Dancing with the Absurd

How to Make Peace with the Unfathomable

It happens more often than I’d like to admit. I wake up, make my coffee, stumble upon some news, and find myself staring at a headline so absurd that I can only laugh.

Somewhere, a major corporation has decided that “subscription-based sandwiches” are the next frontier. A political debate has turned into a three-ring circus, complete with actual juggling. Scientists have discovered a distant planet where it rains molten glass sideways, and I think, “that’s probably where my lost socks ended up.”

Once upon a time, this kind of thing would have driven me to frustration. Why does the world refuse to make sense? Why do people argue in circles? Why do my emails sometimes vanish into the void, never to be seen again?

But then, I discovered a better way. Instead of resisting the absurdity, I lean into it with wonderment and curiosity.

Rising Above the Noise

It’s easy to let the strangeness of the world become a source of distraction. Doomscrolling, ranting, and attempting (in vain) to explain logic to the illogical all seem like reasonable reactions.

But the more I studied Taoism—particularly Zhuangzi—the more I realized that the best way to handle nonsense is not to fight it, but to dance with it.

Zhuangzi, that merry trickster of ancient China, reminds us that life is full of paradox.

He tells stories of sages who dream they are butterflies and wake up wondering if they are, in fact, butterflies dreaming they are sages.

He describes Butcher Ding, a cook who carves oxen with effortless grace because he follows the natural flow of things rather than forcing his will upon them.

He suggests that our endless struggle to impose rigid meaning onto the world is like trying to trap the wind in a jar.

In other words: The more you try to control nonsense, the more nonsense controls you.

Instead, Zhuangzi invites us to see the humor, the beauty, and even the wisdom in chaos. He urges us to approach life with a sense of lightness, trusting that the Tao—the natural unfolding of the universe—will carry us exactly where we need to go.

So when the world throws a curveball, I don’t brace for impact. I pivot, I spin, I let the unexpected momentum carry me forward. I ask, What’s here for me to learn?

The I Ching and the Art of Reading the Moment

When I want a second opinion on life’s absurdity, I turn to the I Ching, the ancient Chinese Book of Changes. It doesn’t tell me what’s going to happen next. Instead, it offers wisdom on how to navigate uncertainty.

A recent moment of confusion led me to cast Hexagram 40: Deliverance.

The message? Let go.

Whatever tension I was holding onto, whatever problem I was trying to solve with sheer force of intellect—release it. The path forward would emerge only when I stopped grasping.

That’s the secret: Sometimes, making sense of things isn’t the goal. Instead, the I Ching teaches me to look for the opportunity within the confusion. What is this moment asking of me? More patience? More humor? A willingness to let go of my old ideas?

A Meaningful Option for the Uncertain World

The world is weird. It always has been. But instead of treating uncertainty as an enemy, I see it as an invitation.

Every paradox is a doorway. Every mystery is an opening. And every absurdity—whether it’s a political scandal, a baffling new social media trend, or an inexplicably long Whole Foods receipt—is an opportunity to rise above the noise and meet life with wonder.

So the next time you find yourself staring at the world in disbelief, don’t fight it. Smile. Take a breath. Maybe even ask the I Ching what it thinks.

And then, like Zhuangzi’s sage-butterfly, float lightly through the chaos, knowing that the Tao has you exactly where you need to be.

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Diamond- Michael Scott — aka The Chocolate Taoist