#7: No, no... hear me out—it's a love story
Hello and welcome to yet another issue of Extremely Unannoying—hot off the presses! This week I'll make you sad, then happy, then we'll find a medium and be somewhat bittersweet.
Sounds good? Then let's dive in!
1) It was us all along
Way back in February, I mentioned that I had been watching a little show called The Last of Us and humbly recommended that you may also want to give it a try. Since then, the first season has wrapped, and the series became one of the biggest hits of 2023, earning accolades left and right and propelling Pedro Pascal to ✨_internet daddy_✨ status. (Leading to just the thirstiest tiktoks.)
Anyway, if you haven't watched The Last of Us yet, I still think you should—it's excellent! Don't let your possible fear of zombies and jumpscares hold you back: I'm pretty sure I'm a bigger scaredy-cat than you and had no problem watching the show.
And then, when you're done—and you know... had a couple of days to recover from the fetal position—watch this well-done, two-part essay by YouTuber Bricky:
Bricky is a video game enthusiast who played The Last of Us some eleven times. In his essay, he compares and contrasts the game with the show, delivering a thought-provoking review only a die-hard fan of the source material could do.
As someone who didn't play the game but loved the show, I got a lot out of Bricky's videos—even if I disagreed with some of his points. I recommend watching his essay if you want to spend a bit more time thinking about Joel, Ellie, and "friends."
2) You like me more than I think you do
Now, look. I could tell you that I happened upon this research when I casually browsed the latest issue of Psychological Science on a sunny Saturday morning, right after I solved the daily Wordle in one try, and just before I left for the opera in the afternoon, but the truth is that I saw it on TikTok.
Specifically, this tiktok. (To my defense, I did find and skim the original paper the video is based on later. 🤷♂️)
The gist is that in social settings, there is a phenomenon called the liking gap. When you have a conversation with someone, you tend to systematically underestimate how much they liked you and enjoyed your company. According to the research, you're simply too focused on analyzing and criticizing yourself to notice the positive signals your conversation partner displays.
Ouch.
And statistically, it's not just you—you're both doing it. And if you're in a group, guess what—yup, you're all doing it.
Double ouch.
Sometimes we really are our own worst enemies.
So, yeah, next time you get together with your friends, just appreciate the fact that there is a pretty good chance they like you much more than you think and that they have no clue how much you actually like them.
Maybe let them know, is all I'm saying. 😊*
*And send them the tiktok, because who are we kidding, you won't send them the 45-page research paper.
3) The Greek dudes would be so happy
I guess this is the Callback Edition because I have another thing to hype that I already hyped in a previous Extremely Unannoying: the movie Young Plato.
I saw this documentary with my friend Kata during the 2023 Budapest International Documentary Festival, and it stayed with me for a long time after. The movie follows an unusual headmaster of a boy's school in North Belfast, Kevin McArevey.
North Belfast is a rough place to live. The majority is poor working class, and most families have some connection to the Troubles—the long and often violent sectarian conflict between Protestants and Catholics (or loyalists and republicans). Growing up in Ardoyne—the district the movie takes place in—can easily end in poverty, joining a gang, or committing suicide.
Headmaster McArevey doesn't like this one bit, and he has a plan to give his young pupils a chance at a different outcome. To do so, he enlists the help of very unusual allies: the Classical Greek Stoics.
What follows is a heavy but ultimately hopeful tale of amazing teachers, good kids, and the power of will and (ancient) knowledge.
If you'd like to see the movie, the BIDF team organized a special, second viewing at the BEM movie theater on Wednesday, April 26th. The show starts at 6 pm, and tickets can be purchased at the theater for 1.600 HUF. However, you do need to register beforehand by sending an email to regisztracio@bidf.hu.
I encourage you to go and see this documentary—it's really something special.
+1) Help out a little guy
Hey, it's me, I'm the little guy in this instance. 👋 After a long(ish) sabbatical and some soul-searching, I'm looking for my next gig!
One of my good friends always says that "companies don't hire people, people hire people," so right now I'm trying to widen my network and get in touch with awesome people who do good work.
If you'd like to help me out, check out this short LinkedIn post I wrote—it details what I'm looking for. And if you know of an opportunity or someone I should talk to, please let me know—I'd be super grateful! 😊
And with that, we're out. Thanks for reading another issue of Extremely Unannoying—may I say that it speaks of impeccable taste! 😉 Have a nice fortnight; we'll meet again in the next installment!
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