Nonsense Summary

How do we make decisions when faced with ambiguity? Nonsense is everywhere, and how we react to it shapes our actions, beliefs, and humor.

1. Humor Thrives on Ambiguity

Humor is deeply connected to confusion and ambiguity. A joke often plays on our expectations, twisting them just enough to make us laugh when we realize the gap between what we thought and what’s actually happening. Take the joke, “There are three kinds of people: those who can count and those who can’t.” Initially perplexing, the humor comes when you notice the irony.

Comedians craft their material with this dissonance in mind, knowing that the audience enjoys resolving the unexpected or bizarre. The ambiguity piques attention, leading to amusement when clarity hits. It’s a dance of confusion and resolution that’s integral to comedic timing.

Even marketers use this psychological trick. By weaving playful uncertainty into their advertisements, they can capture attention. Not knowing what’s happening right away intrigues us and makes us linger, giving the ad more impact.

Examples

• The joke “Call me a cab” with the reply “You’re a cab” creates humor by bending context.
• Sweden’s Absolut Vodka ads obscured the vodka bottle shapes, inviting closer inspection and engagement.
• Novels like Kafka’s works create surreal, inexplicable scenarios that heighten focus and curiosity.

2. Subtle Uncertainty Changes Beliefs

Ambiguity doesn’t just make us laugh; it can also change how we think. It creates tension, and unresolved ambiguity drives people to seek certainty. Psychologists Jerome Bruner and Leo Postman explored this by flashing altered playing cards – like a red spade – which initially went unnoticed. Yet, this mismatch caused subconscious anxiety.

When people encounter unresolved ambiguity, it can reinforce their existing convictions. Subconscious tension makes them cling tightly to familiar beliefs, seeking comfort in certainty against the unknown. Additionally, when external stress accompanies ambiguity, decisions often become more rigid or more easily influenced.

Arie Kruglanski’s experiments with noisy machines further reinforced this. When participants were exposed to loud noise while making decisions, it either heightened their confidence in existing opinions or made them adopt others' opinions more quickly, depending on their initial certainty.

Examples

• Altered playing cards caused subconscious tension in a study that impacted participants’ belief strength.
• Noisy printers made people more resolute or more swayed depending on initial confidence.
• Ambiguity in political or emotional scenarios can polarize opinions.

3. Children Embrace Ambiguity with Imagination

Children approach ambiguity with curiosity rather than anxiety. Their imaginations allow them to fill in the blanks creatively instead of retreating to tidy, simplistic answers. For instance, a child might see a white crow and suggest it was painted or has aged, embracing uncertainty with wonder.

Adults, however, often seek quick explanations. This shift reflects a loss of imaginative flexibility. Adults tend to disregard irrationality, preferring logic—even when ambiguity offers opportunities for discovery or surprise.

Psychologist Travis Proulx demonstrated this point by having participants read surreal literature, like Kafka’s “A Country Doctor.” Those who read ambiguous, inexplicable passages were more alert and attentive afterward, actively seeking patterns to make sense of their surroundings.

Examples

• A child asked “how is wind made?” might creatively assert "trees waving their branches."
• Adults viewing abstract art often resist ambiguity, demanding rational interpretations.
• Surreal literature heightened participants’ pattern recognition by making ambiguity work in their favor.

4. Ambiguity Fuels Reckless or Authoritarian Choices

In anxiety-inducing situations, people often crave certainty at the expense of nuanced thinking. Politically, this can manifest in dangerous ways. After 9/11, then-President George W. Bush rejected nuance, a move that appealed to many Americans seeking clear—though oversimplified—answers during a turbulent time.

When ambiguity stokes fear, people may gravitate toward authoritarian or single-leader systems. Antonio Pierra’s study showed that individuals under pressure favor solutions that are perceived as decisive, even if they’re misguided. The fallout? Minority or dissenting opinions often get ignored or silenced.

This fear-driven simplicity can bolster extremist ideologies or cults. Leon Festinger observed this in a group following Dorothy Martin in 1954. When her prophecy about the world ending failed to pan out, the group frantically rationalized it instead of abandoning their belief system. Ambiguity pressed them to double down rather than face uncertainty.

Examples

• Post-9/11, fear-driven politics silenced opposing opinions, leading to decisions like the Iraq invasion.
• Antonio Pierra’s work showed decision-making under pressure skews toward dictatorship-style solutions.
• Dorothy Martin’s failed doomsday prediction strengthened her cult’s fanaticism rather than dissolving it.

5. Extreme Conditions Push Rash Relationship Decisions

Natural disasters or emergencies amplify ambiguity, often prompting hurried decisions, especially in relationships. During the catastrophic 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the region saw an unprecedented surge in marriages, often between people who barely knew each other.

This emotional upheaval has ripple effects. In some cases, people seek comfort through binding together, while others see disaster as a reason to break away from unsatisfactory commitments. These split-second decisions reflect our instinctual desire for stability when confronted by unclear futures.

Events like hurricanes or earthquakes don’t just affect immediate decisions. After a 1989 hurricane in South Carolina, divorces soared as couples took stock of dissatisfaction, while others leapt into marriages or parenthood, resulting in a local baby boom the following year.

Examples

• The 1906 earthquake spiked marriages, even among strangers like Mutty Sullivan who married despite not knowing his bride’s name.
• A 1989 hurricane in South Carolina drove dramatic increases in divorces and births.
• In times of extreme stress, decisions (good or bad) are made hastily to regain control.

6. Relaxed Ambiguity Promotes Learning

Anxiety hinders the ability to adapt or think clearly. This is especially true in language learning, where ambiguity is inevitable. Linguist Michel Thomas revolutionized language teaching by creating stress-free environments. He insisted that reducing pressure could help students process confusion and retain information effectively.

Unlike traditional methods, Thomas forbade note-taking or memorizing. His students didn’t even use desks but relaxed in chairs, free from the anxiety of failure. Astonishingly, they picked up new languages quickly because their minds were unblocked by stress.

This approach highlights the power of calm amidst ambiguity. When people aren’t concerned about failing, they learn and problem-solve more openly, a lesson applicable far beyond language instruction.

Examples

• Michel Thomas taught famous clients stress-free language skills, impacting figures like Bob Dylan.
• Classroom transformations—like replacing desks with armchairs—relaxed students into learning.
• His students learned complex language structures without writing anything down.

7. Stressful Ambiguity Requires Resilience

High-stakes situations, like hostage scenarios or war, test people’s ability to function through ambiguity. Staying calm under pressure is essential, as seen in military strategies and professional negotiations.

The Israeli army’s unpreparedness before the Yom Kippur War in 1973 stemmed from ignoring ambiguous warning signs. Today, teams commonly use “red teams” to challenge decisions, ensuring more possibilities are addressed to mitigate such failures.

In hostage situations, strategic patience can save lives. During the 1993 Waco standoff in Texas, negotiator Gary Noesner worked slowly and methodically, releasing hostages over several days. However, impatience from other authorities derailed his efforts, ending in tragic deaths when ambiguity was rejected for immediate resolution.

Examples

• Red teams in military strategies counteract assumption-driven decisions.
• Gary Noesner released hostages in the tense Waco standoff through prolonged negotiation.
• Ignoring ambiguity cost the Israeli military during the Yom Kippur War.

8. Art Unsettles and Awakens Us

Modern art leverages ambiguity to surprise and provoke reactions. Its lack of immediate explanation can discomfort us, but it also sparks creativity by challenging our perspective. Paintings like René Magritte’s “The Son of Man” prompt questions about meaning and force viewers to embrace ambiguity.

This unsettling effect also stimulates increased mental activity. When viewers grapple with open-ended images or absurd works like Kafka’s writing, their heightened alertness often translates into more creativity or improved problem-solving.

Viewing modern art or experimental literature isn’t about understanding at first glance—it’s about expanding mental flexibility.

Examples

• René Magritte’s surreal works leave audiences in lingering thought.
• Reading Kafka improved pattern identification skills in participants of a psychological study.
• Ambiguous art forces viewers to sit with uncertainty, encouraging introspection.

9. Finding Comfort in Nonsense Can Grow Adaptability

Ambiguity is everywhere—in our thoughts, decisions, and interactions. Accepting it instead of fearing it leads to better choices and creative breakthroughs. Maturity or experience often teaches people to embrace gray areas where there isn’t one definitive correct answer.

Successful professionals, from military strategists to artists, thrive by processing uncertainty constructively. Developing patience and openness leads to less reactive and more thoughtful actions.

Learning to navigate ambiguity doesn’t make it disappear, but it builds our resilience to make better decisions when unexpected challenges arise.

Examples

• Becoming comfortable with ambiguity helped professional hostage negotiator Gary Noesner save lives.
• Artists and authors use uncertainty to create thought-provoking works that challenge worldview assumptions.
• Businesses often thrive when they welcome multiple solutions to complex problems instead of over-simplifying.

Takeaways

1. Pause when faced with difficult decisions under stress—anxiety can cloud your judgment.
2. Embrace ambiguity instead of rushing to conclusions; discomfort can lead to new insights.
3. Create a relaxed environment when helping others tackle confusion or complexity to support better thinking.