Judge — January 13, 1923 — page 20: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon satirizes **Émile Coué**, a French psychotherapist famous for his "autosuggestion" method—repeating positive affirmations to achieve desired results. His most famous phrase was "Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better." The cartoon depicts what appears to be a political figure (likely a U.S. President, given "White House" in the title) lying in bed while repeating the affirmation "You are not going back to Marion"—(20 times). This references **Marion, Ohio**, apparently a place the figure wishes to avoid or escape from. The satire mocks both Coué's therapeutic method as ineffective wishful thinking and, simultaneously, criticizes the political figure for attempting to use mere repetition and self-delusion rather than genuine action to solve problems or escape consequences. The joke suggests that saying something repeatedly won't make it true—a pointed jab at political denial or avoidance.