>>150371389
>I don't think he's splenetic by nature, he's just worn down by his life where he's always forced to be around some guy he hates
If by guy you mean the whole town? Sure. But if the town is what is pissing you off maybe it's down to you and not the people around him. He calls it a backwater town and regulary acts passive agressive or be blatantly sarcastic against the denizens of bikini bottom if he isn't getting frustrated with Spongebob. The only time he will have an outwardly positive mood or attitude to someone is when he thinks that person is someone who can consume or appreciate his artistic talent or interests which only works for some time before friction emerges again.
>squid ethnostate episode that he can actually be quite happy if he's in the right circumstances
But that's the thing, THAT wears him down too.
After living in what is his perfect neighborhood for sometime he soon falls into a depressive state. When you allow him to be fully free from reactive sources of irritation or distraction and give him the ability to fully actualize he can't actually process it. You can give him creature comforts and an accomadating space but it won't solve his deeper insecurities. If his hobbies and ideal lifestyle cannot fullfill him, what makes you think a loving relationship will? Squidward is a man who feeds off negative interactions, he acts hypo social but the reality is that he is actually hyper social, just not in a healthy way. He sees himself above other people, put him in a situation where he is an equal among peers and he can't take it. He needs to be cantankerous, he needs to be able to express his sense of self-worth because at the end of the day that is where half of his insecurities come from. That is why Squilliam is such a rival to him because he feels that he has no self-worth compared to him. If you dated Squidward it would only be a matter of time before he finds a reason to dislike you or try to act above you in the relationship.
