The Sycamore Tree: The Anthropocene Reviewed
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- The Anthropocene Reviewed book (featuring this essay and 49 others) comes out on May 18th. Preorder a signed copy: www.penguinran...
The art in this video is by Nadim Silverman, who made all the art for TAR. You can view more of Nadim's work here: www.instagram....
In which John plays the why game before discovering that he is in the vast shade of a sycamore tree.
You can listen to this and every episode of The Anthropocene Reviewed wherever you get your podcasts. This review was edited by Stan Muller. The music was composed by Hannis Brown. Jenny Lawton and Rosianna Halse Rojas produced it. Joe Plourde was the technical director. It was written by me.
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Book club: www.lifeslibrar...
The Anthropocene Reviewed book (featuring this essay and 49 others) comes out on May 18th. Preorder a signed copy: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/672554/the-anthropocene-reviewed-signed-edition-by-john-green/
The art in this video is by Nadim Silverman, who made all the art for TAR. You can view more of Nadim's work here: instagram.com/nadimsilverman/?hl=en
You can listen to this and every episode of The Anthropocene Reviewed wherever you get your podcasts. This review was edited by Stan Muller. The music was composed by Hannis Brown. Jenny Lawton and Rosianna Halse Rojas produced it. Joe Plourde was the technical director. It was written by me. There's no semi-secret livestream today due to deadline pressures. Sorry! See you next week, hopefully.
-John
Totally understand John! So excited for the book
Can’t preorder it where I live :,( , but can’t wait to purchase it soon
No worries! I can't wait for the book!!! :)
Preordered it at my local bookstore here in Germany when he announced it. Probably won't get a signed copy because I'm not in the US or Canada, but I'm really looking forward to reading it!
So excited for your book, John! Hearing this again made me think of a study on Ecclesiastes that I just finished from this group in Portland: bibleproject.com/podcast/series/ecclesiastes-study
Asking "what's the point?" is such a fascinating, terrifying, and soul-cracking experience. But, as you said, maybe the best we can do is appreciate a simple meal, the company of a loved one, or a thriving sycamore. I give this 4.5-star review 4.5 stars. ;)
"A blessed and beautiful silence" - Hank Green's next book
Thank you for discussing our shared darkness in an honest and beautiful way. Much more of this, please.
@@nikki5095 I appreciate the compliment, but I'm more than sure it wasn't meant for me! However if you do want to hear more of this kind of content, look up the Anthropocene Reviewed on whatever podcast player you prefer.
Ominous
Wait, are you predicting Hank will not write another book?
Wouldn't it be "A Blessedly Beautiful Silence"?
I find it difficult to express how deeply your writing reaches me, John. Thanks.
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One absolutely wild thing, John, is that a sycamore tree isn't mostly water, dirt, and sunlight turned into wood and leaves and such; it gets most of its mass from the air! The carbon that makes up all that wood and leaves isn't taken up through the roots but grabbed straight out of the air. It's astounding that all that solid sturdy stuff is also just floating around as we breathe it. We exhale wood parts, scrap building material for the trees. I hope I've helped a good few trees in my time. Lord knows they've given us a lot.
I have fixed this detail in the book. Thank you! :) -John
I knew someone would comment this lol. There's a good Vertitasium Vid about it.
@@thefreshest2379 yess that's what came to my mind
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This comment made me cry.
Hank: Hey want to see some cool stuff under a microscope?
John: WHAT IS EVEN THE POINT OF ANYTHING!?
Hank: Didn't you know most of the mass in that tree came from the carbon in the air?
John: WHAT IS EVEN THE POINT OF ANYTHING!?
Not gonna lie, I thought this was Hank the whole time
It took me a year to realize Journey into the Microcosmos was Hank.
Best friggen stumble I’ve ever found.
And religiously follow the channel.
Both of these guys are wholesome. And will be.
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42!! :)
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These comments are the best.
I simultaneously feel existential dread and a deep calmness after listening to this review. Absolutely fascinating, brilliant, and thought provoking.
The exact thing I was feeling but not knowing how to express
why?
Aaron Anthonis hehe
Agreed
It was definitely thoughtful of John to, at the same time, direct our eyes towards the abyss, and then remind us that it's entirely possible to take the existence of such a thing in stride.
There was a big sycamore tree in my backyard when I was a kid and whenever I was angry or despairing I would go out and hug it. I think I will hug a tree today.
I had the exact same thought process about my tree. Tree huggers unite! 🌳
Currently in a blizzard. I’ll try my best
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I now need to find the nearest sycamore tree I can hug.
Socialist! Just kidding. **sigh** What have we become.
As someone who also struggles with depression and anxiety, I really appreciate John talking openly about it, especially when it's this poetic. For some reason, hearing you talk like this, even when it feels upsetting, brings me hope. I often think to myself "what is the point?", and then I see my friends across campus, or I get a vlogbrothers notification, or something else that is small but brings me joy happens, and I realize that there is a point somewhere, it just needs to be found.Thank you John.
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Emily, your words are also poetic. I mean that. Thank you.
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“Why” is probably one of the most annoying and important questions ever.
Why?
Ain't nothing but a heartache ♪
I find it's a useless question. Every answer is an answer to the question. No answer can ever satisfy the question. I find it much more beneficial to ask what or how.
I only find it annoying when trying to explain why makes me feel bad
@@adamwhite2641 yet when you only ask how or what you end up doing things that later people ask you if you should have done them.
This guy sounds super articulate. He should write a book or something.
😂
or something...
Maybe one or two 😂
He does write books
He's written books
One of my favorite recent quotes I read, “If there really is no reason to do anything, then there is also no reason to not do anything”
I like this one a lot 5/5 stars
This works very well for serial killers.
that is clearly not a true inference though. 'If there is no reason for x, then there is no reason to ~x' is not true.
@@hughsamuel-king1874 I think it's more if you have no purpose you may as well try to create one rather than doing nothing
Well said. This conclusion is the only way my mind can suspend playing the game.
Sometimes I forget that John is a writer....then videos like these come along....keep it up John!
Thanks John...The heart just made my day! ❤️
I was thinking that this is a "John is a writer video."
"The Author one" ;)
Are you talking about John Green, the tik toker?
"I haven't written a book in 6 years. Thanks for reminding me of that." ~ John Green, the first Vidcon EU.
This digital painting process is so mesmerising to look at, it goes perfectly with John's calming voice.
I love this channel so much.
Someone else also please like this comment.
@@shalvigarimanegi bet.
Digital painting is the best.
Quietly sings to myself : We're here, because we're here, because we're here, because we're here! Thank you for sharing so deeply John, this is so beautiful!
I've been singing that a lot lately, not just of John's anthropocene reviews of Auld Lang Syne, but also because of reading "The Wall", where they changed the lyrics to: we're on the wall, because we're on the wall, because ... etc.
It's strangely reassuring as well as depressing at the same time.
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Hank seeing this: I see you and I hear you and this is longer than 4 minutes.
John has read the first chapter of his books before and those video have gone on and he was not punished
@@michelleshelton1079 as has hank!
"Now always feels infinite, and never is. You keep going."
I really needed to hear that today.
"Your now is not your always" is another version of that thought he gave us. Both beautiful and important to know.
Your voice is genuinely the most calming thing. I've had a bad day and this , this right here is what makes me happy. Thank you ,John.
this too shall pass
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Yes. I feel the same, I'm listening to this at 6am when I can't sleep. John's voice tho eases my tension. Thank you John, you make life a bit more bearable for someone on the opposite end of the world.
I have a playlist of his mental floss videos that always gets me to sleep when my head is too loud
John. I just want you to know that this essay has been with me in the darkest moments of my life. It's taken me through tears and through complete numbness to the world. I have the part starting with "But of course the problem with dispair..." memorised by heart and it has been a compass pointing towards where I want to go ever since I heard it
Thanks. That means a lot to me. -John
I agree xadian. This one and the one where John talks about the dying child during his hospital chaplaincy really helped me during a bad depressive episode. Some of the Anthropocene are informative, some funny but some just strike right at your heart and let you know you aren't alone.
@@sarahcb3142 That is such a great way of putting it!
@@vlogbrothers As someone medicating and meditating, I too am waiting for the day when the air is a bit warmer, the sky not so blindingly bright, the sky is overcast, and I find my Sycamore Tree. Until then, I will wake up in the morning with a pounding heart asking myself why did I have to wake up and go to sleep at night, peacefully, since there is no more blinding bright light.
When I needed him most, John hits me with a hauntingly beautiful essay accompanied with an equally beautiful piece of art. Thank you for making my Tuesday better.
Once again, crying
Once again, struggling
Once again, comforted in obscure ways that I cannot articulate well if at all
Once again
Grateful
I am sorry stranger, I'm in the middle of an episode and just want to thank you.
I didn’t even realize this was an Anthropocene review until he rated it at the end
To be honest, it kind of caught me off guard 😅
I knew that was his anthropogenic voice.
John: "The darkness which is you."
Me: Gosh, I hope John can bring this back around to end the video on a positive note.
John: "Except it's not really a darkness"
Me: Phew
John: "It's much worse than that."
Me: Oh.
Edit: another beautiful, thoughtful essay, John! ❤️
When I first heard this episode I cried for hours after and I didn’t know why
I startwd to cry too
Same. I remember I was listening to Anthropocene Reviewed late at night because my insomnia and incessant voice of anxiety needed some sort of distraction. I lay there alone in the dark, depressed and anxious. And then hearing that John also felt these existential crisis at times just broke me. I cried for a good while.
Me too, moved to tears
Of course we're crying, and we do know why, we just don't want to admit it.
me too.
I realize this is besides the point, but I appreciate you playing the “why” game with your kids (as annoying as it is). I’ve seen too often children being shamed for daring to wonder.
Yes, so glad you've put this. Letting children ask why encourages them to grow into adults who continue to ask why. Lack of interest is such a strange thing to favour in children, and yet so many do.
@@SamWest96 I wish there was a way to at least make them consider the answers you give them instead of directly slamming the next "why" into your face.
Lone Starr The moment you accept an answer on its face is the moment you lose out on revelation. If you ever stop asking why, you’ll never know the answer. You likely forgot it a long time ago. Or you never looked to find it yourself.
@@lonestarr1490 why? (I’m sorry, I felt the need)
@@lonestarr1490 they're soaking up knowledge. Children's brains make so many more connections than adult brains do, and so they need to ask why to learn more. It's incredibly frustrating, and can drive us absolutely loopy at times, but it is such an important developmental stage. They are constantly processing what's been said and will likely think about it all later on in the day, so it will get processed, at their own speed ☺️
I have never heard another human being describe the "what's the point" game I have been playing for way too many years now. And you have nailed it so fully on the head. I only wish you had another 10 minutes of content that was just as powerful explaining how to win the game.
This 10 minutes has got a lot of answers/approaches in it, listen close, watch wide.
Don't play
@@lordbubax3929yeah there's a lot of bugs in that one 👎
I come back to this essay periodically, when I need something to shake loose the paralyzing sadness inside me, and I have a good little cry through the last few minutes, and even though I don’t always feel better, I feel *something,* and that’s a start ❤
I don’t often venture into the comment, not to read or write. However after this I am in awe and just craved closeness with you, my community of distant friends I will never know.
We feel you here, man..we're all here 🙏
I’ve been trying to pay attention to the names in the patreon credits of the channels I follow and specifically focus on how many others care about the same things I do. It’s brought a lot of comfort while I’m feeling more alone than ever.
Hi friend
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A quote from Angel: The Series that helps me is “If nothing we do matters, than all that matters is what we do.”
I don't understand; it seems to be a non sequitur. For example, if only what distant aliens do matters then it's true that nothing we do matters, but not that all that matters is what we do.
@@AltayHunter The idea is that what matters doesn't come from without, it comes from within. That external sources of meaning aren't the things that matter, we are the creators of the need to matter, and therefore the things we decide are important are the things that matter. For a lot of us, particularly those that grew up with religion, but even the needs of society, family, etc, meaning comes from external things. Someone or something decides what matters and we run the rat race to fulfill it. The quote is attempting to answer the existential problem that; if there are no gods, and nothing is eternal, then nothing really matters. The answer to the question is, for many, that things need not be eternal to matter, they just need to matter to me.
@@AltayHunter imagine we not as humans but as sentient creatures. If there isn't any metaphysical meaning to our actions, then the only meaning is how we act toward others. Do we help them? Do we act in kindness? Do we leave the universe a better place? Optimistic Nihilism is what this called if you want to find out more.
@@AltayHunter the point is that if our actions will have no big impact, we could theoretically do anything and get the same results. We could do good or evil and in the end it wouldn’t make a difference on the big picture. So what you do with the opportunity given to you by this freedom is what matters. Will you live selfishly or selflessly, or a mixture of the two. The universe doesn’t care, but the people around you, in this brief existence, will. It’s up to you to decide which is more important, and how
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There is a park near my house that has several massive, beautiful Sycamore trees.
We walk by them almost every day, the dogs and I.
They love to mill around the base of the tree. So many good smells.
I crane my neck to take in the magnificence.
They are not the only trees, but they make the walk worth returning to time after time.
When I have thoughts like “What kind of mouth breathing jackass looks at the state of humanity with anything other than nihilistic despair?” ...I try to remember how Andrew Solomon describes the insidious trick depression tries to play on you:
"You don't think in depression that you've put on a gray veil and are seeing the world through the haze of a bad mood. You think that the veil has been taken away, the veil of happiness, and that now you're seeing truly"
..... wow
that’s the best description of depression i’ve ever seen
wow
that hits fucking hard
@@chloeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee check out his Ted talk about his struggles with depression. it's brilliant and insightful and empatheti. It's called "Depression: The Secret We Share."
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
by Andrew Solomon
bookshop.org/books/the-noonday-demon-an-atlas-of-depression/9781501123887
Ok you have no idea how light I feel, the tension this lifted
We tend to think in terms of either/or. It's got to be one thing or the other. Neither the gray veil nor the sprightly rainbow veil are likely 100% true vision; but we find it hard to categorize the world, and our emotions, in subtle ways or ways that demand continuous thinking, honesty, and reexamination moment by moment. Instead, it's this or that person or politics or whatever is good. Or bad. Very simply. We are constantly struggling to simplify into what may very well be inanity. Humans are not inherently made to think long, hard, continuously, and honestly and in fine detail. So when I'm sad the world is bad, and when I'm happy, the world is great. Easy-peasy!
I’m just now realizing how badly I want to listen to John Green read me an audiobook
Well I'm pretty sure he's narrating the audiobook for his new book!
@@sarahp6512 Ooh! Might have to check it out then
If you haven't heard about it, it's based on his podcast "The Anthropocene Reviewed" (with the same name), which is in the same style as this video. I think it's coming out in May.
I'm pretty sure this is taken straight from his podcast as-is.. It's not so much a podcast as John just reading his reviews, all in this style. It's very good.
Check out the Anthropocene Reviewed podcast, that's where this came from.
As a proud Milwaukeeian I was a tad insulted by the, “nothing anyone does in Milwaukee is important,” but then again it’s not, not wrong.
Well, it's equally true (if not more so!) of Indianapolis! -John
To be fair, you could say that about most places
Same but not Milwaukee a small suburb right next to Milwaukee called Mequon
I give Milwaukee four and a half stars
@@vlogbrothers Vonnegut did great things in Indianapolis
My brain has been playing the “what’s even the point” game a lot lately... it’s been hard... and I forget that other people may be having the same thoughts as me, and it’s oddly comforting to know others are going through what I’m going through as well, and that I’m not alone. Thank you John
You're never alone here
I've been feeling this way too. You're not alone. Big hug
Same, except it's been here most of my life
The whole point of life and the meaning of it is clearly and explicitly explained in ISLAM:
This two digit life is but a test to determine what happens in the infinitly long forever lasting afterlife.
This test determines whether you will have an indefinitely blessed and happy afterlife
Or.... An indefinitely dark burning afterlife..
(I am not pushing facts on you, do your research with an open mind, and you WILL find only one answer)
Islam is the answer to everything..
Nothing could prove that wrong since the creation of humanity.
@@عبدالرحمنبلهراوي well Christianity claims the same thing. So ...... your point?
Here, in Santiago de Chile, there´s a lot of sycamore trees.
Specifically, the Old World sycamore variant. Thanks to their unique resistance to scorching heat in summers and cold, dry winters, you can see them basically everywhere, in a desperate struggle to help us have some green (pun unintended) in our concrete gray lives.
Here in the capital, unless you live in the four richest communes or almost by the mountain range, there are almost no parks, plazas or even open green areas where you can see really big trees. Except for the sycamore tree, adorning almost every major street by the dozen.
People kinda hate them because, thanks to overexposure, you tend to evolve an allergic reaction to their pollen, and their prickly fruits can be used as a tossing weapon for children playing on the streets.
But still, one can still find beauty in them. A shy solace that, even in the gray days, you can still stop by their shade, and take a breath beneath their shadow.
So thanks for helping me remind that, John.
I find it relevant to the theme of this video that people are connecting to John placing value in the sycamore tree. It shows how humans can put a meaning in anything.
Wait, are sycamores plátanos orientales?
@@Artechiza Why, yes indeed! We got a couple of variants, tho. Both Planatus Occidentalis and Platanus Orientalis are pretty easy to find on the streets (and even more Platanus x Hispanica!) and you can even see some Platanus Wrightii when walking around Las Condes.
All members of the Platanus genus are sycamores!
Being a biology nerd is something that I can thank Hank for, so we've come full circle.
"I want to feel what there is to feel while I am here."
Over the past couple of years I've made so much progress with my mental health. I've come from the constant despair you speak about, and often it crops back up, asking 'what is the point', and making me doubt why I try to be better.
I think you've very beautifully put in to words exactly why I try. Thank you.
“Someday, maybe someday soon, we will be embraced by the ones we love...and this will end...and the light soaked days are coming.” I give the anthropocene reviewed 5 stars
"now always feels infinite and never is."
thank you, john. this is literally my favourite episode from the podcast and i revisit it all the time because it is one of the only things that makes me feel okay and does it so gently too. so thank you so much for this, john. this episode has got me through some extremely difficult times and it is endlessly comforting to know that i can always come back to it, especially when i need it the most.
excited to receive my pre-ordered copy of the anthropocene reviewed! (my first and only signed copy of any book ever)
Hey John! I'm a teen who just had a breakdown and was looking for some The Office clips to make me laugh and then this came to my feed. Thank you for saving me. Just thank you.
Did anyone else burst into laughter when he said “I give sycamore trees four ahd a half stars”?
Yes, it was kind of jarring after the deeply emotional and philosophical rest of it 😆
Y'all clearly don't listen to The Anthropocene Reviewed.
@@shalenkleats I listen to it all the time but somehow this different context still made it very surprising.
Top notch bathos right there.
Yes
I’d like to quietly add that whilst the universe might not care that you are here, others do. And some deeply.
I read a book called Tuesdays with Morrie recently and the point the book makes is love is the greatest reason for anything.
I didn't realize this was longer than the usual 4 minutes till afterwards. I got so caught up in the painting I lost track of time.
There is a real quiet joy to The Anthropocene Reviewed, both in the language of the essays and the audio as well. I had not realized the book would be accompanied by art, but I’m very glad to find out that it is. There is quiet joy in that sycamore tree, too.
John: I'll pause Anthropocene reviewed for a while.
Also John: I am gonna give it to you with the video!
I am not complaining.
This is my favorite podcast episode of all time, I have it saved to my phone and sometimes listen to it when I'm sad. It's just so raw and truthful, and it carries an emotion I can't name but feel so often. So for that, John, thank you. Thank you for putting this masterpiece into the world
I LITERALLY LISTEN TO THIS ALL THE TIME AND THE AMOUNT OF HARDSHIP IT HAS CARRIED ME THROUGH IS INCREDIBLE SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING IT HERE I ALMOST CRIED WHEN I SAW IT
Nice to know I'm not the only one who does that
Nice to know I'm not the only one who does that
I reread “Turtles All the Way Down” last week, and that story along with this video has put me in an interesting mood. Good work John!
My favourite thing is getting a notification vlogbrothers are up when my phone is in hand. Now my down time feels meaningful.
I’m in the midst of my teenage years and these “why” “what is even the point” questions pound my head incessantly all the time... Of all the questions I’ve had in my life, I found these to be hardest to find answers to and when I can’t arrive at one it becomes really overwhelming and intense for me now moreso than ever... John, there is no amount of “thank yous” that would suffice to say for you change my life in a non trivial way everyday with content like these and I’m grateful...
The answer to all of your doubts are explicitly explained in Islam..
Do some research about it, you will find mind blowing facts that should have been very obvious
@@عبدالرحمنبلهراوي 😊thanks!
@@Anu-ht7gs you are most welcome
And now I’m crying. I’ve been asking myself “what is the point” every day for about 6 years now . I can’t even put a reason as to why I’m crying so hard right now.
//hugs.
I don't know you, or your pain... from my own experience, sometimes having another person validate or put to words the pain you've held inside yourself can bring relief. A feeling of being seen, of being known, a recognition of the weight you've been struggling with brings catharsis.
I hope you're able to keep going, in spite of all this. I believe in you... be kind to yourself, and take care, okay?
@@AoiLucine thank you❤️
“I am sitting under a sycamore by Tinker Creek. I am really here, alive on the intricate earth under trees." - Annie Dillard
I listen to this episode of the podcast so often. Whenever I’m down I have to pull it up. My loved ones even know this about me, and they’ll tell me to think about sycamore trees when I’m sad. I often wonder if you know how big of an impact you have on stranger’s lives. Thanks for sharing John.
As a college senior, I read so much nonfiction for class that I forget words are supposed to move us, not just teach us. Thank you, John.
cant stop laughing after the "I give sycamore trees four and a half stars" thrown in at the end.
Agreed, not quite a non-sequitor but maybe a quasi-sequitor? Either way, perfect ending.
It's because it's from his podcast "the anthropocene reviewed" where he picks two things and reviews them on a star scale :)
If you're not familiar with the Anthropocene Reviewed format already, it does seem wildly out of place and abrupt. It makes more sense in context!
I just went, "Why not 5?"
@@ApequH yes me too XD Why not 5?
Reminded me of a short poem by Tanya Markul:
The pain
that made you
the odd one out
is the story
that connects you
to a healing world.
"a tube that will spew a truly astonishing amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in order to transport from one population center to a different one"
Never heard someone describe a plane like that before, and that's why I admire your wisdom and content. You are our Uncle Iroh
Ohhh it's longer than 4mins, what a wonderful treat! I was hoping we would get one for the anthropocene reviewed :)
I've literally never, once in my life, heard the processes that my mind goes through so clearly laid out. I think what's so special about that is feeling understood. That you get it, in a world where I thought no one did.
Thank you. In the middle of spiral this has suddenly become a brilliantly calming moment. I'm still spiraling but it's something to hold onto
The story of my birth is also the story of my first near death experience. My mother needed to have a C-section, and when they cut her open I saw that first light while still immersed inside the amniotic fluids. As I drew my first breaths to cry my first tears, I inhaled liquids instead of air. I was drowning. Fortunately, the doctors moved fast. They pumped my lungs as my mother cried asking what was happening to her new baby. Thanks to modern medicine I survived my first fight with that blinding light. But it did almost kill me. Years later, halfway through my 13th year, I began to see the light again. The chill in the air was beginning, and it was too painful for a 13 year old to withstand. I was a child, I didn't know what was happening to me. And once again, that blinding white light tried to kill me. And I decided to let it. Fortunately, the doctors moved fast. Thanks to modern medicine I survived. They hooked me up to an I.V. which would flush the pills I took out of my system as my mother cried asking what was happening to her baby. The pain I must have caused her still haunts me to this day. In the crisis unit afterwards I decided that avoiding causing that pain again would be the reason I would never let it kill me again. I too went to therapy, meditated even though i hate meditation, and began medication that would help me produce the serotonin I would decide later was my purpose in life. To feel the beauty in life. To witness the soft blue light that is love. and happiness. I don"t think there ever will be an answer to "what even is the point?" that will satisfy it completely, but in my 23rd year I know that as harsh and painful that blinding white light is, the soft blue light is just as powerful in the opposite direction. The love of my mother, my family, and my friends is powerful. And even more beautiful yet, is my love for the world. Here in Canada, the ash tree is my favorite. I try to always look at it with a sense of child like wonder, which is, what I think, the opposite of "what even is the point?". And that seems to work for me. Now even if I do still have the pain, I also have the comfort. And the comfort is better than I ever could have imagined as a 13 year old. It is indescribably happy, and well worth the wait. I give the white light 1 star, but the blue one 5.
After listening to this it occurs to me that nihilism is often the result of depression. It is not the natural state of a person to believe that life is nothing and without meaning. It is when we are in a bad place that these thoughts come. That gives me hope that we are not built for nihilism. We are built for meaning, beauty, joy, hope. I will hold onto this thought when things are hard.
“Now always feels infinite, even though it never is.” ❤️
Once you come to this conclusion that nothing in this life really matters it becomes difficult to accept yourself and carry on living. When you explore this idea a little more it is freeing more than scary. No I don’t really matter but I can feel happiness and sadness and love. I can make others happy and I can appreciate the sun shining on my skin. Accepting the fact that I do not matter makes me live my life in pursuit of things that really matter to me and aware of things that I do not care about. I can experience the world a little and make it better for the people who will be here after me. I will not matter in 100 years so I’m going to experience life the way I want by loving deeply and jumping fearlessly. Sleeping, dreaming playing and wasting time while I discover, learn and create. I will embarrassed myself a little to live free of bounds. I will live my life according to my insignificance and nothing I have ever accepted has made me happier.
I’ve always wondered why we need there to be a reason or meaning to life. Life is just a miracle, isn’t that enough? (She says from her 21st century, first world, white place of privilege). But still - Sycamore Trees!!!! A starry night sky!! Falling asleep with your newborn nestle on your chest!! All worth the price of admission.
THE ART IS AMAZING
I don't know why but today has been one of the worst days I've had in a while for no reason. wanted to let you know john, This helped. thank you. I aspire to be like you and hank whenever I can because you both possess a quality that is rare. selflessness and self-awareness. thank you for reminding me to be selfless where ever possible.
"I wanna feel what there is to feel while I am here."
One of those brilliant Hank's sentences.
John*
"Sycamores can be up to 300 years old. That's older than my country."
Laughs in European Oak.
Hey. Thanks, man. There's no such thing as a cure-all, but this really helped. Sometimes it feels like the 'blizzard' will never stop, or will be constantly right around the corner and, while this isn't any sort of logical step away from that, it really is written in a way that makes it truly feel like it'll all be in the past someday.
Thank you.
“...and religion, and whatever else works, and...”
Me: and music. That’s important, to me.
I second that
i third
What's even the point
Of having a fabric heart
That adorns a few roses around,
A few within
And only a thorn is weaved to pin all its sins?
-Jheel Makhijani
Thanks John for sharing this soothing poetry.
When I first heard this on the podcast, I thought that it was the best, most moving podcast I've ever heard. Still do. There's a sycamore tree right outside my apartment that I've gained more appreciation for, and along with this piece it's come to remind me that nothing is really permanent, including difficult times. I stood in it's shade and listened to this again for another reminder, went back to my patio to sit outside on a beautiful day, and while typing this a hummingbird flew within arms reach and looked at me for a few seconds before flying away. I thought, "and that is the point."
An axiom that gets me through many days is,
"This too shall pass. It may pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass."
This essay brought it strongly to mind.
It's funny how we strangers can touch each other through the internet. Any time I'm stuck in the "why" game, i think of this quote. I was thinking the same thing while listening to this
I'm so ready for this side of John once again. I'm so proud of you John! You never fail to make me smile through the worst days
thank you for the wonderful things you create, john.
I burst in tears to your closing sentence. My mind also plays "what's even the point" quite often, and sometimes - extremely rarely - I also suddenly and unexpectedly find my own sycamore tree. And then I cry for a while and just absorb how this bafflingly simple and unceremonious answer feels.
Thank you John. This made me realize that after a long while of not feeling the icy blizzard of depression I am now in such a deep depressive funk I didn't even know I slid into one, and the blizzard thing feels so right on, because when you freeze to death you don't even know it's happening... so, yeah, talking to my therapist about this. Thank you for helping me recognize the depression, and that I still, after all these years, want to keep fighting it.
“What kind of mouth breathing jackass looks at the state of humanity with anything other than nihilistic despair?”
This describes what is my state of mind the majority of the time. I echo it so strongly and often feel as though I must be living in a different reality when no one around me seems to understand it. So thanks.
"If I can't be happy, I at least want to be cool." Ouch.
I just read "Sycamore Trees" from the book (made me cry) and realized it's different from the video. There are some different/extra bits and he gives it five stars instead of four. Don't know how to describe it, but it feels weirdly comforting to know he went back and changed his rating.
I've occassionally felt frustrated when one of my go-to media channels posts "old" content instead of new. This, however, being undoubtedly my most shared Anthropocene Review, is none-such instance. Timeless, five stars.
I just cried for the first time in a long time. It was brief, maybe only 15 or 20 seconds, but it doesn't happen enough and it really helps relieve the weight of life when it does. John, thank you.
I bet that soldier that had to guard a tree was also playing the "whats the point"-game.
Thank you for your video John! This was uploaded literally a minute after i had to scream in my pillow to let the frustration out, and as always, you somehow managed to make me feel alright :)
I remember listening to this review for the first time. I remember listening to it repeatedly. I remember feeling alone, but not lonely.
Watching the artwork feels like I'm watching the experience I had that day come to life again.
I kind of like it. No idea why.
I loved when he kinda said a sycamore tree cured his depression, and gave it 4 and a half stars. Like what is 5 stars to him, if you only get four and a half for curing depression.
I don’t know if it cured it so much as it staved it off for a while.
to quote john from a previous comment: "Back then I only ever gave things four and a half stars. It was part of a build-up to my review of sunsets. -John "
Andrei Tiu
Perhaps 5 stars is reserved for a forest of old, gigantic trees of a wide diversity of species, of course scattered in the type of soothing logical randomness that only nature can generate, covered in generous moss and lichen, a variety of ferns and flowers in the understory, mushrooms all over the place, visited by creatures of all sizes, complete with a stream and pond host to brook trout, frogs, and other aquatic animals. What would compel you to remain happy forever is the certainty that you could protect your little paradise from acid rain, from changing climate, from invasive species, and especially from development pressure and its implicit agent: rising property taxes.
It's cold out today, and the star I owe my life to refuses to hide or dim. On days like these, this piece by John becomes more important than I could ever know.
There are people out there with minds as beautiful as yours, whom I have not yet met. That is reason enough for me to continue.
Your writing gives me so much hope. Thank you and please, don’t ever stop sharing.
The Anthropocene Reviewed reminds me of the words of Max Ehrmann, in his poem Desiderata: “…With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.”.
This has helped me realize that the Sycamore Tree is worthy of reverence, even worship. It is, simply, Good. Even when you cannot see it - when you are blinded by the light - the Sycamore still stands. And if you can find your way to its shade, you will find awe, and wonder, and joy, again.
Holy shit if this video didn’t find me at exactly the right moment. Literally sinking into the darkness before the weekend. This was just enough to get me through to me Dr appointment on Monday. This was absolutely beautiful. And I may have to steal the picture for my wallpaper.
Oop, my 2 year old just learned the word “why” after listening to this with me 🤪
Better than “mouth-breathing jackass” though
"Why" is one of the deepest and most nuanced words, your child has just found the thing with which they'll frame their endless, foundational confoundments.
Thank you John, this video made me cry. You made me think that the sky will be less bright eventually, thank you.
I have been an on and off follower since I was in high school. I am now 22. For every two-part light hearted Batman argument that is the reason I encourage others to check out John and Hank, they put out a thought provoking and touching video like this that is the reason why I always end up back here on the Vlogbrothers channel.
I have always appreciated John’s vulnerability and honesty about his mental health and Hank’s ability to take serious topics and make them understandable and easy to consume without making them overwhelming.
Thank you John and Hank for all you have done. Thank you for all you are doing. Thank you for all you will do. You mean so much to so many people.
Much love DFTBA
Ivy
listening to this while watching a blizzard come down in front of my window. your writing never fails to validate and amaze
John,making me feel existential while I’m eating breakfast since 2007
A lot of this reminded me of “because we’re here”
They cut down the sycamore outside my house. Living in Australia, it was unique - I've never seen another one here in my city. It was old, finally succumbing to rot.
I grew up with that tree, wondrous days as a kid marveling at the bladed seeds. Watching the leaves change with the seasons (most trees here are evergreen). I miss the old trees of my neighborhood, cut down for land, for light, for artificial houses. The loss of them makes the area feel foreign, like I'm on a trip that's gone on a little too long and my brain is saying "yes, but when do we go home?". This video hit deep, between a slew of "what's the point" and that feeling of not coming "home".
So thank you for this mini-sycamore tree, it's hard to state how much this means to me.
Thank you John. I've been in a particularly dark place these past couple months. I needed to hear this. Mine is not a blinding light, but a void. No light, no heat nor cold, days stretch on for weeks and weeks pass in minutes, and the silence is maddening as my mind fixates on one thing, and nothing. Despite my different experience, it is so much the same, and the solution is the same, and the beauty of the sycamore stands tall. Thank you.
"The universe doesn't care that you're here" But we all make up the universe and I care that you and that we are here. So the universe does care in a way
Why did this make me tear up
I love how you answered the question why each time so accurately! Most parents I know just say cause I said so instead of answering.
“What’s the point?” is a trip-mine. Once touched, you either are flung or sucked into the pond of despondence. It is a pond. You can get out but only of your own accord. No outstretched hand has a lasting affect. I watched a doc on the Golden Gate Bridge & suicides. That’s when I finally understood the pond of despondence from Pilgrim’s Progress. Keep looking for the steps that lead out of the pond John. Steps made out of a sycamore tree.
As someone who has a hard time expressing their feelings even to myself, I find comfort in the fact that someone else feels how I feel. And I can listen to those words out loud and begin to understand myself. Thank you.
I watch your videos, John, when hope seems absent from the world. Your art restores hope to the world, even if it is just my world.