WTF

This week’s WTF question was submitted by alert reader Ruth B. of Michigan. Ruth asks:

Question: Why does evil exist?

This was later refined to:

Question: Why do I like stripes?

Answer: Stripes and other cyclic patterns are a sort of graphic equivalent of rhythm. They reassure us by repeating the same sequence over and over again. Predictability gives us a sense of stability and safety. Interestingly, that also relates to evil, which is typically some completely shocking and disorienting behavior.

Or, maybe the stripes remind us of what the U.S. flag traditionally stood for … freedom from fear, freedom from want and all that Norman Rockwell stuff.

Or maybe the stripes suggest prison outfits … or bars … the desired comeuppance for evil-doers. (Actually, I think the experts in criminal justice fashion have settled on perp walk orange as the preferred look for convicts.)

Or … I don’t know. Sometimes a stripe is just a stripe. Geez, Ruth, couldn’t you have asked me something simple, like “How can we overcome political partisanship?” (To be answered in a future WTF post.)

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