--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We live in a time which has created the…" description: "\"We live in a time which has created the art of the absurd. It is our art. It contains happenings, Pop art, camp, a theater of the absurd. . . . Do we h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/norman-mailer-839_absurd_we-live-in-a-time-which-has-created-the_2400907.jpg" --- # We live in a time which has created the art of the absurd… ![“We live in a time which has created the art of the absurd. It is our art. It contains happenings, Pop art, camp, a theater of the absurd. . . . Do we have the art because the absurd is the patina of waste? . . . Or are we face to face with a desperate or most rational effort from the deepest…” quote by Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/norman-mailer-839_absurd_we-live-in-a-time-which-has-created-the_2400907.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/norman-mailer-839_absurd_we-live-in-a-time-which-has-created-the_2400907.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8dd/norman-mailer-839_absurd_we-live-in-a-time-which-has-created-the_2400907.jpg) > “We live in a time which has created the art of the absurd. It is our art. It contains happenings, Pop art, camp, a theater of the absurd. . . . Do we have the art because the absurd is the patina of waste? . . . Or are we face to face with a desperate or most rational effort from the deepest resources of the unconscious of us all to rescue civilization from the pit and plague of its bedding?” [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on modern culture’s embrace of absurdity, questioning whether it’s wasteful or a deep unconscious effort to save civilization. **In simple terms:** He ponders absurdity’s role in culture. Key Takeaway Examine absurdity’s purpose. Themes absurdity culture civilization rescue Mood critical inquisitive Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - art criticism - social commentary - creative expression Key Concepts postmodernism philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - Is absurdity a symptom or solution? - What unconscious drives our absurd art? A Different Perspective Absurdity can also mask avoidance of real issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) [Absurdity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurdity/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Bedding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bedding/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Desperate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desperate/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Face to face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-to-face/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Plague](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plague/) [Pop art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pop-art/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) ## Related quotes > [The idea that ballet is a white art is absurd and shocking, and it’s gone on for too long. Nothing would make me happier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-millepied/the-idea-that-ballet-is-a-white-art-is-absurd-and-shocking-and-it-s/) [Benjamin Millepied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-millepied/) > [Look at 'Batman' - that was theater of the absurd, as is 'Family Guy.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/look-at-batman-that-was-theater-of-the-absurd-as-is-family-guy/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) > [It's a wonderful thing to be able to make fun of yourself and to do it in a way that sort of preserves your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/it-s-a-wonderful-thing-to-be-able-to-make-fun-of-yourself-and-to-do/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) > [ \[The UN should remain in New York\] because every country needs a cesspool. And the UN is always interesting as a theater of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-un-should-remain-in-new-york-because-every-country-needs-a/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) > [Last House offended a lot of people. The results in the theaters, even in Boston, reminded me a bit of things from when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-craven/last-house-offended-a-lot-of-people-the-results-in-the-theaters-even/) [Wes Craven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-craven/) > [Theater is such an absurd thing. It should be made fun of. But it's also produced some of the most beautiful things in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-gordon/theater-is-such-an-absurd-thing-it-should-be-made-fun-of-but-it-s/) [Molly Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-gordon/) > [“Long before the Theater of the Absurd, Woolrich discovered that an incomprehensible universe is best reflected in an incomprehensible story. ("Introduction")”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-m-nevins/long-before-the-theater-of-the-absurd-woolrich-discovered-that-an/) [Francis M. Nevins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-m-nevins/) > [“The theater of the absurd represented a contrast to realistic theater. Its aim was to show the lack of meaning in life in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/the-theater-of-the-absurd-represented-a-contrast-to-realistic-theater/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [I spent a lot of time in college studying theater of the absurd and Beckett and Genet, and then I spent a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-in-college-studying-theater-of-the-absurd-and/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [One thing I'm a big fan of is the theater of the absurd. That's what I come from, that's what I love to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/one-thing-i-m-a-big-fan-of-is-the-theater-of-the-absurd-that-s-what-i/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [Fire may be the simplest and sometimes the only recourse in protecting yourself from the discomfort of cold, counteracting the effects of hypothermia, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mors-kochanski/fire-may-be-the-simplest-and-sometimes-the-only-recourse-in/) [Mors Kochanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mors-kochanski/) > [In a small space, you want to keep the bedding as simple as possible so it looks clean, calm and collected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/in-a-small-space-you-want-to-keep-the-bedding-as-simple-as-possible/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [“They talk about the merits of the bedding for the rest of the meal before heading out to work. Neither of them mention the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leta-blake/they-talk-about-the-merits-of-the-bedding-for-the-rest-of-the-meal/) [Leta Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leta-blake/) > [I am sure that hon. members will realize that I am not drawing on my imagination when I state that last fall there were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/i-am-sure-that-hon-members-will-realize-that-i-am-not-drawing-on-my/) [Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/) > [I love animals to the extent that my home is my dog's home! Which means that nothing is too good for my Freckles-chairs, couches,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-smith/i-love-animals-to-the-extent-that-my-home-is-my-dog-s-home-which/) [Kate Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-smith/) ## More by Norman Mailer > [Conservatives are people who look at a tree and feel instinctively that it is more beautiful than anything they can name. But when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/conservatives-are-people-who-look-at-a-tree-and-feel-instinctively/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [There's a subterranean impetus towards pornography so powerful that half the business world is juiced by the sort of half sex that one finds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/there-s-a-subterranean-impetus-towards-pornography-so-powerful-that/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [So the blind will lead the blind, and the deaf shout warnings to one another until their voices are lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/so-the-blind-will-lead-the-blind-and-the-deaf-shout-warnings-to-one/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Writing for a newspaper is like running a revolutionary war. You go to battle not when you are ready, but when action offers itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/writing-for-a-newspaper-is-like-running-a-revolutionary-war-you-go-to/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I would introduce myself if it were not useless. The name I had last night will not be the same as the name I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-would-introduce-myself-if-it-were-not-useless-the-name-i-had-last/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [“City Point is so beautiful, she says. In the night they cannot see the garbage that litters the beach, the seaweed and driftwood, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/city-point-is-so-beautiful-she-says-in-the-night-they-cannot-see-the/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [“I find it’s more fun to write about something that you don’t know completely and that you will discover on route. A dear friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-find-it-s-more-fun-to-write-about-something-that-you-don-t-know/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Short-term amnesia is not the worst affliction if you have an Irish flair for the sauce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/short-term-amnesia-is-not-the-worst-affliction-if-you-have-an-irish/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Part of the oncoming demise (of New York during its terrible fiscal crisis) is that none of us can simply believe it. We were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/part-of-the-oncoming-demise-of-new-york-during-its-terrible-fiscal/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I have always had this very strong, call it a feeling, call it a prejudice, call it a conviction ... that the mysteries are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-have-always-had-this-very-strong-call-it-a-feeling-call-it-a/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I do believe that America's deepest political sickness is that it is a self-righteous nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-do-believe-that-america-s-deepest-political-sickness-is-that-it-is/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [America is a hurricane, and the only people who do not hear the sound are those fortunate if incredibly stupid and smug White Protestants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/america-is-a-hurricane-and-the-only-people-who-do-not-hear-the-sound/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Armstrong, sitting in the commander's seat, spacesuit on, helmet on, plugged into electrical and environmental umbilical's, is a man who is not only a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/armstrong-sitting-in-the-commander-s-seat-spacesuit-on-helmet-on/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I was thinking that surgeons had to be the happiest people on earth. To cut people up and get paid for it-that's happiness, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-was-thinking-that-surgeons-had-to-be-the-happiest-people-on-earth/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Movies are more likely than literature to reach deep feelings in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/movies-are-more-likely-than-literature-to-reach-deep-feelings-in/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) [Explore all 355 Norman Mailer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) ## More Absurd quotes > [“It seem absurd to me that they don't know, haven't felt any change or tremor, even as my life has been completely turned upside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/it-seem-absurd-to-me-that-they-don-t-know-haven-t-felt-any-change-or/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [When a person’s tongue is extensively wrong, it is absurd, no less than unscriptural, to say that their heart is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/when-a-person-s-tongue-is-extensively-wrong-it-is-absurd-no-less-than/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror." "Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/every-sensible-man-every-honorable-man-must-hold-the-christian-sect/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It is human nature to think wisely and to act in an absurd fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/it-is-human-nature-to-think-wisely-and-to-act-in-an-absurd-fashion/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [It is a dangerous and fateful presumption, besides the absurd temerity that it implies, to disdain what we do not comprehend. For after you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-a-dangerous-and-fateful-presumption-besides-the-absurd-temerity/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I thought to myself: if it’s true that every person has a star in the sky, mine must be distant, dim, and absurd. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadegh-hedayat/i-thought-to-myself-if-it-s-true-that-every-person-has-a-star-in-the/) [Sadegh Hedayat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadegh-hedayat/) > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“You were torturing a cat," she says. "With a freaking prod." "A prod I built myself in metal shop," he says. "But of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/you-were-torturing-a-cat-she-says-with-a-freaking-prod-a-prod-i-built/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I have never heard enough classical music to be able to enjoy it; & the simple truth is, I detest it. Not mildly, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-have-never-heard-enough-classical-music-to-be-able-to-enjoy-it-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [To deprecate human reason by saying that none of us is or can be omniscient is absurd, for it takes an impossible standard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/to-deprecate-human-reason-by-saying-that-none-of-us-is-or-can-be/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [“Rachel got up and did this happy little shuffle, like she was some cheerful farmer chick who'd just stepped outside to find the hick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/rachel-got-up-and-did-this-happy-little-shuffle-like-she-was-some/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [The absurd duty, too often inculcated, of obeying a parent only on account of his being a parent, shackles the mind, and prepares it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/the-absurd-duty-too-often-inculcated-of-obeying-a-parent-only-on/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd. But it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-workman-of-today-works-every-day-in-his-life-at-the-same-tasks/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I was once part of a Christmas cabaret. I sang 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.' I tap-danced. I had a ten-gallon hat. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dinklage/i-was-once-part-of-a-christmas-cabaret-i-sang-i-saw-mommy-kissing/) [Peter Dinklage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dinklage/) > [Solitude produces originality, bold and astonishing beauty, poetry. But solitude also produces perverseness, the disproportianate, the absurd and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mann/solitude-produces-originality-bold-and-astonishing-beauty-poetry-but/) [Thomas Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mann/) [Browse all 1,644 Absurd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurd/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We live in a time which has created the art of the absurd. It is our art. It contains happenings, Pop art, camp, a theater of the absurd. . . . Do we have the art because the absurd is the patina of waste? . . . 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