In This Selection Nagel Reflects on the Sense of Absurdity

question 8

True/False

In this selection Nagel reflects on the sense of absurdity that most of us feel from time to time. The sense of absurdity arises, he says, from the "collision between the seriousness with which we take our lives and the perpetual possibility of regarding everything about which we are serious as arbitrary, or open to doubt." Nagel thinks that Camus's response to the absurd (defiance or scorn) is inappropriate; it's "romantic and slightly self-pitying." He prefers instead to approach the absurd with acceptance, with irony instead of heroism or despair.
-Nagel says that in ordinary life a situation is absurd when it includes a conspicuous discrepancy between pretension or aspiration and reality.

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Definitions:

Rejection Letters

Written notifications sent by employers to applicants informing them they have not been selected for a position.

Direct Approach

A straightforward method of communication or problem-solving that involves being open and explicit about intentions or desires.

Negative News

Information that delivers undesired or disappointing messages, often causing concern or distress to the receiver.

Emotional Investment

A commitment of one's feelings and emotional energy to a project, person, or idea.