Finding meaning is absurd
"Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is.”
This is a quote by French novelist, essayist, and playwright Albert Camus.
He says that we are creatures of consciousness, burdened with the awareness of our own existence.
Unlike other beings, we ponder our place in the world.
Consciousness drives our desire to discover meaning, purpose, and understanding. We need to find patterns, reasons, and significance in our experiences and the world around us.
However, the universe is silent and indifferent, providing no inherent meaning or ultimate answers.
We put on masks and play the roles that society has made for us. We chase after success, conform to norms, and cling to ideologies that promise purpose.
But in doing so, we turn away from our authentic selves.
We deceive ourselves, living lives that aren’t truly ours, just to escape the discomfort of confronting the absurdity of existence.
Camus saw this as a way of avoiding the freedom and responsibility that come with defining our own essence.
Other animals live by their natural rhythm. A lion hunts, a bird sings, a fish swims. They don’t question their existence or try to be anything other than what they are.
They live in the present, free from existential dread and the weight of consciousness that humans carry. They don’t grapple with the meaning of life or with their identity.
There is no absurdity, no conflict between a desire for meaning and a silent universe. They simply are.
Camus saw heroism in us accepting the absurd. Like Sisyphus, who embraces his eternal, futile task with resolve. Through this, we can carve out meaning in a world that doesn’t offer any.
