Talk:2506: Projecting

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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Is this a meta joke about how Randall projects himself onto the xkcd characters like cueball, etc.? 172.70.114.87 22:44, 23 August 2021 (UTC) i sick 162.158.146.77 01:11, 17 October 2023 (UTC)

No. 172.70.130.239 00:12, 24 August 2021 (UTC)
No, in this context projection is where, instead of confronting one's own flaws, one convinces themselves other people are equally flawed. Often times people do this because it's easier to claim other people are just as bad than it is to improve yourself. 172.70.110.173 01:08, 24 August 2021 (UTC) Duban

There you go, Duban; it's like if I accused you of being a terse anonymous editor of this text . . . but I am being one myself. "Before you accuse me; Take a look at yourself." is a song lyric Slow Hand composed based on that idea. 162.158.74.238 11:57, 24 August 2021 (UTC)

Clapton recorded "Before You Accuse Me" multiple times, but it was written by the great Bo Diddley. GoingBatty (talk) 13:15, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

Can I delete the alternative explanation about map projections? I feel like it definitely is not the subject of the comic. Dr. Beret (talk) 05:10, 24 August 2021 (UTC)

Nevermind Dr. Beret (talk) 05:11, 24 August 2021 (UTC)

I thought this was about projecting the complex numbers into the reals. 172.70.126.69 05:52, 24 August 2021 (UTC)

How and why? :-D Obviously this is about the psychological feature of thinking others have your flaws as well. He even acknowledges he has a REAL problem. Had their been something with complex in the title text then maybe we could have discussed the possibility. --Kynde (talk) 06:36, 24 August 2021 (UTC)
So did I. The fact that he emphasizes REAL problem, that this is "A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language"--particularly the "math" part, that there are many people there supposing a many-to-one relationship, all makes it apparent that this is a comic about complex analysis. I mean, the title text even says that this is an issue everyone else has, which is commonly said in mathematics education. 172.70.130.239 18:03, 24 August 2021 (UTC)

In Danish we have a saying: "Tyv tror hver mand stjæler" translates to "A thief believes everybody steals." This is projecting. Is this something you would also say in English? I have looked on Google but cannot find a similar saying in English, that like the Danish version is a well known saying. Anyone that knows an English saying that would cover this? I have seen suggestions for "Takes one to know one"but this is about knowing another because you are one. But that is not the same as thinking everyone is. Also "All looks yellow to a jaundiced eye" this may be closer, but more difficult to understand, but is it a known saying? (Was attributed to A. Pope). --Kynde (talk) 06:47, 24 August 2021 (UTC)

It's sort of the inverse to "Do as you would be done by", I suppose. I.e.: do as you think you could be done by; get your retaliation in first! And I also found (by surprise) that it was a known English phrase in the thief form. In my search, as direct equivalent to a Spanish 'original' that it was compared with, so probably cross-pollination across languages, in whatever directions from whatever true origin.
Of phrases actually known to me without cheating, it's almost covered by the half-principled/self-deluding grifter's old adage of "You can't cheat an honest man", but not enough for my liking. 162.158.158.118 08:52, 24 August 2021 (UTC)
There is a saying, "Be careful when you point your finger at someone else, because there are three fingers pointing back at you." Rtanenbaum (talk) 14:44, 24 August 2021 (UTC)

Here's a good example by Eric Clapton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoDwVNOPyyw 162.158.74.238 12:01, 24 August 2021 (UTC)

Connecting to the more maths based interpretations: I thought it was about projection from 3D to 2D, as real people are 3 dimensional object, however these cartoon characters are all projected to 2D, loosing many of their properties, so they all have a problem with projection this way.

I guess the comic is in general about the multitude of meanings of the term "projection". For a short overview see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projection . I think every reader will place his own thought bubbles over Poytail, Megan and Whitehat. The mouse text is then still another example of the meanings of projection.

I feel like this comic is notably smaller than usual, making me think the gag is much simpler, that he's saying he can't project his VOICE - and as a comic, his image - that this is both audibly and visually whispering, he is speaking (as well as showing himself) less than he should, due to his difficulty "projecting". I haven't read too much of the two explanations, but they seem like the usual overthinking mess, LOL! NiceGuy1 (talk) 07:32, 18 December 2021 (UTC)

Okay, nobody noticed my comment in nearly 6 months, so I corrected it myself. I didn't want to completely remove the probably completely wrong explanation, so I put the correct explanation as an alternate take. If someone realizes I'm right, you might want to adjust things. NiceGuy1 (talk) 12:20, 5 June 2022 (UTC)