Dilbert cartoon first published on Friday 1st October 1999

Dilbert//3821, first published 27 years ago on Friday 1st October 1999

Tags

dont understand follow a process failed thirty times optimism

Official transcript

Dilbert stands at desk of The Boss and says, "Here's what I don't understand..."

Dilbert says, "You just asked me to follow a process that has failed thirty times in a row and you know it."

Dilbert says, "At what point can this no longer be called 'optimism'?"

The Boss says, "When it succeeds?"

originally published on dilbert.com

Open source transcript

HERE'S WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU JUST ASKED ME TO FOLLOW A PROCESS THAT HAS FAILED THIRTY TIMES IN A ROW AND YOU KNOW IT.

AT WHAT POINT CAN THIS NO LONGER BE CALLED "OPTIMISM"?

WHEN IT SUCCEEDS?

collated from github.com/jvarn/dilbert-archive

AI Analysis

The comic strip, originally published in 1999, presents a humorous take on the concept of optimism. The title "Optimism" is a fitting choice, as it encapsulates the central theme of the strip.

The Story

The strip follows the character of Dilbert, a bespectacled man with a distinctive hairstyle, as he engages in a conversation with his boss. The boss asks Dilbert to follow a process that has failed thirty times in a row, and Dilbert responds by asking what point can no longer be called "optimism." The boss then asks when it succeeds, implying that the process is doomed to fail.

The Humor

The humor in the strip lies in the absurdity of the situation and the deadpan delivery of the characters. The boss's request to follow a process that has failed repeatedly is ridiculous, and Dilbert's response is both sarcastic and logical. The punchline, where the boss asks when it succeeds, adds to the comedic effect by implying that the process is inherently flawed and will never succeed.

The Message

Overall, the comic strip uses humor to comment on the futility of optimism in the face of repeated failure. It suggests that sometimes, even the most well-intentioned efforts can be doomed to fail, and that it's important to be realistic about our chances of success.

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Accompanying textual content, such as title, tags and transcripts, is shown here if we have it. Not every comic has all of these, and they seem to be a bit hit and miss even on the official website.