When every day we wake up to read about fresh horrors, we might find ourselves contemplating the question as to whether, as Albert Camus supposedly put it, one should kill oneself or have a cup of coffee.
Was Camus reflecting on the “get a job/get married/have kids and die” mentality of most people? After all, slaving away for 40-plus years or more, hoping to scrounge enough for retirement, was, is, and should be the height of absurdity.
So this classic question sums up the conflict at the heart of Absurdist philosophy: how does one find meaning in the face of an uncaring and often ridiculous universe? The answer is that meaning must not be found, but forged, not just from our worst experiences, but from our daily ones as well. As Camus wrote, "You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life."
Life is a sum of all your choices. So, what are you doing today? As for myself, I think I have a cup of coffee.
