(essay)

Have you ever thought about the questions, “If you hit yourself, and it hurts, are you strong or weak?” or “Does a mirror have a color?” Such questions may seem silly, but they play an important role in philosophy, science, psychology and humor.

The history of absurd questions

Absurd questions have been around for a long time. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Zeno created paradoxes such as ‘Achilles and the tortoise.’ In the Middle Ages, thinkers discussed the paradox of omnipotence, “Can God create a stone that he cannot lift?”

In the 20th century, Albert Camus developed the concept of the absurdity of life, and in comedy and literature, absurdity has been used to criticize society (for example, Jonathan Swift’s ‘A Modest Proposal’).

Why do we use them?

Philosophy and logic — such questions make us think more deeply (‘Does a sound exist if no one hears it?’).

Humor — comedians use absurdity to play with meaning (‘Why are we driving down a car park and parking in the driveway?’)

Cognitive science — illogical questions force the brain to think outside the box.

Political satire — absurdity is used to criticize the government.

Modern use

Today, absurd questions are popular in memes, science (testing artificial intelligence), and education (as a method of expanding thinking). They are also useful in psychology — changing your perspective on a problem can be the key to solving it.