It is getting more and more irritating.
It refers to things that are absurd.
When having conversations in some circles you will never escape the browbeating belligerence of bully-minded blowhards blasting bologna at every turn. (Give me a B)
In normal, healthy conversations it is very reasonable to expect a back-and-forth dialog. Even when the subject matter is diverse or holds manifold opinions, it is reasonable to expect rational and easy dialogue. I have experienced in the last couple of years, however, a certain type of conversation where real discussion is not an option. In these experiences I find myself spending more time setting up the ideas and possibilities of defining terms and being cordial rather than actually discussing anything.
These types of people are exhausting emotionally. And if you are not careful, you’ll find yourself on the brunt end of a brutal attack.
One of my friends (sorta famous, tv, movies, stage) and I were talking last week and he made the comment, “The first news you hear is gospel, the second news is gossip.” Or something of that nature. The point we were making was that it seems that whatever someone tends to hear first becomes their belief system and anything different from that becomes a cause to fight. As I’ve said before, we are being lied to and have become slaves in our thinking, to other people’s ideals without ever giving it thought.
During the days of teaching Critical Thinking and Exegesis to college students, I made the observation one year that “We need a class on thinking 101 before we move on to anything else.” The class thought it was funny, but as they progressed through the semester, they realized it was no laughing matter. As a culture, we have forgotten the art of thought. We have truly forgotten the need to consider all possibilities and engage with alternative views while being at peace with our own. This is very true of religious people. That’s another day…
So, the absurd gives way to the stupid which gives way to the dead.
And as it has been said, “Irony is wasted on the stupid.” So, I leave it there for now.
When did the absurd become so naturally accepted? I think it should not be, especially among people who claim to understand high truths. People who consider themselves caring and kind also should be considerately patient with other people. This is a true characteristic of intelligence.
To be any other way proves otherwise.
If we could talk about anything right now, what would it be? I’d love to hear your thoughts.