What shall I do with this absurdity O heart O troubled heartthis caricature Decrepit age that has been tied to me As to a dogs tail? Never had I more Excited passionate fantastical Imagination nor an ear and eye That more expected the impossible.
… There can be no doubt about faith and not reason being the ultima ratio. Even Euclid who has laid himself as little open to the charge of credulity as any writer who ever lived cannot get beyond this. He has no demonstrable first premise. He requires postulates and axioms which transcend demonstration and without which he can do nothing. His superstructure indeed is demonstration but his ground his faith. Nor again can he get further than telling a man he is a fool if he persists in differing from him. He says which is absurd and declines to discuss the matter further. Faith and authority therefore prove to be as necessary for him as for anyone else.
The absurd … the fact that with God all things are possible. The absurd is not one of the factors which can be discriminated within the proper compass of the understanding: it is not identical with the improbable the unexpected the unforeseen.
To pardon those absurdities in ourselves which we condemn in others is neither better nor worse than to be more willing to be fools ourselves than to have others so.
Brutes find out where their talents lie; A bear will not attempt to fly A foundered horse will oft debate Before he tries a five barred gate. A dog by instinct turns aside Who sees the ditch too deep and wide But man we find the only creature Who led by folly combats nature; Who when she loudly criesForbear! With obstinacy fixes there; And where the genius least inclines Absurdly bends his whole designs.
Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible. I think its in my basement… let me go upstairs and check.
What shall I do with this absurdity O heart O troubled heartthis caricature Decrepit age that has been tied to me As to a dogs tail? Never had I more Excited passionate fantastical Imagination nor an ear and eye That more expected the impossible.
Absurdity n. A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with ones own opinion.
… There can be no doubt about faith and not reason being the ultima ratio. Even Euclid who has laid himself as little open to the charge of credulity as any writer who ever lived cannot get beyond this. He has no demonstrable first premise. He requires postulates and axioms which transcend demonstration and without which he can do nothing. His superstructure indeed is demonstration but his ground his faith. Nor again can he get further than telling a man he is a fool if he persists in differing from him. He says which is absurd and declines to discuss the matter further. Faith and authority therefore prove to be as necessary for him as for anyone else.
The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth.
There is nothing so absurd (or ridiculous) but some philosopher has said it.
Life is a jest and all things show it; I thought so once but now I know it.
The privilege of absurdity; to which no living creature is subject but man only.
Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we cannot resemble.
The absurd … the fact that with God all things are possible. The absurd is not one of the factors which can be discriminated within the proper compass of the understanding: it is not identical with the improbable the unexpected the unforeseen.
To pardon those absurdities in ourselves which we condemn in others is neither better nor worse than to be more willing to be fools ourselves than to have others so.
People who cannot recognize a palpable absurdity are very much in the way of civilization.
Brutes find out where their talents lie; A bear will not attempt to fly A foundered horse will oft debate Before he tries a five barred gate. A dog by instinct turns aside Who sees the ditch too deep and wide But man we find the only creature Who led by folly combats nature; Who when she loudly criesForbear! With obstinacy fixes there; And where the genius least inclines Absurdly bends his whole designs.
Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible.
Ab absurdo – From the absurd.