Life — February 22, 1923 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Penalty of Originality" This satirical cartoon series mocks the concept of an "original man"—someone who defies social conventions and expectations. Each panel depicts increasingly absurd scenarios where this hypothetical nonconformist avoids common mishaps or social interactions: - He doesn't hit anybody (avoiding violence) - No accident occurs (safe driving) - He doesn't lose his collar-button (maintains propriety) - The waiter doesn't hit his face (no confrontation) - He doesn't slip on banana peels (avoids slapstick) - He loves his mother-in-law (defies stereotypical family tensions) Panel 7 shows "The Cartoonists' Verdict"—multiple figures examining this oddity with bewilderment, suggesting such originality is so rare and unnatural that it requires investigation. The satire implies early 20th-century society found true individuality bizarre and suspicious rather than admirable.