Ludicrous

adjective: stupid or unreasonable and deserving to be laughed at

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The word ludicrous is far from common these days. Whenever I hear it, it makes me think of the Disney Pixar film “A Bug’s Life”. Not because the film is particularly ludicrous, but because an incidental – perhaps even unnamed – character, with a rather distinctive voice, exclaims “ludicrous!” when the protagonist suggests leaving home to seek help. Though it may seem ludicrous to many, there are plenty of people who truly find notions like leaving home or seeking help beyond ludicrous…

A ludicrously high volume of people travel every day. They will likely go to work, school, or a shop as part of their daily routine. These journeys are repeated habitually, they’re normal to those who make them. Holidays can become routine if you take them regularly enough. Moving home is generally considered a significant event – despite the average person in the UK doing so six to eight times – but there are people who never choose to leave the place they were born. I understand not liking the idea of moving home, it can be very stressful. But to never even visit anywhere?

When I first discovered that there are people who live in such a way, who stay in one place their whole lives, I found the concept utterly ludicrous. I must have been about ten years old, and I still remember the circumstances to this day. Mum was giving a friend a lift to the hospital to meet her newborn grandson. The lady in question was rather nervous about it, and downright scared of crossing the bridge. Then I was told it was her first time leaving town. Ever. The notion was so ludicrous, I just couldn’t get my head round it. How? Why? Dad said “some people are just like that”. I still didn’t get it. Perhaps I was unusually well-travelled for a ten-year-old? The notion of moving to the other side of the country probably seemed as ludicrous to her as never setting foot outside your hometown did to me. The extent to which our personal experiences colour our perception and understanding never ceases to amaze me…

The other aspect of Flick’s suggestion which seemed ludicrous to his fellow ants was asking for help. The Queen enlightens us as to why this is: “nobody’s going to help a bunch of ants”. Unfortunately, there are countless humans who also believe that their chance of receiving assistance is so remote, it’s pointless to ask in the first place. Perhaps they were ants themselves in a previous life? Then there are those who say ludicrous things like “I don’t want to put them out” as an excuse not to ask. While at first glance this may seem a considerate outlook, it ignores the potentially helpful person’s ability to say no. If you were putting them out, they wouldn’t agree to help, would they?

Having spent a ludicrous amount of time on A Bug’s Life, perhaps it’s time to veer a little closer to our original topic? Ludicrous stems from the Latin adjective ludicrus and verb ludere, meaning “sportive”, “done in jest” and “to play”. Whereas in modern English, to be ludicrous is to be stupid or unreasonable. When and why did we start taking such a dim view on play and jest? Humour and wit – arguably the highest form of intelligence – go hand in hand don’t they? And don’t we learn through play? Seems like the opposite of stupid to me…

I shan’t take up any more of your precious time with my ludicrous ramblings, dear reader, or at least not until next week. Until then, feel free to be as ludicrous as you like. Just make sure you don’t think too much, or you really will need to get help, whether it be from bugs or humans!

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