I often feel annoyed at having to act rationally in an irrational world.
Except that the world is NOT rational. It just THINKS it is. Which is ABSURD.
"Absurd" is my new favorite word. Dictionaries define it as something ridiculous, illogical or senseless. merriam-webster.com describes "absurd" as "ridiculously unreasonable, unsound, incongruous, or meaningless & lacking order or value: "having no rational or orderly relationship to human life"
I also like the words: ridiculous, incongruous & contrary (as in "contrary to all reason & common sense." thank you dictionary.com).
Then there's "ABSURDISM" which is a philosophy of the relationship between our search for the meaning of life and the inherent meaningless of life.
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| Really? The trash can is right THERE! |
ABSURDISM as a philosophical perspective, grew out of existentialism and nihilism. It was Albert Camus who coalesced the ideas "man's search for meaning vs. life has no meaning" into an absurdist system of thought.
I don't have the energy to explain to you who Albert Camus is so if you're curious, look him up in wikipedia.org
In the meantime, let me jump over to the point that ABSURDISM, along with existentialism and nihilism, is considered to be a rather gloomy point of view. After all, most people want to believe that their existence has some kind of meaning. To think this is all for naught is rather depressing.
HOWEVER, I don't see it that way. I think ABSURDISM is HILARIOUS!
Look at FRANK ZAPPA! Look at SPIKE JONES! They are freakin' funny!
There are absudist visual artists too. One who seems to be fairly prominent is Michael Cheval:
who actually reminds me of James Christensen:
I've been a fan of Christensen for some time but it wasn't until I saw Cheval's work that it occured to me that Christensen's falls into the realm of absurdity.
Absurdity is funny. Laughing is meaningful, isn't it? Ironic, eh?
I don't have the energy to explain to you who Albert Camus is so if you're curious, look him up in wikipedia.org
In the meantime, let me jump over to the point that ABSURDISM, along with existentialism and nihilism, is considered to be a rather gloomy point of view. After all, most people want to believe that their existence has some kind of meaning. To think this is all for naught is rather depressing.
HOWEVER, I don't see it that way. I think ABSURDISM is HILARIOUS!
Look at FRANK ZAPPA! Look at SPIKE JONES! They are freakin' funny!
There are absudist visual artists too. One who seems to be fairly prominent is Michael Cheval:
who actually reminds me of James Christensen:
I've been a fan of Christensen for some time but it wasn't until I saw Cheval's work that it occured to me that Christensen's falls into the realm of absurdity.
Absurdity is funny. Laughing is meaningful, isn't it? Ironic, eh?
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