If you're stagnant in your life, you have two choices, you can either change or die
Summary
A straphanger delivers a confrontational pep talk about stagnation: you can either change or die. Kareem pushes back hard, twisting the take into a pro-change stance while the rider doubles down with surprising intensity. The conversation spirals from depression and self-care to Sisyphus, sad sacks who sit on the rock making it harder for everyone else, and an oddly specific prescription for heartbroken men (volunteer for a month, then "bitches will literally fall on you"). It's part philosophy lecture, part tough love intervention. The rider, who's on antidepressants and comfortable discussing it, insists there's no room for endless wallowing in sadness, especially for internet-dwelling men who blame women for their problems. Kareem tries to defend the right to heartbreak. The whole thing ends abruptly.
Full Transcript
So, what's your take? If you're stagnant in your life, you have two choices. You can either change or—
100% disagree.
What?
This is a pro take.
I'm not saying I'm pro. I'm saying literally—
I'm—no, no, no, no, no. I'm saying you should change. But if you are unwilling to change and you just want to hurt everyone around you and just live in a hollowed out little hole in the ground because you're uh, I'm stagnant. Uh, then you might as well cover it up with dirt.
Oh my god.
And then that's the end of it.
So, if I'm having a really bad year and I call you and I say, "I'm stagnant." I would say, "Okay, have you talked to anybody? Are you including art in your life? Are you exercising? Are you eating healthy?"
Are you telling everyone to stop being a sad clown?
I'm saying stop being a sad little—
Yes, I have depression. I'm on anti-depressant.
So, you're clear to talk about this?
Yeah, come on. I can talk about it. If you are like a sad sack person, I would much rather you change, start a new program, start giving back, volunteering, etc. We need people who are willing to create community to help other people out instead of just being like, "I'm sad." Imagine Sisyphus, right?
The guy that pushes the rock up the hill over and over and over for the rest of his life.
We're all just pushing a rock up a hill, but these sad sacks are like sitting on the rock, making it harder for the rest of us. But like, if we all work together, we can push that rock up a hill. But if these sad sack motherfuckers sit here and type on the internet about how women made them sad, they can die.
So men can't experience heartbreak anymore.
No, you're allowed to be sad. "Wow, she broke my heart up." But okay, you can do that for like a month, but then you got to get off your ass and go volunteer. And honestly, a dude, if you volunteer and show that you're a good man, bitches will literally fall on you. I—I think that—that you—yeah, maybe you should just volunteer and then everything will be happy. But don't kill yourself.
We're done here.