The Most Interesting Thing I've Ever Done

HANK, THIS IS TOTALLY PUNISHABLE. -JOhn

Loving these comments! Also...any punishment suggestions appreciated...though doing on stage will have logistical requirements so not every good idea will be possible :-)

Those 11 year olds that could get drunk when this video posted could now be lawyers and taxi drivers.

You know what I like about vlogbrothers? I don't have a favorite brother. There are other channels run by two people that I watch, and I have a clear favorite and will even skip videos by my not-favorite. I don't do that with this channel. I like you and john equally. I didn't even skip videos when you were on paternity leave! Who makes these videos isn't important. I know that no matter what I watch on here, it's going to leave me better than I was before. I'll either have learned something about the world or about myself, or I'll just be in a better mood, or feel hopeful or proud. I never come away thinking I've wasted some time or feeling badly. The content here is consistently good, whether it's thought provoking and deep, or just four minutes of dad jokes and absurdity.

Hey people in the comments. I'd like to ask a favor. Just above this comment, there's a little button that lets you sort comments by "newest" or by "top." Click on "newest" and read a few comments. I've really been enjoying the longer, more thoughtful comments that we're getting on this video.

Here's why I love nerdfighteria: Hank made a wonderful, entertaining and insightful video...and we get to punish him for it. :D

I am one of those 11 year olds who can now get drunk

It's good to see that comments are still being made on this video. It shows that this is still relevant and that the community is still relevant.

New Year's resolution: Begin more sentences with "Now that's a big statement based on not a lot of research, BUT..."

This is going to sound sappy and awful but back when I was 25 I had my first child. After a year that marriage had self-destructed and I was a single father. When my son was almost two, I found this channel. I didn't know what to make of it, the creators are talking to each other but also talking to the audience? I thought it was pretty unique but I stayed because the channel had this habit of making me feel better. At a time when everything was wrong and life was hard, I could come here and for some reason I could smile. My son will be 10 in April and I'm glad I found this community.

This hits so much harder 6 years later.

I'm not sure exactly when I became a Nerdfighter but somewhere around sophomore year of high school (I'm now a freshman in college) I came across a Vlogbrothers video and I went down the rabbit hole, so to speak. Several hours later I had watched almost all your videos and I realized something that I had never noticed on YouTube before – I was watching your life. I felt a connectedness akin to friendship with both you and John, as well as the rest of the community. This has only strengthened over the years of regular viewership on this channel, Sci Show, Crash Course, and the many other channels that celebrate learning on YouTube. It has been a completely transformative experience and I 100% consider this community part of who I am. I totally understand what you mean with the lack of established community in today’s society. I live pretty deep in the woods, so I don’t have any neighbors my age. I understand the community within the church I was raised in, but I’m agnostic so I never felt like I fit in. And boy did I not fit in in high school. I was (and still am) a shy, kinda awkward kid who never had that group of friends one would consider their community. Despite the one sidedness of the relationship, I feel as if you and the other content creators on YouTube I watch are better friends to me than anyone from my high school. We share the same values and like the same things – something I can’t say about many of the kids from my school. You pulled me through loneliness, anxiety, depression (so on and so forth) that crushed me as an upperclassman. I’m sure I’m not the only person to say that but I can assure you “I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for Nerdfighteria” resonates deep within my soul with a passionate, reflective, excited appreciation I could never put into words. When I was alone and felt like I had nothing, Nerdfighteria was there to pick me up. I’ve never been much of a commenter but I know that I am still a part of this community. I know if I say “look at this cool thing I did” people in this community would support me. As one of those kids who believed in the diehard individualism of today’s society, this knowledge is so powerful. Not only do I no longer believe that I have to do everything myself, but the support of Nerdfighteria has also returned my trust in others during my day to day life. It has done away with many of my cynical views of the world and shown me evidence of the many, many great things going on today and every day. While it’s interesting to see how you see yourself as another follow of Nerdfighteria there is now denying that you lead us on a communal and individual level. Your music makes me laugh. Your videos make me feel connected to something bigger. Your podcasts accompany me on solo car rides. Crash Course gets me interested in subjects I had never even thought about before. Sci Show continuous astonishes me and my love for science. Sexplanations gives me a sex-ed lightyears better than what I received in high school. The things you do are so much more than mindless entertainment, and I’m beginning to show my parents that. As the structures of community they’re familiar with continually dissolve, you are building new ones. You are literally redefining what a community is. I hope you think that’s as cool as I do. Nerdfighteria is not some lesser subcommunity that I happen to belong to. It’s not a replacement for something I used to be a part of. As a freshman in college I’ve done some honest thinking about this idea, even before this video came out. I grew up in Nerdfighteria and the various other internet communities I associate with. Just like everyone else, my view of society and culture, my personality, and my values are shaped by how I grew up. Nerdfighteria IS a part of me. Nerdfighteria IS my community. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for building it.

I'm not sure if this was part of the point of this video but can I just say it's incredibly refreshing to hear someone I admire and consider successful admit they have no idea what they're doing. I'm about to graduate in June (with my second Bachelors degree no less because I'm indecisive and confused) and still have no idea what I'm going to "do" with my life. But, I know community is important to me, and I know I'll continue to be a Nerdfighter, and stay passionate about fandoms, and so many other things. So maybe it's okay if that's all I know. The rest will come in due time. Maybe what I seek doesn't exist yet, just like you and John couldn't have predicted 10 years later on vlogbrothers. I'm excited to see what unknown goals we accomplish in the next 10 years. dftba, friends.

I was that 11 year old who can now get drunk 😂 been here for the whole ride. Thank you for an amazing 10 years.

I used to watch vlogbrothers here and there as I was growing up, but I've gotten very interested in the channel over the past few weeks. It makes me feel attached to people through the loneliness of college during covid. It makes me feel like I'm constantly learning and growing. You both inspire me and give me comfort. I really appreciate how caring you both are with your privilege and power that you have. I hope to be as kind and thoughtful and knowledge-seeking as you both are as I get older. Thank you for everything you do.

If you say so, pinned comment

The collapse of traditional community structures is something I also have been interested in and worried about. I have a BA in Economics and a Masters in Public Administration/Public Finance and I've been working in local government politics and government for a few years now and I can say the absence of something that ties a city or region together is noticeable. There isn't a place for people to interact on a level playing field. Everyone is so isolated from the rest. Religion used to be the glue but that ship has sailed (as an atheists that did 13 years in Catholic school I'm OK with that) but its absence has not been filled. I'm still trying to find a way for a city to artificially create a community feel but with the distrust in government at such a high it is a struggle. p.s. Why do people confused local government with their hate for state and federal? We are trying our best!... well some of us are.

SAP ALERT: I started watching vlogbrothers right before my freshman year of high school. I was going through a pretty hard time then and struggled with my sense of self a lot. You guys helped me realize that it's okay to be "unironically enthusiastic" about things I really like, even if those things weren't "cool" or "popular." I'm now a sophomore in college and that lesson you taught me helped me make some of the best friends I will ever have, and chase crazy dreams that are looking less and less crazy every day. It's kind of hard to explain in one YouTube comment everything you've done for me, so I'll just say this: thank you for helping this weirdo out by letting her know how important it is to be herself.

Community. "This is no longer just a study group, it's a Community."