Yo! You must login or signup first!

"You Are Not Special" Children's Book

Added about a year ago / Updated about a year ago
Cover5

Submission   47,010

Part of a series on Haus Of Decline. [View Related Entries]

Related Explainer: Why Do People Hate The 'You Are Not Special' Comic? The Nihilistic Children's Comic Book Explained

O Mike Olbinski Photograp YOUR LIFE IS NOTHING YOU SERVE ZERO PURPOSE.
६ с Get ready to have your CHANGED lives fooo gays. X +/www. KILL YOURSELF BT WWW. m الااا :)) ** M
YOU'RE NOT EVEN GOOD ENOUGH TO BE MY FAKE.
M YOU ARE THE KEY.
여 GAMEGHOUL JL YOU'RE NOT PERFECT.
E fot A B You Don't Have To Be Special To Make Friends
View All 54 Images

Navigation
About • Origin • Spread • Various Examples • Template • Search Interest • External References • Recent Images • Recent Videos

About

"You Are Not Special" Children's Book is a 2023 children's book written by Steve Pikelny and illustrated by Haus of Decline that went viral on Twitter in March 2023 over its demotivational and nihilist nature. The book, presumably posted as bait, became a subject of parodies, memes and viral discussions online shortly after.

Origin

On March 19th, 2023, Twitter[1] user @steviepxyz posted his children's book, titled You Are Not Special and illustrated by the artist Haus of Decline, in a 16-tweet thread (tweet and seven first pages shown below). The thread gained over 3,500 retweets, 19,100 quotes and 23,900 likes in two days, effectively being ratioed.

steviep @steviepxyz Not many people know this, but 12 years ago I wrote a children's book. It sat in the vault, unreleased, for over a decade before I commissioned @hausofdecline to illustrate it for me. For the first time ever, I present: You Are Not Special YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL. 9:08 AM Mar 19, 2023 35.3M Views
1 ly YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL.
! L THERE ARE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU. +
S MANY OF THEM ARE SMARTER THAN YOU.

11 MORE CREATIVE, TOO.
(1+a+b)G₁x(^b)=1+√ [dp +√dq (G) - ²0₂ - Galaxb)) GX(a₁17)-Gala₂6) 9-6 G₂(a₂b) G SOME PEOPLE ARE. GOOD AT MATH." {
2 الرسا AZE, SOME PEOPLE ARE GOOD AT MAKING MUSIC (
2+2=22 YOU ARE GOOD AT NEITHER.

The book, which is demotivational and nihilistic, notably states that the reader is not special, that anything they can do someone else can do better, and that no one will remember them after they die.

Spread

Starting on the same day, March 19th, 2023, users on Twitter criticized and parodied the book over its nihilistic outlook. For example, Twitter[2] user @blktomekurata posted a Mob Psycho 100 edit of the first page, recaptioning it, "if everyone is not special, maybe you can be what you want to be." The tweet gained over 8,500 retweets and 43,400 likes in two days (shown below, left). On March 20th, Twitter[3] user @DipsymValley posted a drawing that made fun of the book and its author (shown below, right), with the post receiving over 5,500 retweets and 59,000 likes in one day (shown below, right).

ww5 if everyone is NOT SPECIAL. maybe you can be what you want to be
६ с NM Get ready to have your lives changed, gays. loom X KILL YOURSELF BY ME M m الا :)) M

On March 19th, 2023, Twitter[4] user @vivbluetea edited nine of the pages to carry a positive message, posting them to the site. The first tweet in the thread (shown below, left) gained over 6,600 retweets and 30,400 likes in two days prior to being deleted.

More parodies of the book's first page were posted by users on Twitter in the following days. For example, on March 20th, Twitter[5] user @itsaaudraw posted an All Star meme that gained over 1,100 retweets and 7,400 likes in one day (shown below, right).

1 ♥ ✓ YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL, and that's okay!
1 HEY NOW, YOU'RE A ROCK STAR.

On March 19th, @steviepxyz then tweeted[6] that he was getting death threats because of the book (tweet shown below, left).

On March 20th, artist Haus of Decline tweeted[7] about the discourse, confirming that the original book was meant to be a joke and writing that every comic artist needs their "Bike Cuck moment" (tweets shown below, right).

steviep @steviepxyz Looks like I'm making pretty good progress on my OKRS for the first quarter: Get verified on OpenSea Get collected by Fingerprints Write the most controversial children's book of the year, which leads to me getting ratio'd + death threats steviep @steviepxyz . Mar 19 Not many people know this, but 12 years ago I wrote a children's book. It sat in the vault, unreleased, for over a decade before I commissioned @hausofdecline to illustrate it for me. For the first time ever, I present: You Are Not Special Show this thread YOU ARE ARE NOT SPECIAL. : 10:50 PM Mar 19, 2023 · 80.4K Views
Haus of Decline @hausofdecline - 22h You ever make a joke that lands so poorly you become discourse? Would not recommend. 301 434 Haus of Decline @hausofdecline 13.3K ₁587K 1 every comic artist needs their 'bike cuck' moment. I feel like I have truly arrived . 3:38 PM Mar 20, 2023 109K Views

Various Examples

E131 YOU ARE PHANTOM THIEF
1 YOU ARE THE DRILL THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS
bakers dozen @GAYRETARDGF Now is my time to share. I also have a childrens book which I have held onto for 12 Years. It was illustrated by an Ancient Man who I have had locked in suspended animation for 11 years. For the first time ever, I present: You Will S--- Yourself YOU WILL S--- YOURSELF. ...
Me (nihilism's strongest soldier) Optimistic 5 yo (sinner) You will die alone
LIE :) YOU ARE THE SPECIAL.
FORDLANDIA @manfordic "I'm not special because of others? Billions must die!" www.we YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL. :

Template

1 ly YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL.

Search Interest

External References

[1] Twitter – @steviepxyz

[2] Twitter – @blktomekurata

[3] Twitter – @DipsumValley

[4] Twitter – @vivbluetea

[5] Twitter – @itsaaudraw

[6] Twitter – @steviepxyz

[7] Twitter – @hausofdecline

Share Pin

Related Entries 1 total

I_think_we're_gonna_have_to_kill_this_guy
"I Think We're Gonna Have To ...

Recent Images 54 total

View All Images

Recent Videos 1 total

View All Videos

Load 133 Comments
5
You Are Not Special meme from the Children's Book.

"You Are Not Special" Children's Book

Part of a series on Haus Of Decline. [View Related Entries]

Updated Mar 22, 2023 at 12:44PM EDT by Zach.

Added Mar 21, 2023 at 09:04AM EDT by Philipp.

PROTIP: Press 'i' to view the image gallery, 'v' to view the video gallery, or 'r' to view a random entry.

Related Explainer: Why Do People Hate The 'You Are Not Special' Comic? The Nihilistic Children's Comic Book Explained

This submission is currently being researched & evaluated!

You can help confirm this entry by contributing facts, media, and other evidence of notability and mutation.

About

"You Are Not Special" Children's Book is a 2023 children's book written by Steve Pikelny and illustrated by Haus of Decline that went viral on Twitter in March 2023 over its demotivational and nihilist nature. The book, presumably posted as bait, became a subject of parodies, memes and viral discussions online shortly after.

Origin

On March 19th, 2023, Twitter[1] user @steviepxyz posted his children's book, titled You Are Not Special and illustrated by the artist Haus of Decline, in a 16-tweet thread (tweet and seven first pages shown below). The thread gained over 3,500 retweets, 19,100 quotes and 23,900 likes in two days, effectively being ratioed.


steviep @steviepxyz Not many people know this, but 12 years ago I wrote a children's book. It sat in the vault, unreleased, for over a decade before I commissioned @hausofdecline to illustrate it for me. For the first time ever, I present: You Are Not Special YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL. 9:08 AM Mar 19, 2023 35.3M Views 1 ly YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL. ! L THERE ARE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU. + S MANY OF THEM ARE SMARTER THAN YOU.

11 MORE CREATIVE, TOO. (1+a+b)G₁x(^b)=1+√ [dp +√dq (G) - ²0₂ - Galaxb)) GX(a₁17)-Gala₂6) 9-6 G₂(a₂b) G SOME PEOPLE ARE. GOOD AT MATH." { 2 الرسا AZE, SOME PEOPLE ARE GOOD AT MAKING MUSIC ( 2+2=22 YOU ARE GOOD AT NEITHER.


The book, which is demotivational and nihilistic, notably states that the reader is not special, that anything they can do someone else can do better, and that no one will remember them after they die.

Spread

Starting on the same day, March 19th, 2023, users on Twitter criticized and parodied the book over its nihilistic outlook. For example, Twitter[2] user @blktomekurata posted a Mob Psycho 100 edit of the first page, recaptioning it, "if everyone is not special, maybe you can be what you want to be." The tweet gained over 8,500 retweets and 43,400 likes in two days (shown below, left). On March 20th, Twitter[3] user @DipsymValley posted a drawing that made fun of the book and its author (shown below, right), with the post receiving over 5,500 retweets and 59,000 likes in one day (shown below, right).


ww5 if everyone is NOT SPECIAL. maybe you can be what you want to be ६ с NM Get ready to have your lives changed, gays. loom X KILL YOURSELF BY ME M m الا :)) M

On March 19th, 2023, Twitter[4] user @vivbluetea edited nine of the pages to carry a positive message, posting them to the site. The first tweet in the thread (shown below, left) gained over 6,600 retweets and 30,400 likes in two days prior to being deleted.

More parodies of the book's first page were posted by users on Twitter in the following days. For example, on March 20th, Twitter[5] user @itsaaudraw posted an All Star meme that gained over 1,100 retweets and 7,400 likes in one day (shown below, right).


1 ♥ ✓ YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL, and that's okay! 1 HEY NOW, YOU'RE A ROCK STAR.

On March 19th, @steviepxyz then tweeted[6] that he was getting death threats because of the book (tweet shown below, left).

On March 20th, artist Haus of Decline tweeted[7] about the discourse, confirming that the original book was meant to be a joke and writing that every comic artist needs their "Bike Cuck moment" (tweets shown below, right).


steviep @steviepxyz Looks like I'm making pretty good progress on my OKRS for the first quarter: Get verified on OpenSea Get collected by Fingerprints Write the most controversial children's book of the year, which leads to me getting ratio'd + death threats steviep @steviepxyz . Mar 19 Not many people know this, but 12 years ago I wrote a children's book. It sat in the vault, unreleased, for over a decade before I commissioned @hausofdecline to illustrate it for me. For the first time ever, I present: You Are Not Special Show this thread YOU ARE ARE NOT SPECIAL. : 10:50 PM Mar 19, 2023 · 80.4K Views Haus of Decline @hausofdecline - 22h You ever make a joke that lands so poorly you become discourse? Would not recommend. 301 434 Haus of Decline @hausofdecline 13.3K ₁587K 1 every comic artist needs their 'bike cuck' moment. I feel like I have truly arrived . 3:38 PM Mar 20, 2023 109K Views

Various Examples


E131 YOU ARE PHANTOM THIEF 1 YOU ARE THE DRILL THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS bakers dozen @GAYRETARDGF Now is my time to share. I also have a childrens book which I have held onto for 12 Years. It was illustrated by an Ancient Man who I have had locked in suspended animation for 11 years. For the first time ever, I present: You Will S--- Yourself YOU WILL S--- YOURSELF. ...
Me (nihilism's strongest soldier) Optimistic 5 yo (sinner) You will die alone LIE :) YOU ARE THE SPECIAL. FORDLANDIA @manfordic "I'm not special because of others? Billions must die!" www.we YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL. :

Template


1 ly YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL.

Search Interest

External References

[1] Twitter – @steviepxyz

[2] Twitter – @blktomekurata

[3] Twitter – @DipsumValley

[4] Twitter – @vivbluetea

[5] Twitter – @itsaaudraw

[6] Twitter – @steviepxyz

[7] Twitter – @hausofdecline

Related Entries 1 total

Recent Videos 1 total

     

Recent Images 54 total


Top Comments

MCC1701
Delete
Sensitive
MCC1701

I always find this perspective, and the desire to spread it, unhelpful at best and maliciously nihilistic at worst.

As a kid you are (hopefully) special, interpersonally to those who love and care for you. In an objective sense or society as a whole you might not be, but I think this has more to do with human relationships than anything else.

+58
Reply
Advice Alligator
Delete
Sensitive
Advice Alligator

in reply to Skittles Lad

He's basically the opposite of the book, though. He didn't sit around lamenting the fact that he wasn't born a magic superhuman, he made his own destiny. He's a bastard with poor motivations and methods (wow no shit), but his intentions have a noble core to them: he wanted to empower anyone to be as capable as a superhero. It's what makes him such a great villain.

This book is just boring bleakness with no irony or subtext. The "artistic" equivalent of wrist cutting.

+39
Reply

+ Add a Comment

Comments (133)


Display Comments

Add a Comment


Suggest a Change   Edit History