Editing 1136: Broken Mirror

{{comic
| number    = 1136
| date      = November 19, 2012
| title     = Broken Mirror
| image     = broken_mirror.png
| titletext = 'I see you're in this mood again.' 'I am always in this mood.'
}}

==Explanation==
It is a {{w|Mirror#Mirrors_and_superstition|common superstition}} that breaking a mirror will result in 7 years of bad luck. [[Black Hat]] is mocking the superstition while ostensibly subscribing to it saying that breaking the mirror results in the "illusion that my actions somehow influence" a world governed by nothing other than chance.

[[Black Hat]]'s comment is a reference to the second part of the {{w|Dilemma_of_determinism|dilemma of determinism}} in which an {{w|Indeterminism|indeterministic}} view of reality contradicts our apparent {{w|Free will|free will}}, i.e. if our actions are governed by chance, then we do not have free will and cannot influence the world (see also [http://www.informationphilosopher.com/freedom/standard_argument.html the Randomness Objection]). Black hat refers to free will as an [http://www.informationphilosopher.com/freedom/illusionism.html illusion], and satirically states that breaking the mirror causes him to continue to live under this illusion.

“Eccles. 9:2” refers to the Bible book “{{w|Ecclesiastes|Ecclesiastes}},” specifically chapter 9 verse 2: “All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.” King James 2000 Bible.

Black Hat is not going to clean the shards, thus being “unclean”, but according to a literal and superficial reading of Ecclesiastes, the clean and the unclean share a common destiny. Thus according to his interpretation of Ecclesiastes, it doesn't matter whether Black Hat is clean or unclean, he will suffer the same fate regardless. In reality, Black Hat will likely get glass in his feet, as Cueball warned him in the previous panel. More likely, Ecclesiastes is referring to the common long-term fate of all humans (death), as opposed to a short-term fate like getting glass in your feet.

“My fate is as these shards” parallels Ecclesiastes 3:19: “Man's fate is like that of the animals”.

“All is vanity” is also from Ecclesiastes, specifically the introduction to chapter 1. The mirror is often associated with the vice of {{w|Vanity#Symbolism_of_vanity|vanity}}. There is also a drawing with an optical illusion titled “[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allisvanity.jpg All is Vanity]” by {{w|Charles Allan Gilbert}}, which alternately depicts a woman admiring herself at a dressing table, (also referred to as a “{{w|Vanity_(dressing-table)|vanity}},”) or alternately (when viewed at a distance) a human skull. The table Black Hat is standing before is also called a vanity," and a mirror associated with that is often referred to as a "vanity mirror", describing its relationship to the furniture.

==Transcript==
:[Black Hat and Cueball stand in a bedroom. There is a broken mirror on the floor at Black Hat's feet.]
:Black Hat: Oops. Guess this means seven more years of the illusion that my actions somehow influence the indifferent hand of probability which governs our lives.

:[Black Hat looks down at the broken shards of glass on the floor.]

:Cueball: Plus like half an hour of sweeping.
:Black Hat: No, I think I'll leave it.
:Cueball: You'll get glass in your feet.

:Black Hat: Eccles. 9:2—All things come alike to all: to the clean, and to the unclean.
:Black Hat: My fate is as these shards.
:Cueball: Dude, chill. It's just a vanity mirror.
:Black Hat: ''All'' is vanity mirrors.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Religion]]
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-It is a common superstition that breaking a mirror will result in 7 years of bad luck. [[Black Hat]] mocks the superstition, claiming that all is random, but ultimately cause the superstition to become true as his {{w|Existential nihilism|nihilistic}} apathy prevents him believing that cleaning the glass on the floor will have a significant impact. The joke is that Black Hat will likely get glass in his feet as long as he refuses to clean it, and thus the broken mirror will have a lasting impact.
+It is a {{w|Mirror#Mirrors_and_superstition|common superstition}} that breaking a mirror will result in 7 years of bad luck. [[Black Hat]] is mocking the superstition while ostensibly subscribing to it saying that breaking the mirror results in the "illusion that my actions somehow influence" a world governed by nothing other than chance.
-Black Hat breaks a mirror and sarcastically claims that it will bring bad luck for 7 years, implying that the broken mirror will have no impact on his life. After [[Cueball]] reminds Black Hat that the broken mirror will at least cause him to clean up the glass. Black Hat responds with a quote from {{w|Ecclesiastes}} that explains "being clean" (doing good) or "being unclean" (doing bad) things does not affect whether good or bad things happen to us. Due to Black Hat's interpretation of Ecclesiastes, he is not going to clean the shards, and thus be "unclean", and feels nihilistically that this will not significantly alter his life. Of course, it will have an impact as he will get glass in his feet if he does not clean it.
+[[Black Hat]]'s comment is a reference to the second part of the {{w|Dilemma_of_determinism|dilemma of determinism}} in which an {{w|Indeterminism|indeterministic}} view of reality contradicts our apparent {{w|Free will|free will}}, i.e. if our actions are governed by chance, then we do not have free will and cannot influence the world (see also [http://www.informationphilosopher.com/freedom/standard_argument.html the Randomness Objection]). Black hat refers to free will as an [http://www.informationphilosopher.com/freedom/illusionism.html illusion], and satirically states that breaking the mirror causes him to continue to live under this illusion.
-Black Hat continues saying that "My fate is as these shards", mirroring another quote from Ecclesiastes "For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals". Cueball tries to cheer up Black Hat by reminding him that life is not that bad, "it's just a vanity mirror". (A "vanity" is a North American synonym for a "dressing table".) Black Hat responds, "All is vanity mirrors". "All is vanity" is another quote from Ecclesiastes; this line is repeated throughout the book and refers to impermanence of man and his creations. As the mirror just broke, its impermanence is apparent.
+“Eccles. 9:2” refers to the Bible book “{{w|Ecclesiastes|Ecclesiastes}},” specifically chapter 9 verse 2: “All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn’t sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.” King James 2000 Bible.
-It is possible that this is a reference to the now-defunct webcomic [http://meninhats.com Men in Hats] and its character Aram, specifically in [http://meninhats.com/d/20031022.html this page]. Aram has been described as the inspiration for Black Hat in [[29: Hitler]].
+Black Hat is not going to clean the shards, thus being “unclean”, but according to a literal and superficial reading of Ecclesiastes, the clean and the unclean share a common destiny. Thus according to his interpretation of Ecclesiastes, it doesn't matter whether Black Hat is clean or unclean, he will suffer the same fate regardless. In reality, Black Hat will likely get glass in his feet, as Cueball warned him in the previous panel. More likely, Ecclesiastes is referring to the common long-term fate of all humans (death), as opposed to a short-term fate like getting glass in your feet.
-In the title text Cueball says "I see you're in this mood again" to which Black Hat responds, "I am always in this mood". This is a reference to Black Hat being a nihilist in his other appearances.
+“My fate is as these shards” parallels Ecclesiastes 3:19: “Man's fate is like that of the animals”.
-Breaking mirrors is also mentioned in [[2447: Hammer Incident]].
+“All is vanity” is also from Ecclesiastes, specifically the introduction to chapter 1. The mirror is often associated with the vice of {{w|Vanity#Symbolism_of_vanity|vanity}}. There is also a drawing with an optical illusion titled “[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allisvanity.jpg All is Vanity]” by {{w|Charles Allan Gilbert}}, which alternately depicts a woman admiring herself at a dressing table, (also referred to as a “{{w|Vanity_(dressing-table)|vanity}},”) or alternately (when viewed at a distance) a human skull. The table Black Hat is standing before is also called a vanity," and a mirror associated with that is often referred to as a "vanity mirror", describing its relationship to the furniture.
-===Ecclesiastes===
-The rejection of the idea that good things happen to good people, and therefore the rejections of concepts like karma, is one of the primary tenets of the Abrahamic faiths. The argument goes that if people deserve what happens to them, then they don't deserve help. This, and the pursuit of justice (fairness, and truth) are the core beliefs that prescribe that each person has an individual responsibility to help others, so that justice can be achieved. Since Black Hat is by no means charitable, this belief clearly never took root.
-====Quoted sections====
-*Ecclesiastes 9:2, '''All things come alike to all:''' One event happens to the righteous and the wicked; To the good, '''the clean, and the unclean'''; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath.
-*Ecclesiastes 1:2, "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher; "Vanity of vanities, '''all is vanity'''."
-*Ecclesiastes 1:14, I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, '''all is vanity''' and grasping for the wind.
-*Ecclesiastes 2:17,  Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for '''all is vanity''' and grasping for the wind.
-*Ecclesiastes 3:19,  For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for '''all is vanity'''.
 ==Transcript==
@@ Line 45: / Line 35: @@
 :Black Hat: ''All'' is vanity mirrors.
-== Trivia ==
+{{comic discussion}}
-Judging from the damage done to the wall and the way the mirror landed face up, it is likely that Black Hat intentionally broke the mirror.
-The way Cueball and Black Hat appears and the subject has some similarities to the next comic [[1137: RTL]]. See the [[1137: RTL#Trivia|trivia section]] for that comic.{{comic discussion}}
 [[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 [[Category:Philosophy]]
 [[Category:Religion]]