“Man is the only animal that refuses to be what he is”
On the days that the act of living feels too overwhelming, we turn to Albert Camus. If you’ve ever felt disturbed by the question- ‘what’s the point of this life?’, you’re not alone. We’ve been there too (and still are there often). In today’s blog, we approach life from a different angle-an absurd angle-Camus’ angle; today we celebrate the chaos, meaninglessness, and absurdity of it all.
In the Spotlight: Albert Camus
“We recall him not just as a fine writer but as an exemplary man, a kind of secular saint, the spirit of his time”. (ref link)
Albert Camus, one of the most renowned French-Algerian novelists, playwright, political activist, and essayist was born on November 7, 1913, in Mondovi, Algeria. Within a year of his birth, Camus lost his father to World War I. Eventually, Camus also came to witness World War II. During this time, he played a pivotal role as a novelist and political activist by representing the voice of his generation. Camus’ work captures the alienation, anticipation, uncertainties, evil and death, and the disillusionment, characteristic of the postwar period.
“One Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy”: What Is the Theory of the Absurd?
“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”
Camus’ essay titled ‘Myth of Sisyphus’ is one of his most prolific works on the theory of the absurd. As the title suggests, the essay explores the absurdity of life through the figure of Sisyphus from Greek legends. Sisyphus is condemned by the Gods to roll a boulder uphill for eternity as a punishment for defying death. Just as Sisyphus would get the boulder atop the hill, it would roll back down again—an eternal loop. The punishment lies in the futility and mundanity of the task. Find any resonance with our modern lives?
Often, living can begin to feel much like rolling a boulder uphill only to watch it roll back down again. Tasteless jobs, long commutes, living in cramped up apartments, doing the dishes only for another stack to fill up the empty basin, back to our job again. Although Sisyphus is typically associated with the grimness of life, Camus believes that Sisyphus’ redemption from his inescapable fate comes from his acceptance and awareness of his reality. He does not try to derive any meaning from the ‘absurdity’ of his situation nor anticipate any feat or award waiting for him at the completion of his task. He does what he must do. And therein lies his liberation.
Freedom here implies not our physical liberation but how we choose to respond to circumstances. “One must imagine Sisyphus happy”. Sisyphus is happy because he accepts his situation, and therein lies his revolt. Sisyphus’ acceptance is an act of defiance—a rebellion against the punishment that was meant to teach him a lesson, to reduce him to the mundanity and triviality of his punishment.
How Absurd Is Camus’ Theory of the Absurd?
“Accepting the absurdity of everything around us is one step, a necessary experience: it should not become a dead end. It arouses a revolt that can become fruitful.”
Let’s dwell a little on the meaning of ‘absurd’. Absurd alludes to the absence of logic, reason, order, or coherence. This is precisely the angle Camus invites us to view life from—as absolutely illogical and unreasonable. Camus’ theory of the absurd is probably one of the most misunderstood philosophies. At the core of absurdism lie the questions we’re all haunted to explore the depths of- ‘Is life worth living?’ and if it is, ‘what makes life worth living?’. The answers are simpler than the question.
You’ll find the notion of the absurd typically associated with a nihilistic approach to life. Nihilism argues that life is devoid of meaning, morals, and religious value, and nothing we intend to communicate is ever communicated. The absence of this meaning from a nihilistic lens translates to absence of joy and purpose. If there is no meaning in doing what we do, what is the point of doing anything? Now the point that Camus stresses is that might not be a point in doing things, but why must it hold power over the act of ‘doing’ in any way?
Camus contends for living without placing undue emphasis on meaning. That death will come to all is an inevitable reality; should we then stop living at all merely to sit and dwell on this inevitability? Does the prophecy of death make the act of living and experiencing any less joyful? According to Camus, the greatest cause of our misery is trying to seek and assign things a greater meaning than they can possibly carry.
Knowing and accepting the inherent meaninglessness eventually leads to disassociating joy and purpose from our actions. It is when we untangle our actions from the pursuit of meaning that we’ll find contentment. So the simple answer to the complex questions is—the worthiness of life does not depend on the meaning we so incessantly seek. The act of living in itself is proof enough that life is worth living. Acceptance of the absurd is the very act of revolt against it.
Let’s Live Absurdly
One of the greatest tragedies of our times is our eternal chase for ‘something better’. The theory of the absurd in a way also advocates mindfulness—being present in the moment without dwelling on the future or brooding over all the ‘what could have been-s’. The gap between our desires and reality is the cause of our misery and discontentment. We’re unhappy because we want our lives to mean more than what they are. If there is no meaning to our greatest achievements then there is none to our suffering and miseries as well! The universe has no grand scheme to single you out and put you down each time.
Here are some key takeaways, with love, From Camus to You!:
- Take life at its face value
- Focus on experiencing life to the fullest. And while you’re at it, make sure to be present in the moment
- The worth of life does not derive from our jobs, accolades, or material wealth. Neither does suffering make your life any more meaningful
- Freedom is less about the ‘where’ (you’re situated) and more about the ‘how’ (you choose to respond to circumstances)
- Don’t negate. Denial will only get you deeper in the muck. Acknowledge, Accept, and Move On!