Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for November 13, 2020

Sometimes, it’s the only choice you have.

♫ See the world through your cynical eyes ♫

♫ But the fool on the hill sees the sun going down and the eyes in his head see the world spinning ’round. ♫

Pig is not laughing, it is a paresis .

How do you expect to ever be happy in life if you don’t learn how to lie to yourself?

Fake it til you make it?

People (pig IS a person, right?) often do convince themselves to be happy, sad, excited, etc. Everything you know happens between your ears, right?

This particular strip has been run several times lately, with the dialogue being slightly different each time. I believe it’s called the Doonesbury Formula.

He’s also pretending to have those balloons…

♬ Whenever I fool

The people I fear

I fool myself as well… ♬

“Oh Yeah, Poor Little Fool” (Ricky Nelson)

Being happy like most things in life starts on the inside. 10% physical … 90% mental :-) … Croc Power !

You’ve been very successful so far, Pig!

Yes indeed. Thou wouldst make a good fool.

Happy-go-(un)lucky.

the doctrine of many a fool, or politician…..

That’s sad.

This comic strip has had a melancholy tone for months. Since all comic strips are submitted two-three weeks in advance of publication, I suspect this strip will brighten up when the strips written after the election are published.

Smile. Makes everyone wonder what you are up to.

Pig, as usual, is right. Smile and you feel better.

This actually WORKS. It has taken me decades to learn, but if I am mad at the world, even if I FORCE myself to smile, especially at others, I don’t feel so angry anymore.

again, puns weren’t so bad. They were bad but not that much

Suprised pig didn’t win the villave idiot contest. That was clearly a race to the bottom.

I’m smiling

Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying.

Oddly enough, science supports this approach to self delusion.

That’s called delusional, and it can become a real problem. It’s what made people think the were somebody or something that they are not.

I tried that on a 5-year assignment I hated, but I whistled. Till a guy asked, “What are you whistling for?”

As my Dad used to say, gotta laugh to keep from cryin’

I think we all are, we just don’t know it…..

How about those clowns? They have to smile no matter what!

Better to laugh than to cry….

And again, Pig’s self awareness is a surprise given his rather “simple” nature.

Everyone else tries to, why should I be left out?

♪ ♫ Everybody knows fooling yourself can be dangerous if you lose control ♫♪

Fake it ’til you make it!

Looks like a great idea.

Reading through this thread brought to mind Charlie Chaplin’s classic song, “Smile”, here as sung by Judy Garland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oX_3tHl6nI

someone just shoot him and put him out of his misery .

Def Leppard rocks.

Too bad there aren’t many real kings around anymore. Pig would have been a perfect Court Jester! Happy Fool!

pretty convincing smile.

This world is full of people fooling themselves.

You see the world through your cynical eyesYou’re a troubled young man I can tellYou’ve got it all in the palm of your handBut your hand’s wet with sweat and your head needs a restAnd you’re fooling yourself if you don’t believe itYou’re kidding yourself if you don’t believe it