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Sunday, December 20, 1992

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Calvin wishes Santa would publish his guidelines for goodness. Calvin says if a nerd likes being good, it's easy for him to meet the standards. He says the true test of one's mettle is being good when one has an inclination toward evil. He thinks one good act by him is worth five good acts by a good-natured kid and asks if Hobbes agrees. He hits Susie with a snowball. As Calvin and Hobbes run off, Hobbes says in Calvin's case, the question is academic.

Transcript

I wish Santa would publish the guidelines he uses for determining a kid's goodness. For example, how much does he weigh motives? Does he consider the kid's natural predisposition? I mean, if some sickeningly wholesome nerd likes being good, it's easy for him to meet the standards! There's no challenge! Heck, anyone can be good if he wants to be! The true test of one's mettle is being good when one has an innate inclination towards evil. I think one good act by me, even if it's just to get presents, should count as five good acts by some sweet-tempered kid motivated by the pureness of his heart, don't you? Of course, in your case, the question is academic. I wanted to put a rock in the snowball, but I didn't. That should be worth a lot!

Collected in

Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat
p. 30
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
Book 3,p. 116
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
Book 4,p. 6
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