a little nonsense now and then
is relished by the wisest men
In the US, we are celebrating Thanksgiving this week. I had lots of time to reflect on what I’m thankful for. I’m thankful for my family and friends. I’m thankful for having an able body and an able mind. I’m thankful for you reading this right now. I decided to write a little something different this week. I hope you enjoy it.
A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men
— Willy Wonka (but the quote is much older than that)
Absurdism is my favorite flavor of Existentialism.
Absurdism posits that:
The universe is inherently meaningless.
Humans seek meaning from the universe.
Humans, therefore, are in conflict with the universe.
I take solace in the universe being meaningless. To be human is to dance this absurd dance. I find it liberating. How awful would it be if the universe had a prescribed meaning and our duty was to fulfill it?
“Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. It is up to you to give [life] a meaning.”
― Jean-Paul Sartre
We can still enjoy seeking meaning in things, not because it will get us closer to understanding the universe (quite the contrary), but because meaning is a beautiful emergent property of the universe, and we are humans, seeking meaning like moths to a light. This doesn’t mean there can’t be meaning in the universe; it just means the universe is a disinterested third party when it comes to meaning.
Imagine our planet vanishing from the universe tomorrow. The universe would keep going, completely unaffected by our lack of existence. The good and bad things we humans are concerned with would be lost forever (or at least until all radio bubble fizzles out). But the laws of the universe would still be here.
Gravity would still be gravity.
Electromagnetism would still be electromagnetism.
Fermions would still be fermions.
The universe would continue its functions with zero concern for any form of meaning that might have vanished from it (or at least, this is the framing I enjoy exploring; I reserve the right to admit being incorrect in anything I believe to be true).
Whether we realize it or not, and no matter how entangled we find ourselves in pursuing meaning, we also have a deep connection with the absurd: laughter.
Laughter is our dance with the absurd.
Laughter is a spontaneous act. It cannot be forced. It just tickles us in a way that causes an authentic and involuntary reaction. We must be present, in the moment, and engaged to laugh. It’s a creative act like no other. Laughter spontaneously reflects our paradoxical absurdist relationship with the universe, and the joy of laughter, especially sharing laughter with others, is what I’m thankful for most.
Notable Links this week
Private queries in search engines seem interesting. I’ll need to take a deeper look into this.
Rebuilding a famous skateboarding spot and then holding a competition is cool.