Would You Rather Be a RICK or a JERRY? - The Psychology of Rick and Morty - Wisecrack Edition 

“He’s so stupid, he doesn’t realize how miserable he should be.” - Bojack Horseman

even if we assume that smart ones are miserable, it doesn't mean that miserable ones are smart.... so....

I'm amazed that noone has ever pointed out to the finale of season 1 when Rick realizes that he's had so much fun with his grandkids that he hadn't said wabba lubba dub dub at all while the time was stopped, probably meaning He felt happy and wholesome that whole time.

I think Rick's misery is partly due to the fact that as the smartest man in the universe, no one can ever tell him something he doesn't understand, no one can teach him anything. When everyone is literally inferior intellectually, life would be constant frustration, he has no one who he can have meaningful conversations about physics and philosophy with, so he adapted by being a loner, which works at first, but as years wear on, the sadness creeps in. Why else would ricks seek out other ricks like at the citadel. It's just the smallest hope of meeting someone who doesn't seem like a moron in comparison.

Jokes on you, Wisecrack. I'm miserable AND stupid! :P

You know what kinda sucks? The idea that depression and brilliance are linked was ingrained in me and I expected my issues to have some sort of brilliance. What I learned recently was that I'm not a tortured artist or genius. I'm just depressed and it's unlikely that my name will go down in history. My suffering isn't noble or necessary.

Back in my day, you only had to sit through one ad on RU-vid

Imagine being so “smart” that you pay 70$ a year to be in a club where you proselytize about how smart you are...

I'd rather be the mailman. MY MAN!

"If knowledge hangs around your neck like pearls instead of chains, you are a lucky man." -Alan Price, _Oh Lucky Man!_

The problem with being depressed and being intelligent is the fact that a lot of times you just want to end it but you're smart enough to know it wont solve anything And sometimes that's worse than anything.

When you are responsible for other people's lives, as is the case with being a parent, you don't have the luxury of being a Jerry. You might not ever be a Rick, but you don't get to be a Jerry.

lol when I was 18 I was really into Dostoyevsky. I strongly blamed my loneliness on the fact that I was smarter than everyone. then I went to college and quickly found out that I was far from smart

"I choose.... Buzz Lightyear" "What that's not a choice"

If i'm gonna die I might as well know everything about the universe

I just realized; the bird man looks exactly like Carl Sagan.

A wisecrack video about rick and morty?? WOAO. I wasn't expecting this. But it's always great.

I literally just came here to see all the people talking about how smart and sad they are

I have an IQ of 135 and even though I’ve experienced alot of pain in my life, i’m a pretty optimistic person most of the time. Even when life is shit, I find a way to laugh about my misery. I didn’t even believe I was depressed before a doctor diagnosed me with servere depression. I thought everybody wanted to die sometimes, it seemed kinda logical to me😂 I have good periods and shitty periods, but overall i’m quite happy.

The thing is that ricks cognitive skills are through the roof, but his emotional intelligence is below even Jerry's. Rick is petty and selfish, this hurts his relationships. And makes for a great show.

I think neither Jerry nor Rick are personalities anyone should strive for.

"Thanks psychology; I went to school for you" is a great line.

Intelligence didn't make Rick miserable, Rick made Rick miserable. He runs away from responsibility and avoids things that could have helped him. He bailed on his daughter for years and he avoided therapy that could have helped him and his family. There are plenty of average and below average intelligence people who do the exact same things Rick does just in a less flashy/showy way. IQ only alters how creative you are with avoiding help and improvement.

ive been subbed to wisecrack for years this is my first time seeing this video. super welcome in my life right now.

Both are miserable, but Rick does it with style

I like rick and morty too but a lot of their fans think they're geniuses and that's not right.

"He who carries much wisdom carries much grief"

“He who increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow”-somewhere in the bible

Lisa said this on The Simpsons when homer's iq alienated him, "As intelligence goes up, happiness goes down. See, I made a graph. I make lots of graphs."

That's a f#@$ing subjective ass question Best line of the month

I really enjoyed this vid- do you have references for the research/literature cited?

Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave' comes to mind for BOTH Rick AND Jerry. They both are 'watching shadows on the wall'. However, Rick's shadows are very very different from Jerry's shadows. Rick is so brilliant that he can sometimes see the 'fire'; and he can almost, just barely, see the entrance of his 'cave'.

most people who think they're ricks are actually just sad jerrys Edit: Ok, I stole this comment from a twitter post my girlfriend showed me and it got way more likes than I expected, and now I feel a little guilty and mean, so I feel like I should clarify since so many people are reading this. I meant this as a playful way of saying "ego is more common than talent." As has been pointed out in the replies, Jerry is a regular schmuck like most of us, a little narcissistic and foolish, but well meaning. There isn't anything wrong with being a Jerry, and there is /NOTHING/ (Nothing!! Nothing at all!!!!!) wrong with being sad! In my regular schmuck mind, I have always believed that existential depression is a mix of being depressed and narcissistic, hence being a sad Jerry, in which a privileged, overactive mind incorrectly ascribes their very real emotions to a lack of higher purpose. But I hope I have made clear that I do not resent any of those characteristics!!! Depression is a very real condition, and if you experience prolonged feelings of sadness or worthlessness for /ANY/ reason, it is not "your fault for overthinking things," and you are in no way defective, or of less value, or unlikable, or selfish. You are depressed. Your value as a human being is intrinsic, and you deserve love and compassion If you identify with Rick and feel personally attacked, I'm truly sorry :( On the plus side, if you feel alienated/existentially depressed, I strongly recommend therapy to help you be comfortable with yourself and become the best human you know how to be :) A huge thanks to Wisecrack for promoting good mental health and destigmatizing therapy, and a huge thanks to Helen for her testimonial! As a final note, I'm realizing this comment has become weirdly personal and sincere for a youtube comments section. But I can't help it. I don't want to be mean! I don't want to make y'all feel bad, especially not on a video sending out such important positive messages about mental health. I want to live in a world and chat on an internet where people are kind to eachother and assume the best in one another. Take care of yourselves, take care of your mental health and your emotions, and look out for the people around you. Love y'all, -Squim

I'm not a super smart person but I still have existential depression.

Hearing that song just brought back so much memories

TL;DR Its easier to be happy when you're dumb than it is when you know too much, when you see how dimwitted our species is it's hard to not be depressed.

I'd rather be a Summer.

MENSA people are smart. I mean, until they pay to join an organization to tell other people they are.

Haha, “crisis of self.” Rick as a character and me have all the exact same issues and I got diagnosed with borderline personality, which just means my ego is incredibly unstable and has a hard time establishing itself

These videos are amazingly good. They do take a different angle on things.

I don't know if I'd consider myself all that intelligent, but to me, it seems almost like being bipolar. You take a look at the state of things in the world, and can't help but constantly think about all the variables that are crushingly depressing, yet at the same time you can appreciate the beauty of life itself in everything around you. Ups and downs... and then there are they days where you can cruise somewhere in between hiding it all and 'blend in' better.

I'll turn myself into a pickle before I ever talk to a therapist.

I also thank Wisecrack for always leaving us answerless because if not, the hunt would cease to exist, therefore the meaning

Intelligence is relative to what society deems useful. The phrase “you can’t judge a fish by it’s ability to climb a tree” Is very true. We humans weren’t meant to live such a senselessly complex life. While society makes it easier to get the necessities of life it also goes overboard with all the extra shit.

I would rather be morty.

I love your Videos!

Best answer ever. "That's a subjective ass question" 😂🤣

Talks about rich people having better health shows graphic of Steve Jobs, a billionaire who died from cancer

I can be smart and happy. I've got pills.

for me the realisation that "life is ultimately meaningless" is comforting, significantly soothed my anxiety, now I just think to myself that my mistakes don't matter, one day I will be forgoten and as long as I'm here I have time to turn any misfortune around, in addition it made me realise the importance of relationships with others, if there is no goal in life then everything that matters is the journey, and by spending time with friends and helping less fortunate you make sure that this short journey is as pleasant and easy as possible for others

LOL that cursing break was so funny BEEP you psychology! < should be merch

It all depends on whether the world has more Jerry's or Rick's. Unfortunately, in a world seemingly full of Jerry's... YES. It is miserable being a Rick. MENSA members are typically narcissists. Narcisists are prone to depression, but a 'hyperbrain' can do more than contemplate the worlds problems. It can contemplate the solutions. Knowing the solutions to many of the worlds problems, and being helpless to sway the writhing sea of Jerrys to execute them, IS a recipe for misery.

My IQ is TOO high for EITHER happiness or depression since I watch Rick and Morty

Overthinking brings stress, stress brings depression. So yes the smarter you are, the more pathetic you feel.

Purdy smart lol I love how you used a pic of that triangle game there.

Hmm... My one point of contention here is that I know a lot of very smart poor people and dumb successful people. High intelligence doesn't necessarily mean financial success and low intelligence doesn't necessarily mean financial hardship. I think it's more a matter of the TYPE of intelligence, personality, and background.

philosophy of true detective plz plz plz!!

I think I would always rather feel too much rather than nothing at all. They say ignorance is bliss but a blissful existence almost seems like a wasted one. When you think about depression, sometimes it feels like you're so sad you're dying, but if I could cure it instantly I wouldn't want to. It's part of you and gives you a certain perspective and appreciation for other things

This was one of the beat better help verbiage I’ve heard. Bravo

Dont be a rick or a jerry, be yourself

A wisecrack Rick and Morty video? This is going to be a good day :D

Is it the first time this beauty, shows up in the channel? am considering it may be a factor in the success of this amazingly narrated video.

I find it interesting this is the prime example of this question because another channel asks and explains the same thing using Rick and Morty as well

This video helped me a lot. Thank you very much. I'm really going trough some hard things and I think the best thing I can do is to talk with a professional.

It's like that episode of the Simpsons when homer stuck a crayon up his nose and became dumb

I mean I guess you did make me feel better about my depression so thanks I guess

Helen's way of describing psychology is literally how I feel about my degree too.

> Takes a crap on psychology > Has Betterhelp as a sponsor

Im such a Rick. This video was describing everything ive been feeling for what feels like years. I dont watch Rick and Morty but now i really want to.

I mean I wouldn't say I'm a "supergenius" or whatever the hell you called it, but as an intellectual outlet that *isn't* directly detrimental to your sanity, I found that philosophy works really well. It satisfies the itch for thinking and exploring without luring me to the cutlery.

It all makes so much sense

I'd rather be depressed and near omnipotent, than Jerry. Anything but Jerry.

This is Voltaire's "Candid' book, which is one of the greatest book ever written to me.... "we must plow our own garden" was the catch phrase and was still a heavy thinking till late 60's (when mass media and mass manipulation made being ignorant a heavy soar...). read this book at least once a year for nearly a decade and still enjoy it.

Reminds me of that Simpsons episode when Homer got smart but then would rather go dumb again and put the crayon back in his brain

the content of this video is analogous to reading your horoscope in the newspaper. lol

I happy life is overrated, a satisfying life is more fulfilling.

this comment section is unlimited r/iamverysmart material

Reading Camus and seeing the absurdity of life has taken all the anxiety I once had for death and my future when I was a bit younger. Now I just live passionately in the present moment without much thought or care for the future...

The Mensa side-note at 3:33 really explains it all, I think.

Or like you say, people who join a society like Mensa probably do so to gain the bragging rights, and so might be driven so much to join entirely optional societies designed mainly to make its members feel special might have a higher rate of depression because they don't have a strong level of internally produced self-esteem. So they strive for these status symbols only to find once they achieve them that they're kind of meaningless, and return to seeking reassurance from the yet to be obtained?

Are you a Rick or a Jerry Me: I'm more a morty

The question be a rick or a jerry? My answer: both are equally miserable but being dumb aswell would be worse so I choose being a rick

Fantastic way to describe Rick as he is an almost godly figure capable of anything .

Can you guys do a video on the psychology of why you make so many Rick & Morty videos?

I would rather be a Rick, but I’m probably a Jerry.

Hey guys! Great content, totally relatable. I want to inquire about the beat at the very end of the Video. Last 30 seconds. Is there a possibility of getting the full version for using it for a music project? Ecxitedly waiting for your reply :))

Great video

Wisdom = Smart + Not Being Miserable

"On the other hand there's Jerry, who's a LITTLE BIT DUMB......" Wow, that's one polite way to put it.....far from reality

as someone with a hyperbrain and who suffers from existential depression, my mind is always flooded with existential thoughts about people, existence and everything else. it can make me miserable and it's extremely difficult to cope with, and ive felt alone for most of my life. feeling disconnected from everyone else due to being on a completely different level of thought. anyone else out there?

so being stupid and rich is the best combination, I got the stupid down, now let's get rich!!!

"I can't afford health care, so I'm stuck being less happy"... I'm really glad i live in a developed country and not the USA.

So like when’s the next thug notes coming out?

For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. Ecc- 1:18

In my experience, if someone says, they are a genius, they are probably either a Rick or a Jerry.

you should not link depression to brilliance, its just pretentiousness. All kids think they are so special with their depression because nobody seems to understand them. its what we all have so simply in common. Infinite jest already explained this back in 1996. Hey how about a Serial Experiment Lain review? Also thanks for the vid

don't forget that there are different types of intelligence. and not all 'smart' people are interested in things as petty as "making money". in fact, many of those geniuses in human's history are not necessarily the wealthiest people; because they care (& think) more about how to change the world, mankind, & civilization for a better future, not just merely only about money (serious problem with today's capitalist era & society). so be careful with the false correlations.

5:14 Well damn..... that explains a lot

That makes me remember another work of Dostoyevsky, Notes from the Underground.