natal
Original: natal on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1:
Man with flame-like red hair: I've decided to become a pro-natalist.
Woman with dark hair: Why? Something about the role of interdependence in the good society? A utilitarian view that increasing the number of good lives is best?
Panel 2:
Red-haired man: Nah.
Panel 3:
Red-haired man: I realized humans have a mental quirk where we get more happiness about being socially above a person than we get sadness from being below some other person.
Panel 4 (red-haired man smiling, woman beside him):
Red-haired man: The more humans there are, the more people are likely to be ranked lower than me! If people have too many kids to properly invest in them, that just improves my chances!
Panel 5 (red-haired man with arms spread wide):
Red-haired man: Think of the children!
Panel 6:
Woman with dark hair: If I reveal this theory to the world you may fall in the social rankings.
Panel 7 (red-haired man pointing):
Red-haired man: I will backfill with babies! You watch me!
Votey:
A man (the dark-haired woman's profile at left) asks: By the way, whatcha doin' toni--
Red-haired man (interrupting): NOPE
Man with flame-like red hair: I've decided to become a pro-natalist.
Woman with dark hair: Why? Something about the role of interdependence in the good society? A utilitarian view that increasing the number of good lives is best?
Panel 2:
Red-haired man: Nah.
Panel 3:
Red-haired man: I realized humans have a mental quirk where we get more happiness about being socially above a person than we get sadness from being below some other person.
Panel 4 (red-haired man smiling, woman beside him):
Red-haired man: The more humans there are, the more people are likely to be ranked lower than me! If people have too many kids to properly invest in them, that just improves my chances!
Panel 5 (red-haired man with arms spread wide):
Red-haired man: Think of the children!
Panel 6:
Woman with dark hair: If I reveal this theory to the world you may fall in the social rankings.
Panel 7 (red-haired man pointing):
Red-haired man: I will backfill with babies! You watch me!
Votey:
A man (the dark-haired woman's profile at left) asks: By the way, whatcha doin' toni--
Red-haired man (interrupting): NOPE
Alt text
A six-panel SMBC comic. A red-haired man tells a dark-haired woman, "I've decided to become a pro-natalist." She asks if it's about interdependence in the good society or a utilitarian view that increasing the number of good lives is best. He replies, "Nah," then explains, "I realized humans have a mental quirk where we get more happiness about being socially above a person than we get sadness from being below some other person." Grinning, he adds, "The more humans there are, the more people are likely to be ranked lower than me! If people have too many kids to properly invest in them, that just improves my chances!" He throws his arms wide and declares, "Think of the children!" The woman warns, "If I reveal this theory to the world you may fall in the social rankings." Pointing confidently, he answers, "I will backfill with babies! You watch me!" Votey: The woman's profile begins, "By the way, whatcha doin' toni--" and the smug man cuts her off with a curt "NOPE" in a speech bubble.
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.