Ducks. Nature’s little optimists. While other birds flap about looking anxious or aggressively divebomb unsuspecting picnickers, ducks seem to have mastered the art of contentment. Whether they’re gliding serenely across a pond, waddling cheerfully along a riverbank, or quacking with the enthusiasm of someone who’s just been handed a free biscuit, ducks always seem… well, happy.
But why? What do they know that we don’t? Are they hiding the secret to a stress-free existence under those glossy feathers? Let’s examine the evidence.
They’ve Mastered the Art of Effortless Floating
Imagine if life’s problems just rolled off you like water off a duck’s back. For ducks, this isn’t just a metaphor—it’s a daily reality. Thanks to a conveniently oil-coated set of feathers, ducks can float on water without getting soggy, something most of us can only dream of when caught in an unexpected downpour without an umbrella.
While humans wrestle with existential dread, unpaid bills, and the horror of remembering something embarrassing from ten years ago at 3 AM, ducks just bob along, unbothered. They may not be leading particularly complex lives, but they’ve certainly cracked the code to inner peace.
They Can Fly, Swim, and Walk (Sort Of)
Ducks aren’t just confined to one mode of transport—they have options. They can glide across water with the grace of a Venetian gondola, take to the sky when the mood strikes, or waddle enthusiastically towards a handful of scattered breadcrumbs. Admittedly, the walking isn’t their strong suit (who among us wouldn’t struggle with webbed feet on land?), but this three-in-one approach to mobility gives them a level of freedom the rest of us can only envy.
When your commute involves potholes, delayed trains, and a broken-down bus, consider the duck—who, upon encountering a traffic jam, can simply take off. That’s got to be a happiness booster.
They Live in Parks and Ponds Instead of Offices
While we trudge into work, staring blankly at emails and pretending to understand spreadsheets, ducks are out there paddling in scenic ponds, surrounded by trees, fresh air, and the occasional overenthusiastic toddler throwing bread at them.
Ducks don’t do deadlines. They don’t do performance reviews. They don’t have to sit through painfully awkward Zoom calls where someone spends ten minutes trying to unmute themselves. Their biggest worry is whether the swans are feeling aggressive today—and even then, they seem to take it in stride.
Wouldn’t you be happier if your daily responsibilities included nothing more than floating, quacking, and occasionally flapping your wings for dramatic effect?
They Quack with Conviction
There’s something incredibly satisfying about the way ducks communicate. Unlike the timid chirping of some birds or the aggressive squawking of seagulls, ducks quack with enthusiasm. Loud, unapologetic, and with a complete disregard for whether anyone is listening.
If you’ve ever watched a duck seemingly quack at nothing in particular, it’s hard not to admire the confidence. Maybe they’re catching up on gossip. Maybe they’re telling an excellent joke. Maybe they’ve just realised they have feet and want to share the news. Whatever the reason, they throw themselves into it wholeheartedly.
There’s a lesson in that. Sometimes, you’ve just got to quack loudly and let the world deal with it.
They’ve Got the Best of Both Worlds
Ducks don’t have to choose between land and water. They don’t have to commit to being graceful or ridiculous. They exist in a happy in-between, paddling serenely one moment and flapping into chaotic take-off the next. They can be peaceful or completely absurd, and no one questions it.
Perhaps their secret to happiness is in not overthinking it. Ducks simply are. Floating when they feel like it. Flapping when necessary. Waddling with purpose. Quacking loudly because they can.
Maybe the real reason ducks seem so happy is because they’re not worrying about whether they seem happy. And maybe, just maybe, we should all try being a little more like them.
Dwight Warner is the quintessential oddball Brit, with a weirdly American-sounding name, who has a knack for turning the mundane into the extraordinary. Hailing originally from London, now living in the sleepy depths of Lincolnshire but claiming an allegiance to the absurd, Dwight has perfected the art of finding the surreal in real life. Whether it’s a spirited rant about the philosophical implications of queueing or a deep dive into why tea tastes better in a mug older than you, his blogs blur the line between the abstract and the everyday.
With an irreverent wit and a penchant for tangents that somehow come full circle, Dwight Warner doesn’t just write; he performs on the page. His humour is both sharp and delightfully nonsensical, like Monty Python met your nosiest neighbour and they decided to co-write a diary.
Known for being gregarious, Dwight is the life of any (real or metaphorical) party, whether he’s deconstructing the existential crisis of mismatched socks or sharing his inexplicable theories about why pigeons are secretly running the economy.
A larger-than-life personality with a laugh as loud as his opinions, Dwight Warner invites readers to step into a world where everything’s slightly askew—and that’s exactly how he likes it.
Discover more from untypicable
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.