thanks! I feel that way about a lot of writers and youtubers and people I like, so it's really gratifying that someone might feel that way about my work. -John
And also 100% agree about the "two people who were not explicitly made for each other choosing to stay together anyway" thing, which I've been trying to explain to a few people asking for marriage tips, and I didn't know how to explain it. (I might call that phenomenon True Love though)
@@RainaRamsay This. I wish the "Happily ever after" parts of our current romantic stories would get fleshed out beyond that sentence. That's where the beauty happens.
Canada complained about the 78 day campaign and called it unprecedented and cruel and a power grab by Stephen Harper, this time the campaign is going to be 35 days long.
Robert Jarman If you think that’s short, in the UK, election campaigns are fixed at 25 working days by law. Source: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom
In Australia there is a constitutional requirement that elections are between 33 and 58 days long, with the final day being a Saturday. The parliamentary system that we (and you) have, means that any primaries or other candidate selection tool that parties may employ are unimportant for most people, which avoids artificially extending the campaign.
John is the most poetic person. My brother who is "a tough guy" sometimes cries watching John's videos. The way he says things brings me happinesss. I would listen to him talk forever. (And his books are brilliant but this is the most basic thing to say, like duh its John Green) I love you John, thank you.
I'm a pastor and a nerdfighter and I'm grateful for you sharing publicly what I am 100% convicted our faith is actually about: approaching the world with compassion, approaching the earth and all who live on it as the valuable beings they are, and striving, striving, striving with hope and patience against everything that denies the value of life.
vlogbrothers is the only channel i have watched every video as they came out for going on five years now. I am convinced that they have built one of the most loyal, if not the most, community on youtube and i don't think john is giving himself enough credit lol. we love you, you'll never be irrelevant to us
"Bye, I love you, thank you" are such incredibly powerful last words that it honestly makes me cry, but then again, I've been thinking a lot more about people who die suddenly and who don't have the chance to say goodbye to the people who will miss them, to tell the people that they love that they love them, and to thank the people who deserve to be thanked.
Thank you so much for being so open about your faith. So often I feel like I just have to accept hostility towards religion from RUclipsrs I subscribe to and it's refreshing to find a fellow Christian. I find the meaning of religion gives to my life much more important than if heaven/God "really exists"
My aunt told me the funniest last words I've ever heard, which apparently were uttered by her Irish aunt right before she died: "If only I could fart". Legend.
It reminded me of Osho on rising into love. Falling is easy. Growing and rising and being is creative and dynamic and I can't stop thinking about how John reflected that in his saying.
Exactly. Especially, because falling in love is usually just infatuation and that never lasts. Real love is hard and messy and amazing, but we tend to gloss over the reality of it and thus set everyone up for unrealistic expectations and failure.
I think every human has a need to be relevant in some way. I think I’m making a difference, if one small nerdfighter like me can give that gift of relevance, to you and Hank, especially at a time where your generation’s cultural relevance is passing (hence the term “sunset era”). I just want you to know, you two are incredibly relevant to me-and you always will be. I will never watch a vlogbrothers video I don’t glean from. And even after your passing (hopefully a long time in the future), I will still be rewatching old videos every Tuesday and Friday...thank you for your lasting impact on the world and me.
I've been struggling with my faith recently, and I even considered giving up on religion. John summed up the truth I have spent so long searching for, and he has given me hope. Thank you John
I find it wishy-washy. Because for all that he finds meaning in, no religion is required. And religions come with a ton of problems. It’s awkward to me that (scientific) truth does not matter to him when it comes to religion.
"...scientific truth doesn't matter to him when it comes to religion"? What does scientific truth even have to do with the core values of religion? Why do people continuously try to pit science against religion? I can quite easily read my Bible and still accept evolutionary origin and billions of years of time as the prevalent theories. Non-Christians who want to belabor some perceived dichotomy between relgiion and science are no better on the topic than fundamentalist "Christians".
Luckily, we all get to individually decide what is important in our spirituality. I appreciate that John would like to do his own thing while also trying to make the world better.
That was an expertly crafted Question Tuesday script. The way it was all structured from a joke, but flowed so nicely to deliver your answers was well-planned and lovely. Good job, John.
I don't know what my grandmother's last-last words were, but I do know her last words to me. It was the same thing she always said when saying goodbye. "I love you, be careful." She meant the absolute world to me and I cherish those words. Now I say them to my fiance before she leaves, because she means the absolute world to me.
Thanks, John. This was interesting to hear. I just had a relationship end because he wanted to be with someone who was Christian and had a Christian relationship with God. As someone who is more spiritual and was raised by inter-religious parents, I’ve been going nuts the past few months thinking about religion and whether it’s something I need in my life. Then as I found out more and more people in my life and people I looked up to(like you) were religions I started to feel more and more confused about what I believed in. Anything that can help people -I’m all for. I just want to live a life where I am kind to others and help people but now I almost feel like I can’t without being religious and grouped into “the nice people” club. I also do enjoy questions about a higher power and the universe and etc. it’s just hard to group myself into an institution with such a bad rep. The two of us got on very well- we were best friends way before dating- and are still very much in love with each even months after we’ve broken up. Ive been trying to understand religion more lately so that I can understand what made it so special that he threw away the greatest love either of us have ever had. I need a reason to justify all this heartbreak and sadness. Thanks for anyone who read.
As an atheist, I can tell you that you absolutely don't need religion to be a good person who helps people and tries to make the world better. Kindness, compassion, and empathy are not traits that religion has a monopoly on. I'm sorry someone decided their religion was more important than their relationship with you, but please know that was his mistake to make and doesn't reflect poorly upon you at all. I know how difficult the end of a strong relationship can be, so I wish you luck in moving forward with your happiness
Religion, is like cheese in a burger, a little elevates its flavour... Cooked well, it can be a defining quality... But if you put it where it doesn't belong, it'll just taste bad, and be horrible...
I usually idolize characteristics-not characters-but you both break the rule! Your response to every question reflects one of the best mindsets I ever encountered in life. You’ve spread education, thoughts, and ideas. You’ve written books; you’ve entertained us. You’ve created a community of amazing people and contributed to different fields. You’ve basically done all the things possible to have a positive impact on society, yet your greatest achievements in my point of you are your beliefs, opinions, and thoughts on most of the things, the thoughts that inspire us to think objectively, know more, and even care and love more. Objectively I say: YOU and your brother are truly one of the best people ever in the world! Thank you for existing 🙏🏼 Sometimes I wish that you could live forever, as I highly doubt anyone can come and fill the void that you’ll leave. I love you my role models and would wish to meet you one day ❤️
I consider John and Hank my role models, teachers, and friends in the ways that I look up to them and have a special kinship in which I feel heard without having to say anything and in which I can learn without asking... I am thankful for John and Hank sharing their thoughts and giving their time to exist, and for me to be open to understanding. And in these ways, they may be seen as wise archetypes of aged and experienced persons, but in my eyes, they are still very youthful with many more things to come their way.
I love that Bonhoeffer quote. A contemporary theologian working along similar lines (whose writing is extremely accessible, in case anyone here is interested but might not want to read an academic tome) is Thomas Jay Oord. A good, quick intro is his book God Can't. Really fascinating ideas, even if I'm not 100% sure I'm ready to go with him on his whole theological enterprise.
*John says something profound* Me: Clicks like button *John says something profound again* Me: Goes to click like button again just to realize I already did.
Strangely, I was talking just today about how hard it is to openly and honestly believe in God while being criticised on the internet or in my case by many people in my life. I grew up agnostic in a family of atheists and am only just dipping my toe into religion in my mid twenties and I can't tell you how comforting it is to see someone I look up to be open and honest about their faith ,while also doing your best to not invite scrutiny so thank you John
Been with you guys for, probably, over ten years now. Still you never cease to surprise me. You are, imo, a beautiful human being. Thank you for all you do. Thank you for all you say. Thank you for all you are.
"do you believe in true love?" Yes, but not how most people think of it. As John says it is about growing in love. True love is not a feeling, it is an act of will. At some point you Decide to love, even when you don't feel it and I think that is the truest love there is, as it does not depend on the recipient, or even being reciprocated, but on the one who decides to give their love. It also does not have to be romantic, tying it back to the first question on belief, that is how you can love your enemies.
A point about Canadian elections: The 78 day election season was THE LONGEST IN CANADIAN HISTORY. We have an election coming up this October and election campaign season still hasn't officially begun. This is as it should be.
Almost cried at that last bit. What a blessing it is to love/be loved and have the emotional intelligence to comprehend how profound and unlikely that it in an uncaring universe. And yet we as a species have seemed to be able to organize ourselves around it. It helps me to remember that humans are not something apart from nature, but another way of the universe expressing its infinite forms.
I'll gladly be part of the purported "nobody" that finds your answer to that religion question refreshingly nuanced, even-handed, and useful as a framework. Thank you for continuing to be a voice of reason, thoughtfulness, and optimism, John. It really does mean a lot.
If Hank has already died and John dies on a Friday, those last words are beautiful and poetic. However if Hank has not yet died, those last words are beautiful, poetic, and menacing.
Right? The focus not on 'is this text 100% factual and instead on 'can the deep study and sense of community we have contribute to humanity and improve the lives of the participants is honestly how I feel like religion is most productively run and why I like.. am pretty supportive of most people in my life who are religious continuing to attend that religion.
@@amberbydreamsart5467 it doesn't make sense to be religious when your only goals are secular. I don't understand why people still want to label themselves "religious" without basing their worldview under any religious lens at all. I feel like it's just because they think the label "atheist" has too much stigma attached.
@@leftylizard9085 I hear you, but the spiritual concept of a Love that walks with us and meets us in the loneliness of our hearts can be helpful to engage with those humanist goals in a more consistent, purposeful and deliberate manner. I'm not sure it's quite right to describe that as *just* secular. As for the stigma of the label: some subcultures stigmatise atheism, some stigmatise certain faiths or all faiths. Many are affected by these pressures, but often in different ways.
@@OrWhatWeHave that's just the problem. These self-proclaimed "religious" individuals are so concerned with the here and now that they likely have a secular equivalent for that as well. That being in the community they have for themselves that they already know exists. God, himself, seems to be of such little importance to them yet they still insist on being religious, and I'm not sure how they can reconcile that.
As a someone a least claiming to follow Christ, John I very much appreciate how you feel because while those other existential questions are interesting and important to a degree I think those human questions you're asking are ultimately more important.
@@deanhart375 I now regret introducing "Who the eff is Hank"? Into the world. Hank is a dude that used to work for an environmentalist website, but makes educational videos and songs, he is featured heavily in the educational Crash Course series as well as his fantastic "Journey into the Microcosmos". Hank is a cool and likeable guy. The end.
John, I dont know if this helps with the anxiety about your career or anything but I started watching your videos in 2007 as a senior in HS and you and Hank taught me how to think carefully about things and be more compassionate, and I dont know very many people who have had as much an impact on my life as you two. I'm a better mom to my kids and a better leader in my church community because of what I have learned from you.
My favorite Bonhoeffer is "to be called to Christ is to be called to Death". Didn't have to look that one up. Francis is the best thing that's happened Christianity in my lifetime!
I have watched you and Hank for years and have gotten so much out of both of your offerings. I haven't ever posted/contacted either of you before but feel compelled to now because this was my favorite posting--ever. Thank you. For this. And everything. To Hank, too.
It was funny and made me smile, but thinking about it, "Hank, I'll see you on Friday," are kind of morbidly terrifying last words. The implication seems to me to be that Hank will become deceased on the Friday following your death, which is not particularly pleasant for Hank...
That is EXACTLY what I was thinking It'll either mean that hank will "become deceased on Friday" or John will come back as a ghost and haunt him on a Friday 😂😂😂
Not necessarily. John could say "see you on Friday", then stop speaking but go on living, then die after having seen Hank on Friday. Right? This would also solve the problem of not being able to see or think when one is already dead.
These most recent videos are really hitting me hard with the "old vlog brothers" stuff and I'm really liking it. I really appreciate the fact you guys still upload to this channel just because you like it. I still watch for the same reasons I did years ago. Because I like it. So thanks for that too.
I like that we live in a world in which a biggish youtuber can like one of his viewers' comments, and be the only like on that comment. Also, I actually started watching a few more vlogbrothers' videos recently after having spotty "attendance" for the last few years. Still good stuff.
Me : has been working on a Dietrich Bonhoeffer themed project for weeks and reading all of his letters and poems John : casually quotes Bonhoeffer Me : surprised pikachu face
Your quote about God had me in tears, wasn’t sure how I could go about my day. Now I’m baffled wondering about stegosaurus sex. That is so impressive. Well done.
John, you are the number 1 person in my life that makes me cry. Like, the most frequent question I ask myself after watching one of your videos is WHY AM I CRYING?? Goodbye, I love you, thank you ❤️
For a young-adult author that might seem like preaching to teens, but when he writes an adult novel he will undoubtedly have something to say about decades of love.
I love everything about this video! It's good to know there are other like-minded, non-hateful believers out there! Christian hypocrisy kept me away from religion for a long time. I had to come to believe, but I'm sure glad I did! You, your brother, and your collective RUclips works helped me get through an exacerbation of clinical depression recently. I'm finally on the other side of some medication changes and I'm starting to feel better. Thank you for all that you do.
Regarding the importance of voting; my town of about 50K people has about 25K registered voters. The current mayor won by 7 votes. Had he won by 5 votes there would have been a mandatory recount. The difference between the new mayor and his predecessor is sufficient to add a great deal of emotion to that concept, for me. I feel sure that most people can think of an election where one person winning would be emotionally devastating to them.
John, i love you and how you tell your stories. I am not a religious believer, but i am happy to see people like you who use their faith to do good and look for ways to do good.
Okay John. You really got me choked up at your last words. The simplicity of that statement is beautiful. I always over complicate my thoughts of the possibility of my own last words when all I really would want to say is that: Goodbye. I love you. Thank you.
"HANK, ILL SEE YOU ON FRIDAY", neurologically is rehearsed, goes back quite far and is triggered by "closing" stimuli. If you are cogent, even partially, these have a high likelihood of being you last words.
John: I just want to say thank you for being you. Not thank you for what you say or thank you for what you write but just thank you for being alive and existing. I've never really understood it but just coming back to watch your videos has been extremely helpful for my mental health. I should be writing or doing my job but I'm watching you tell us what your last words might be and almost crying. You almost got me. That's enough though.
He votes either Green Party (as a corny joke), or Solidarity Party. He thinks life is a corny joke. "You live your life like a TV show, that's alright, I'll watch it anyway". He likes that incredibly condescending line from The Feelies first album "Crazy Rythms". He thinks the world would be a better place with more plastic Pink Flamingoes and carbonated water. He enters a room by saying "Heyyyyyyy" like the Fonz.
Ok, so I'm fairly certain the words John made with his mouth were "Hank, I'll see you on Friday" but what I *heard* was "Bye, I love you, thank you." i'll just be over here having a feeling T_T
I find it crazy how I had a recent passing within my family last week and hearing you speak on your last words is healing. "Bye I love you. Thank you." So peaceful and reassuring, so thank you John for always creating this content
I'm not John, but I can recommend one. It's called "When All Is Said", and it is about an elderly man sitting at a bar, and over 5 hours he toasts the 5 people most important to him in his life. It's beautiful.
I’d watch that! He once said in a video that the advice his parents gave him in this respect was “mutual generosity.” I’ve been married for 16 years and have been together with my husband half my life. I know we still (hopefully) have a lot of decades, but from where we are now, I say this is solid advice. 💛
I haven't watched a vlogbrothers video since 2014 until this week. Im really glad I found my way back to this corner of RUclips. It's still as thought provoking and wonderful as I remember it being.
Where’s the “I don’t get notifications but I spend all of my time on the internet so I’m here early anyway” squad? Note: Yes I did use the word “squad” at age 21. Someone do their due diligence and crucify me.
I’m a teacher and I have watched your content forever (CrashCourse got me through several of my university exams). Today one of my students who were writing a paper on native americans came up to me and told me about this really good video he had found to help him - from «some sort of channel called CrashCourse». I find that so cool - thank you for sharing so much with both me and now my students! ❤️😃
I used to watch VlogBrothers religiously, and now I watch occasionally. And may I say, John, you continue to amaze me. I love your videos and the love behind them. I am so thankful for you.
I beg to differ about the sunset thing. John, you are squarely in the early-afternoon, post-lunch stupor part of the day in which you badly need a nap.
John, on his deathbed: "Hank, I'll see you on Friday."
Hank, sitting beside: "Why? What do you know that I don't?"
:D
That just took a daaaark turn!
That took me wayyy to long to get.
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If "Hank, I'll see you on Friday." are John's real last words, I'll cry forever.
the possibility of the idea is so freaking scary 😰😰
I literally started crying as he said it. How beautiful and sad that would be if those truly were his last words.
Sounds kinda like a threat if I'm being honest.
"And Other"
_Last words of John Green
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“Enough about politics, let’s move on to death”
Same, John... same.
I've been saying that since the mid-eighties.
Sweet... sweet release of death ...
@@Rwededyet says the anon account?
"death" is a word not allowed, any e-a-t not allowed. ~ Chew with mouth closed, chow, food, naw.
When you wake up in the afterlife and Trump is president there too. Rip Riping.
"Enough about politics, let's move on to death" - Most War Generals
Lol
Ah but my friend, "war is but the continuation of politics by other means"
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@@alexanderjohnson3014 Or its inversion: politics is simply the continuation of war by other means.
"Hank I'll see you on Friday" hit a little different this time. ❤️ sending love ❤️
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i don’t know why my breath suddenly hitched in my chest as he said that but yeah
whew!
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💯
I feel like John expresses the opinions and thoughts I have but just can't find the elaborate words for myself.
thanks! I feel that way about a lot of writers and youtubers and people I like, so it's really gratifying that someone might feel that way about my work. -John
For sure! Definitely going to save this for when people ask about my views on religion.
And also 100% agree about the "two people who were not explicitly made for each other choosing to stay together anyway" thing, which I've been trying to explain to a few people asking for marriage tips, and I didn't know how to explain it.
(I might call that phenomenon True Love though)
True for me too, especially re religion in this video.
@@RainaRamsay This. I wish the "Happily ever after" parts of our current romantic stories would get fleshed out beyond that sentence. That's where the beauty happens.
Canada complained about the 78 day campaign and called it unprecedented and cruel and a power grab by Stephen Harper, this time the campaign is going to be 35 days long.
Robert Jarman If you think that’s short, in the UK, election campaigns are fixed at 25 working days by law.
Source: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom
In Australia there is a constitutional requirement that elections are between 33 and 58 days long, with the final day being a Saturday.
The parliamentary system that we (and you) have, means that any primaries or other candidate selection tool that parties may employ are unimportant for most people, which avoids artificially extending the campaign.
@@andrewmarkham I like this limitation.
Well time to move to Canada or Australia. Sorry UK but um no thanks.
and as a result of said 78 day campaign, the Elections Modernization Act capped the campaign at a maximum of 50 days. The minimum is 36 days
John is the most poetic person. My brother who is "a tough guy" sometimes cries watching John's videos. The way he says things brings me happinesss. I would listen to him talk forever. (And his books are brilliant but this is the most basic thing to say, like duh its John Green)
I love you John, thank you.
He's in his videos?! How?!
@@Dayglodaydreams okay I'm foreign you got me 🙌🏻
Have you listened to The Anthropocene Reviewed? It always makes me cry.
John's religion is Greenism where Mongols are the exception
Young John Green is confused.
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Literally heard the mongols music cue for this in my head after reading your comment.
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Ayayatstsgebdjfnrkndhdbdjdnddj you really are in every comment section
Maybe "bye, I love you, thank-you" should be all of our "always."
Okay
Okay
The only time in vlogbrothers history when, "Hank, I'll see you on Friday," has made me cry. Thanks, John, thanks.
There's gray in John's hair. And I'm honestly excited for this future. Gonna be lookin snazzy
Blake Strike he’s going to look like a clone of his father. I’m here for it. 😂
Heck, I started going gray the week before my 19th birthday. And one year before my dad did!
Love you man.
I'm a pastor and a nerdfighter and I'm grateful for you sharing publicly what I am 100% convicted our faith is actually about: approaching the world with compassion, approaching the earth and all who live on it as the valuable beings they are, and striving, striving, striving with hope and patience against everything that denies the value of life.
I DON'T CARE at what sun position your career is at, you will always be relevant to us!
vlogbrothers is the only channel i have watched every video as they came out for going on five years now. I am convinced that they have built one of the most loyal, if not the most, community on youtube and i don't think john is giving himself enough credit lol. we love you, you'll never be irrelevant to us
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When the sun sets the moon rises.
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"How old do you ppl think i am?!" I laughed way to hard at that 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I'm kinda worried now -- he calls himself an olds but I'm only a few years younger.... 😲
@@readysteadywhoa You're worried? I'm a few years older!
It's official. Us Gen X'ers are now the people Gen Z'ers roll their eyes at. 😂 We have arrived.
Hurts getting old and having the young people asking when you're going to die lol
The real question is: how young does he think he is? xD
"Bye, I love you, thank you" are such incredibly powerful last words that it honestly makes me cry, but then again, I've been thinking a lot more about people who die suddenly and who don't have the chance to say goodbye to the people who will miss them, to tell the people that they love that they love them, and to thank the people who deserve to be thanked.
"Do you believe in love? Not really, though I do believe in something I find even more miraculous and beautiful... Stegosaurus love."
I really missed an opportunity there. -John
Thank you so much for being so open about your faith. So often I feel like I just have to accept hostility towards religion from RUclipsrs I subscribe to and it's refreshing to find a fellow Christian. I find the meaning of religion gives to my life much more important than if heaven/God "really exists"
Buckle up for the existential crisis of the season.
My aunt told me the funniest last words I've ever heard, which apparently were uttered by her Irish aunt right before she died: "If only I could fart". Legend.
.....wait for it..... dary!
"I think that the dying pray at the last not "please," but "thank you," as a guest thanks his host at the door."
-Annie Dillard
“We should talk more about being in love and growing in love” John you’ve once again changed my perspective on something I thought I knew. Thank you.
It reminded me of Osho on rising into love. Falling is easy. Growing and rising and being is creative and dynamic and I can't stop thinking about how John reflected that in his saying.
Exactly. Especially, because falling in love is usually just infatuation and that never lasts. Real love is hard and messy and amazing, but we tend to gloss over the reality of it and thus set everyone up for unrealistic expectations and failure.
I think every human has a need to be relevant in some way. I think I’m making a difference, if one small nerdfighter like me can give that gift of relevance, to you and Hank, especially at a time where your generation’s cultural relevance is passing (hence the term “sunset era”). I just want you to know, you two are incredibly relevant to me-and you always will be. I will never watch a vlogbrothers video I don’t glean from. And even after your passing (hopefully a long time in the future), I will still be rewatching old videos every Tuesday and Friday...thank you for your lasting impact on the world and me.
I've been struggling with my faith recently, and I even considered giving up on religion. John summed up the truth I have spent so long searching for, and he has given me hope. Thank you John
"Sweet Holy Infant Baby Jesus" 😂 I'm definitely using that, that was beautiful.
Arianna Wright I like it in its literal sense :)
I'm a big fan of the phrase "Jesus Christ and all of his carpenter friends".
John, I love your nuanced view of religion. Thank you for sharing.
Same! Those are definitely the more interesting religious questions in my mind
I find it wishy-washy. Because for all that he finds meaning in, no religion is required. And religions come with a ton of problems. It’s awkward to me that (scientific) truth does not matter to him when it comes to religion.
"...scientific truth doesn't matter to him when it comes to religion"? What does scientific truth even have to do with the core values of religion? Why do people continuously try to pit science against religion? I can quite easily read my Bible and still accept evolutionary origin and billions of years of time as the prevalent theories. Non-Christians who want to belabor some perceived dichotomy between relgiion and science are no better on the topic than fundamentalist "Christians".
Luckily, we all get to individually decide what is important in our spirituality. I appreciate that John would like to do his own thing while also trying to make the world better.
@@snyderly May I ask why you put "Christians" in quotations when you were talking about fundamentalists? Genuinely curious.
"That's enough politics, let's move on to death."
Mood.
That was an expertly crafted Question Tuesday script. The way it was all structured from a joke, but flowed so nicely to deliver your answers was well-planned and lovely. Good job, John.
I don't know what my grandmother's last-last words were, but I do know her last words to me. It was the same thing she always said when saying goodbye. "I love you, be careful." She meant the absolute world to me and I cherish those words. Now I say them to my fiance before she leaves, because she means the absolute world to me.
Thanks, John. This was interesting to hear. I just had a relationship end because he wanted to be with someone who was Christian and had a Christian relationship with God. As someone who is more spiritual and was raised by inter-religious parents, I’ve been going nuts the past few months thinking about religion and whether it’s something I need in my life. Then as I found out more and more people in my life and people I looked up to(like you) were religions I started to feel more and more confused about what I believed in. Anything that can help people -I’m all for. I just want to live a life where I am kind to others and help people but now I almost feel like I can’t without being religious and grouped into “the nice people” club. I also do enjoy questions about a higher power and the universe and etc. it’s just hard to group myself into an institution with such a bad rep. The two of us got on very well- we were best friends way before dating- and are still very much in love with each even months after we’ve broken up. Ive been trying to understand religion more lately so that I can understand what made it so special that he threw away the greatest love either of us have ever had. I need a reason to justify all this heartbreak and sadness. Thanks for anyone who read.
As an atheist, I can tell you that you absolutely don't need religion to be a good person who helps people and tries to make the world better. Kindness, compassion, and empathy are not traits that religion has a monopoly on. I'm sorry someone decided their religion was more important than their relationship with you, but please know that was his mistake to make and doesn't reflect poorly upon you at all. I know how difficult the end of a strong relationship can be, so I wish you luck in moving forward with your happiness
Religion, is like cheese in a burger, a little elevates its flavour...
Cooked well, it can be a defining quality...
But if you put it where it doesn't belong, it'll just taste bad, and be horrible...
I usually idolize characteristics-not characters-but you both break the rule!
Your response to every question reflects one of the best mindsets I ever encountered in life.
You’ve spread education, thoughts, and ideas.
You’ve written books; you’ve entertained us. You’ve created a community of amazing people and contributed to different fields.
You’ve basically done all the things possible to have a positive impact on society, yet your greatest achievements in my point of you are your beliefs, opinions, and thoughts on most of the things, the thoughts that inspire us to think objectively, know more, and even care and love more.
Objectively I say: YOU and your brother are truly one of the best people ever in the world!
Thank you for existing 🙏🏼
Sometimes I wish that you could live forever, as I highly doubt anyone can come and fill the void that you’ll leave.
I love you my role models and would wish to meet you one day ❤️
I loved the transition from the incredibly depressing topic of politics to the much more lighthearted topic of death.
i snorted
I consider John and Hank my role models, teachers, and friends in the ways that I look up to them and have a special kinship in which I feel heard without having to say anything and in which I can learn without asking... I am thankful for John and Hank sharing their thoughts and giving their time to exist, and for me to be open to understanding. And in these ways, they may be seen as wise archetypes of aged and experienced persons, but in my eyes, they are still very youthful with many more things to come their way.
I love how thoughtful John is and how he can make me almost cry in the last few seconds of a video
I love that Bonhoeffer quote. A contemporary theologian working along similar lines (whose writing is extremely accessible, in case anyone here is interested but might not want to read an academic tome) is Thomas Jay Oord. A good, quick intro is his book God Can't. Really fascinating ideas, even if I'm not 100% sure I'm ready to go with him on his whole theological enterprise.
Also, it's not often you hear about Bonhoeffer and dinosaur sex in the same 4 minutes. This is truly and delightfully special.
*John says something profound*
Me: Clicks like button
*John says something profound again*
Me: Goes to click like button again just to realize I already did.
“ bye , _I love you_ & thank you ”
just find what I'm gonna say when I close my phone for the next 3 months 😁💗
"I wish to remain an eternal enigma to myself and to others"
- Prince Ludwig
Strangely, I was talking just today about how hard it is to openly and honestly believe in God while being criticised on the internet or in my case by many people in my life. I grew up agnostic in a family of atheists and am only just dipping my toe into religion in my mid twenties and I can't tell you how comforting it is to see someone I look up to be open and honest about their faith ,while also doing your best to not invite scrutiny so thank you John
"We should spend more time talking about being in love, and growing in love" Wonderfully said, as always
Been with you guys for, probably, over ten years now. Still you never cease to surprise me. You are, imo, a beautiful human being. Thank you for all you do. Thank you for all you say. Thank you for all you are.
Sunset?
John for you it's barely midday.
+Agreed.
Just wait for Oktober 18, when the "looking for Alaska" series blows up everywhere!
"do you believe in true love?"
Yes, but not how most people think of it. As John says it is about growing in love.
True love is not a feeling, it is an act of will.
At some point you Decide to love, even when you don't feel it and I think that is the truest love there is, as it does not depend on the recipient, or even being reciprocated, but on the one who decides to give their love.
It also does not have to be romantic, tying it back to the first question on belief, that is how you can love your enemies.
A point about Canadian elections:
The 78 day election season was THE LONGEST IN CANADIAN HISTORY.
We have an election coming up this October and election campaign season still hasn't officially begun.
This is as it should be.
Almost cried at that last bit. What a blessing it is to love/be loved and have the emotional intelligence to comprehend how profound and unlikely that it in an uncaring universe. And yet we as a species have seemed to be able to organize ourselves around it. It helps me to remember that humans are not something apart from nature, but another way of the universe expressing its infinite forms.
Completely off topic but I was feeling really anxious today and seeing John's familiar face somehow calmed me down. Thank you. ☺️
I'll gladly be part of the purported "nobody" that finds your answer to that religion question refreshingly nuanced, even-handed, and useful as a framework.
Thank you for continuing to be a voice of reason, thoughtfulness, and optimism, John. It really does mean a lot.
This may be my all time favourite video from John
If Hank has already died and John dies on a Friday, those last words are beautiful and poetic.
However if Hank has not yet died, those last words are beautiful, poetic, and menacing.
John Green Goes to Church
Or
How a Man Who Practices Religion Warmed My Atheistic Heart
Right? The focus not on 'is this text 100% factual and instead on 'can the deep study and sense of community we have contribute to humanity and improve the lives of the participants is honestly how I feel like religion is most productively run and why I like.. am pretty supportive of most people in my life who are religious continuing to attend that religion.
It did give me a moment of reflection about my antitheism.
@@amberbydreamsart5467 it doesn't make sense to be religious when your only goals are secular. I don't understand why people still want to label themselves "religious" without basing their worldview under any religious lens at all. I feel like it's just because they think the label "atheist" has too much stigma attached.
@@leftylizard9085 I hear you, but the spiritual concept of a Love that walks with us and meets us in the loneliness of our hearts can be helpful to engage with those humanist goals in a more consistent, purposeful and deliberate manner. I'm not sure it's quite right to describe that as *just* secular.
As for the stigma of the label: some subcultures stigmatise atheism, some stigmatise certain faiths or all faiths. Many are affected by these pressures, but often in different ways.
@@OrWhatWeHave that's just the problem.
These self-proclaimed "religious" individuals are so concerned with the here and now that they likely have a secular equivalent for that as well.
That being in the community they have for themselves that they already know exists.
God, himself, seems to be of such little importance to them yet they still insist on being religious, and I'm not sure how they can reconcile that.
just the words "Bye, I love you, thank you" made me cry. so beautiful in something so simple. your friend must have been wonderful. Thank you John.
The ad I got before this was John asking us to donate money for AFC Wimbledon’s stadium in Wimbledon
As a someone a least claiming to follow Christ, John I very much appreciate how you feel because while those other existential questions are interesting and important to a degree I think those human questions you're asking are ultimately more important.
aren’t all your videos about the big questions, though?
Madi like who the eff is hank?
Have you watched the video in which he cooks 8 peas?
Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Dun Hilter and Sex!
@@deanhart375 I now regret introducing "Who the eff is Hank"? Into the world. Hank is a dude that used to work for an environmentalist website, but makes educational videos and songs, he is featured heavily in the educational Crash Course series as well as his fantastic "Journey into the Microcosmos". Hank is a cool and likeable guy. The end.
@@MirorR3fl3ction I still hear that melody everytime when I hear "Hitler", and I'm German, so it comes up a lot. Lol
John, I dont know if this helps with the anxiety about your career or anything but I started watching your videos in 2007 as a senior in HS and you and Hank taught me how to think carefully about things and be more compassionate, and I dont know very many people who have had as much an impact on my life as you two. I'm a better mom to my kids and a better leader in my church community because of what I have learned from you.
John, you’re amazing, thank you for everything you do for the world.
My favorite Bonhoeffer is "to be called to Christ is to be called to Death". Didn't have to look that one up.
Francis is the best thing that's happened Christianity in my lifetime!
Yay for question Tuesdays!
Vlogbrothers videos always make my day better
I have watched you and Hank for years and have gotten so much out of both of your offerings. I haven't ever posted/contacted either of you before but feel compelled to now because this was my favorite posting--ever. Thank you. For this. And everything. To Hank, too.
It was funny and made me smile, but thinking about it, "Hank, I'll see you on Friday," are kind of morbidly terrifying last words. The implication seems to me to be that Hank will become deceased on the Friday following your death, which is not particularly pleasant for Hank...
That is EXACTLY what I was thinking
It'll either mean that hank will "become deceased on Friday" or John will come back as a ghost and haunt him on a Friday 😂😂😂
Not necessarily. John could say "see you on Friday", then stop speaking but go on living, then die after having seen Hank on Friday. Right? This would also solve the problem of not being able to see or think when one is already dead.
@@Lumpiluk John? Not speaking? That's the scariest thing I've read this month.
My first thought was that John would be a poltergeist. His last words were a way of warning Hank about his first ghostly shenanigans.
Well, he didn't say which Friday. Hank could die many years later on a Friday, and John could still rightfully say I told you so. :)
These most recent videos are really hitting me hard with the "old vlog brothers" stuff and I'm really liking it. I really appreciate the fact you guys still upload to this channel just because you like it. I still watch for the same reasons I did years ago. Because I like it. So thanks for that too.
I like that we live in a world in which a biggish youtuber can like one of his viewers' comments, and be the only like on that comment. Also, I actually started watching a few more vlogbrothers' videos recently after having spotty "attendance" for the last few years. Still good stuff.
I enjoy going to church too! The increased spirituality helps me find meaning and increase love in my family. 💜
"Sunset Period of Career". Releases most acclaimed book of his career 18 months later.
Bye John, I love you John, thank you John 💜
The Amy Krause Rosenthal story got me, what a beautiful example of a life steeped in love and gratitude. Her Modern Love essay gets me every time.
Me : has been working on a Dietrich Bonhoeffer themed project for weeks and reading all of his letters and poems
John : casually quotes Bonhoeffer
Me : surprised pikachu face
John, that made me cry. Thank you.
Your quote about God had me in tears, wasn’t sure how I could go about my day. Now I’m baffled wondering about stegosaurus sex. That is so impressive. Well done.
John, you are the number 1 person in my life that makes me cry. Like, the most frequent question I ask myself after watching one of your videos is WHY AM I CRYING?? Goodbye, I love you, thank you ❤️
I`m 61 years young and English is my second language so, not easy to fallow you but Hank, I`ll see you on Friday
What's your first language, Berna?
@@Dayglodaydreams Portuguese Hank, I`m from Brazil
@@Dayglodaydreams Thanks for ask Conner
You did really good with writing this comment. bom trabalho : )
@@cjtaylor686 Obrigada
"Hank, I'll see you on Friday" is both wildly heartwarming, and really quite ominous
green boy you should write about being in love over the decades... just a thought
For a young-adult author that might seem like preaching to teens, but when he writes an adult novel he will undoubtedly have something to say about decades of love.
green boy
i agree tho
I love everything about this video! It's good to know there are other like-minded, non-hateful believers out there! Christian hypocrisy kept me away from religion for a long time. I had to come to believe, but I'm sure glad I did! You, your brother, and your collective RUclips works helped me get through an exacerbation of clinical depression recently. I'm finally on the other side of some medication changes and I'm starting to feel better. Thank you for all that you do.
John: Hank, I'll see you on friday.
Narrator: he would not be seeing Hank on friday.
Oliver Yehlik not to mention bad news for Hank...
Why? What happened?
@@Sephajinami This is just in the hypothetical case if those were to be his last words, I believe.
@@ladyalfhildrforestofvioletmist Thank God I thought something happened.
Regarding the importance of voting; my town of about 50K people has about 25K registered voters. The current mayor won by 7 votes. Had he won by 5 votes there would have been a mandatory recount. The difference between the new mayor and his predecessor is sufficient to add a great deal of emotion to that concept, for me. I feel sure that most people can think of an election where one person winning would be emotionally devastating to them.
I bet he's a homophobe
“Hank, I’ll see you on Tuesday” equals “Bye, I love you, thank you”
John, i love you and how you tell your stories. I am not a religious believer, but i am happy to see people like you who use their faith to do good and look for ways to do good.
can we get some confirmation john is still alive that was sweet but also terrifying
Okay John. You really got me choked up at your last words. The simplicity of that statement is beautiful. I always over complicate my thoughts of the possibility of my own last words when all I really would want to say is that: Goodbye. I love you. Thank you.
"HANK, ILL SEE YOU ON FRIDAY", neurologically is rehearsed, goes back quite far and is triggered by "closing" stimuli. If you are cogent, even partially, these have a high likelihood of being you last words.
This is an older video I am rewatching a couple years later but just wanna say thanks John, this helps me.
May your last words be Bye, I love you; thank you.
No better last words can exist.
John:
I just want to say thank you for being you. Not thank you for what you say or thank you for what you write but just thank you for being alive and existing. I've never really understood it but just coming back to watch your videos has been extremely helpful for my mental health. I should be writing or doing my job but I'm watching you tell us what your last words might be and almost crying. You almost got me. That's enough though.
What about Dave Green? ... I'd be curious to hear his views on politics, life etc. ?
He votes either Green Party (as a corny joke), or Solidarity Party. He thinks life is a corny joke. "You live your life like a TV show, that's alright, I'll watch it anyway". He likes that incredibly condescending line from The Feelies first album "Crazy Rythms". He thinks the world would be a better place with more plastic Pink Flamingoes and carbonated water. He enters a room by saying "Heyyyyyyy" like the Fonz.
Those last words "Bye, i love you, thank you" really hit home for me.
Ok, so I'm fairly certain the words John made with his mouth were "Hank, I'll see you on Friday" but what I *heard* was "Bye, I love you, thank you."
i'll just be over here having a feeling T_T
I find it crazy how I had a recent passing within my family last week and hearing you speak on your last words is healing. "Bye I love you. Thank you." So peaceful and reassuring, so thank you John for always creating this content
John, can you make a video and/or recommended some books about being in love over time and a relationship like that?
I'm not John, but I can recommend one. It's called "When All Is Said", and it is about an elderly man sitting at a bar, and over 5 hours he toasts the 5 people most important to him in his life. It's beautiful.
I’d watch that! He once said in a video that the advice his parents gave him in this respect was “mutual generosity.” I’ve been married for 16 years and have been together with my husband half my life. I know we still (hopefully) have a lot of decades, but from where we are now, I say this is solid advice. 💛
Dante and Aristotle Discover the Secrets of the Universe is really, really good. I cry every single time.
I haven't watched a vlogbrothers video since 2014 until this week.
Im really glad I found my way back to this corner of RUclips. It's still as thought provoking and wonderful as I remember it being.
This is a Top 3 vlogbrothers script ❤️
The twist on "Hank, I'll see you on Friday" in this video was incredibly moving and also a touch heartbreaking. Nice work, John!
"You're right to be concerned" made me laugh out loud.
I absolutely love his views on religion and love
Where’s the “I don’t get notifications but I spend all of my time on the internet so I’m here early anyway” squad?
Note: Yes I did use the word “squad” at age 21. Someone do their due diligence and crucify me.
Yeah
This is hauntingly accurate...
Sup.
Mostly constantly on YT, but extra special attention paid today because looking for all the SU movie content.
Is 21 too old to use slang? I need to ask my litsquad to be sure
I’m a teacher and I have watched your content forever (CrashCourse got me through several of my university exams). Today one of my students who were writing a paper on native americans came up to me and told me about this really good video he had found to help him - from «some sort of channel called CrashCourse». I find that so cool - thank you for sharing so much with both me and now my students! ❤️😃
I thought your last words were gonna be: "...and other."
I used to watch VlogBrothers religiously, and now I watch occasionally. And may I say, John, you continue to amaze me. I love your videos and the love behind them. I am so thankful for you.
I beg to differ about the sunset thing. John, you are squarely in the early-afternoon, post-lunch stupor part of the day in which you badly need a nap.
So John is in the pizza coma period of his career?
John Green = Lifegoals. You are a wonderful human, and I always appreciate how you share your candid thoughts.