Ratio in Absurdo

I’m no Latin scholar but I can wield the search engines pretty effectively and know exactly which keywords I want. And what I wanted was something that meant, ” The absurd makes sense“, and Google delivered with Ratio in Absurdo viz the ‘reason in the absurd’.

Why this sudden foray into the absurd? Well, the absurd is so much more than just nonsense and things that are silly et al. While on one hand it takes on a derogatory slant and stands for something or someone being irrational or “bad”, on the other hand it also means a conflict between human beings- the universe and the way things are.

I prefer the silly version of absurd when the philosophical version comes into play viz the conflict rears its head. The silliness could be indulging in the most inane things- songs, movies, people and activities. And therein lies the beauty of the absurd…it doesn’t have to mean anything at all.

Throughout the week we are governed by and also govern over others via the to-dos. Lists which aren’t a straitjacket but demand a pretty high level of adherence simply because it makes life easier and without them there might be a kind of disorder which would be hard to manage. Add kids to the mix and having well-laid expectations of what is to be done and what shouldn’t be; helps them in learning what works for them and what doesn’t.

But every now and then, it just makes sense to indulge in the absurd. This is why mindless songs are such hits and the most confounding concepts for movies still have takers amongst people considered smart (looks around guiltily).

If you can’t think of anything else to be after a prolonged period of doing things by the book, go on…be absurd. Can you think of anything else that might be more liberating?