Absurdity is defined as familiar form leading to unfamiliar conclusions

Evidence

In Study 1, we contrasted the unfamiliar paradox found in Kafka’s An Imperial Message with the familiar message of success found in Aesop’s The Tortoise and the Hare. Both parables refer to similar themes—life, persistence, and potential difficulties in goal attainment—yet they diverge in a crucial respect: Kafka’s parable leads readers down a familiar path that ends in an unfamiliar way (a paradoxical conclusion), whereas Aesop’s parable goes down a familiar path that ends in a familiar fashion (a sensible conclusion). — Travis Proulx, Steven J. Heine, and Kathleen D. Vohs, When Is the Unfamiliar the Uncanny?…, 29

Categorization

• DEFINE: Captures the operational definition of the uncanny/absurd confrontation: familiar path, unfamiliar ending.
• XREF: connects to: Absurdity is conceptually defined as unfamiliar juxtapositions of familiar elements. — Travis Proulx, Steven J. Heine, and Kathleen D. Vohs, When Is the Unfamiliar the Uncanny?…, 12; Treating a metaphor literally exposes the absurdity of a claim — , A Year of World Stories, 2439; Novelty converts from absurd to accepted through repeated exposure — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 17 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Absurdity is conceptually defined as unfamiliar juxtapositions of familiar elements. #qualifies (0.86) — Travis Proulx, Steven J. Heine, and Kathleen D. Vohs, When Is the Unfamiliar the Uncanny?…, 12
• Ambiguity differs from absurdity in that meaning must be won, not denied #qualifies (0.76) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity, 123
• Treating a metaphor literally exposes the absurdity of a claim #exemplifies (0.74) — , A Year of World Stories, 2439
• Novelty converts from absurd to accepted through repeated exposure #complicates (0.72) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 17