Making Sense out of Nonsense



We live in a crazy world and I am glad.  I wouldn't trade this world and am grateful for this strange, weird and incongruous life.  But if there is one thing I would never try to do it would be to explain the whys of the many intricacies that are human existence.  Nevertheless our human nature compels us to try and figure out the world around us. Even against our better judgment we try to make some sense out of the nonsense that surrounds us.

While most of the time our reasoning skills help us to reach conclusions that make our lives better and more productive we use shortcuts that create many of the crazy things we see.  Can you imagine if you could not simply assume that your car will start, the lights will come on, a restaurant will serve food, or your parents won't eat you?  If we had to worry about those things and plan for an alternative way to meet our needs, we could not function in the world and we would not survive.

So instead we assume and we generalize.  Most of the time our conclusions are based on repeated examples that show cause and effect.  I flip the switch and the light comes on.  A baby cries and a diaper is changed.   A police light comes on and the hairs on the back of our neck stand on end.  But sometimes our generalizations are wrong.  The electricity is out, we don't find the reason for the cry, or the officer is after someone else.

A common misconception stems from the conclusion that we deserve the many things we enjoy.  Many ascribe the things they have to their own efforts where much comes from the chance of their birth.  What do we really deserve?  I am not a frequent Twitter user but I am humored by a particular popular hashtag.  As I write this post I searched Twitter and found the following:

"I'm on Twitter on both my iPad and my laptop...does this constitute addiction? #FirstWorldProblems"
#firstworldproblems

The whole concept of first world problems is funny.  These problems only exist because there is some inconvenience because of the high standards of transportation, technology, employment and luxury to which we have become accustomed. Fortunately most of the #firstworldproblems tweets are written tongue in cheek.  But some people seriously seem upset and distraught despite the many rich blessings they enjoy.

I don't know anyone who has everything she or he wants.  I am not even sure that it would be psychologically healthy to reach that state of contentment.  But I do know that I have so much more than I need and I sincerely want to impart of my bounty with others.  I cannot control the insanity.  I cannot resolve the injustice.  I cannot right all wrongs.

And although I know not the why, the rhyme nor the reason, I make sense out of nonsense because I know that I am a lucky and very fortunate man.

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