Skip to content

You're Gonna Die

2010-06-21 · letter vlog · John · 3:31 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Philosophy & meaning (also: Sports) · mode: Personal essay · tags: timely hook, recurring series, community lore

Answering Hank's video on The Game, John says everyone and everything will be forgotten, but that is not nihilistic: we cannot choose whether to lose or to care, only what to care about, so he chooses nerdfighting, books and the World Cup; he then hosts a World Cup edition of Truth or Fail.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — You're gonna die and everything will be forgotten; at the Orlando Science Center planetarium as a kid John learned the Earth will end

  • ★★★ John tells Hank they and everyone they love will die, and one day no one will remember the books, World Cups, proofs or in-your-pants jokes, as if they never happened. — 00:00:00 · in your pants, meaning of life
  • ★★ John recalls learning as a child at the Orlando Science Center planetarium that the Earth will end, his first grappling with the temporary habitability of the universe. — 00:00:24
  • ★★ John says, unsure and admitting he's not good at science, that in about six billion years the Earth will fall into the sun. (hedged) — 00:00:27
    • check: about six billion — doubtful

00:00:52 — Hank's Friday video was optimistic: we choose which games to care about; John's criteria; all this is temporary but we have a say

  • ★★ Some think talking about death and the temporariness of human experience is pessimistic or nihilistic, but John found Hank's Friday video on games, losing and non-attachment quite optimistic. — 00:00:52

  • ★★★ Restating Hank, John says we don't choose whether we lose the games we play, but we choose which games; we can't choose whether to care, only what to care about. — 00:01:04 · meaning of life

    “We don't get to choose whether to care but we do get to choose what to care about.”

  • ★★★ When he cares about a game, John asks whether it helps people here now, honors those who came before, and paves the way for those who come after. — 00:01:18

  • ★★★ John says all this is temporary, but we have a say in how temporary it is. — 00:01:29

00:01:32 — An anglerfish gift; John chooses nerdfighting, books and the World Cup; argument with himself about 'the same ball'

  • ★ John shows an anglerfish someone gave him and calls it cute. (playful) — 00:01:32
  • ★★★ John chooses nerdfighting, books and, though it's silly, the World Cup, because it transcends geography, ethnicity, wealth and politics and puts the world on the same grass. — 00:01:36 · nerdfighter

00:02:07 — Grateful to Hank; a World Cup Truth or Fail to make Hank a football fan; sign-off

  • ★★ Hank's video didn't change John's mind about watching the World Cup, but made him think about why he cares about soccer and reminded him caring is a choice; he is grateful. — 00:02:07
  • ★★ Inspired by Hank, John makes a World Cup episode of Truth or Fail, hoping to turn Hank into a football fan. (hedged) — 00:02:17

00:02:33 — Truth or Fail World Cup edition: John watches Spain v Switzerland, his streak since 1994, the rules, two purported facts

  • ★★ Hosting Truth or Fail while watching Spain play Switzerland, John says he has watched every World Cup match since 1994 and won't break the streak. (playful) — 00:02:38
  • ★★ Truth or Fail option one, one of two purported facts: the US goal against England in the 1950 World Cup 'Miracle on Grass' was scored not by an American but by a Haitian. (unsure) — 00:02:57 · United States, England
  • ★★ Truth or Fail option two: the term 'soccer' derives from early football players often playing in their socks rather than cleats. (unsure) — 00:03:08

Humor (significant)

  • John opens his Monday letter to Hank with an ordinary greeting, then a pause. — 00:00:00

    “you're gonna die.”

  • Told the Earth's end is a long way away, eight-year-old John reasons the teacher is old but he might yet live that long. — 00:00:43

    “It's very plausible that with advances in medical science I could live for six billion years!”

  • A second John objects that a World Cup match takes more than one ball, and John explains he avoided saying 'balls'. — 00:01:50

    “By the way, who's the lucky guy who gets to have the pair of balls that the whole world plays with?”

  • John explains Truth or Fail: click the true fact, or click the wrong one and... — 00:02:48

    “and fail worse than England at a World Cup penalty shootout.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: FIFA World Cup · meaning of life · Truth or Fail

Also: Organizations: Orlando Science Center · YouTube

Terms: in your pants · nerdfighter

Places: England · Haiti · Spain · Switzerland · United States

Events: United States v England (1950)

Also centred on FIFA World Cup: Mmmm....PARTS · GOOOOOOOL!!!! · ALL THE SHIRTS (and some paths to community) · Who Should We Root For? · Your 4-Minute Guide to ALL 32 TEAMS at the 2018 World Cup · Sports are Dumb

Also centred on Truth or Fail: Truth or Fail! START HERE · TRUTH OR FAIL!!! (START HERE) (re-try...with more info) · TRUTH OR FAIL!!! Episode 2 (New and Improved) · Truth or Fail with John! Famous Authors Edition · Twitter Games and Truth or Fail · Truth or Fail: John Green Books

Replies to

Later videos replying to this one

Part of an exchange of 3 videos, 2010-06-18 – 2010-06-23.