Nonsense. Alas, we’re subject to it each and everyday, whether at home, in the workplace, from the media, or our fearless political leaders. It’s ubiquitous. We can do nothing to eradicate so much of it from our lives. All too often, people decide to be inexplicably ridiculous and, thus, nonsense boomerangs around us 24/7. At times, it can feel like a seemingly bottomless well. But, were we to be fully honest and brave, we might each admit to being guilty of dishing out some of this stuff, ourselves. Caveat emptor!
So how do you find your way through such a morass, especially when the source of the worst of it lies within our immediate situation? This is especially tricky when nonsense is delivered by people close to us, people whose opinions we value, people we rely on. When such types start spouting nonsense, we are caught off guard and earnestly respond to them, believing that their declarations are a temporary, correctible blip. Ha! If only that were true.
The mistake we make is responding to this nonsense. In particular, I refer to the claptrap generated by those in our daily lives. Were it possible to populate our families and workplaces with only thoughtful, sensible folk—well, best not to daydream. That having been said, what does one do to manage intelligently such a barrage of balderdash?
This question is actually more serious than it may first appear. Why? you ask. Because the source of this twaddle can often come from people we who are important to us—our bosses, our teachers, our spouses, our friends. Regularly, individuals make declarations that they vehemently believe—often targeting us with their “helpful” observations–when the words they issue are utter folderol. The trap we fall into during such an interaction is to respond, to defend ourselves, to justify our choices or, even worse, to try to please them. Sometimes, it’s far wiser to leave that gauntlet where it lays.
Nonsense such as: You must be crazy to turn this down. There’s only one way to support me. I can’t believe anyone would be so selfish. A real man would want X. I failed at college so I’ll fail at life. No one could forgive you for what you did. How can you think that way? If you had a heart you’d do X. You’re a wimp if you don’t fight back. Trusting your gut is stupid, considering your track record. You have no choice.
Think of the world of Alice in Wonderland, filled with characters who only spoke nonsense. Alice kept getting in deeper and deeper as she tried, in vain, to reason with these absurd types. For us, rather than letting a snide comment or honest (if erroneous) opinion roll off our backs, we engage in one of these impossible exchanges. Sigh. It’s really quite exhausting. My friends, fellow Re-booters, please don’t forget that nonsense, by definition, insists on its veracity and will not listen to reason!
As an example, note the exchange between the White Knight (on a horse) and Alice:
Alice: I was wondering what the mousetrap was for. It isn’t very likely there would be any mice on the horse’s back.
White Knight: Not very likely, perhaps, but if they do come, I don’t choose to have them running all about. You see, it’s as well to be provided for everything. That’s the reason the horse has all those anklets round his feet.
Alice: But what are they for?
White Knight: To guard against the bites of sharks.
My point in this post is that as hard as it is to pull oneself out of a programmed need to acknowledge and answer whatever anyone says to us, often times, it just makes things worse. Re-booters understand that nonsense doesn’t merit the validity bestowed by a reply. Remind yourself of this the next time your boss or spouse says something ridiculous! Keep your trap shut, your head down, and do what makes sense. Capiche?
Tags: absurdities, Alice in Wonderland, folderol, keep your mouth shut, nonsense, re-booters
Dignitary's Retreat 
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