Calvin & Hobbes: Life Lessons

June 18, 2013

Calvin & Hobbes: Life Lessons

Every now and then, I’ll put up comic strips from Calvin and Hobbes on my blog just because I loved what I read on that day. And this is of no surprise – I’ve always loved Calvin and Hobbes! I remembered being utterly pissed when I realized that the Calvin & Hobbes gadget on the side bar of my blog had some copyright issues and was taken off the blogger’s gadget a few years back. (It’s still not back on!)

There’s just something about Bill Waterson’s sense of humour into the characters that makes it special, especially since his “inner voices” are coming from the mind of a precocious 6-year old child (and a stuffed tiger). Most are downright hilarious, and most of the quotes, epic!

I always wondered how Bill Waterson do that…putting himself in the mind of a child, while making a six year old sound too intelligent for his own good, being wise in varied ways in an adult-like sense, yet allowing the child to be a child with such vivid, colourful and amazing imagination.

Recently, a nicely written article on “10 Life Lessons from Calvin and Hobbes has gone viral”. I love the way the writer puts it all down, and I found myself reflecting on what she wrote simply because it is all true!

Every point she made is valid, and I found these few to be the most inspiring of them all as they speak to me the most:

1. Make your own rules

As she puts it, life doesn’t make sense – and sometimes, all you need to do is embrace the insanity. Making your own rules is the way to go.

2. Embrace your weirdness

Being the introvert and a social misfit that I am, I feel very connected to this one. Like I said before, being weird and different from everyone else is not a bad thing. My life has so far been fun that way. have you seen the people I hang out with? They make me feel normal!

3. Perception is reality

I like what she said about : “When it comes to dealing with people, everything’s easier when you remember that a person’s entire world is based on their perception of reality. Therefore, their perception is their reality, no matter how objective they try (or don’t try) to be” This is all so true.

4. Most important things you learn aren’t from school

Oh! How true. I don’t think the education system in Singapore has ever taught me how to deal with bitches and bullies at the workplace.

5. There’s treasure everywhere! Go explore!

The journey of parenthood taught me to see things in a different light. It might be useless plastic bottles to you, but to a 2 year old child, there is no limit to his/her imagination of what it can be.

Original article can be found here.