Regardless of what else is on the list, the last entry is always the same.
(Her to-do list reads: "and send" / checkbox "Leave at least one to-do list box unchecked")
Panel 4:
Woman: If I leave at least one box unchecked, I fail. If I check all the boxes I cannot check that last box. By construction I can never finish my todo list!
Panel 5:
Woman: You see? I have given up all hope! I'm free of the chains of desire!
Panel 6:
Man: This would just drive me to madness.
Woman: That's the other key to happiness!
Votey:
Text (no characters): One day "stoicism achieved through guaranteed failure" will be considered my contribution to human wellbeing.
Alt text
A six-panel comic. A balding man asks a woman with curly dark hair why she's so relaxed all the time; she says she discovered a recursion paradox. She explains that every morning she makes a to-do list, and the final entry is always the same self-referential item: a checkbox reading "Leave at least one to-do list box unchecked." If she leaves a box unchecked she fails, but if she checks every box she can't check that last one, so by construction she can never finish her list. Grinning wildly with arms raised, she declares she has given up all hope and is free of the chains of desire. The man says this would just drive him to madness; she beams and replies, "That's the other key to happiness!" Votey (aftercomic): a caption-only panel in hand-lettered text reading, "One day 'stoicism achieved through guaranteed failure' will be considered my contribution to human wellbeing."
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.