That's Absurd

I've been struggling lately with what Camus called the absurd--the struggle to reconcile self-awareness with a finite existence--and still maintain a positive mindset. We all dance with ourselves over this issue, lying at times, despairing at others. Reading and alcohol help to distract, but ultimately it's intellectual suicide to dodge the question: Why?

Existentialism, the philosophy that Camus helped form, teaches that in order to overcome, or at least to extenuate the pain of, this painful dichotomy, embrace your own existence and find meaning in the daily minutiae that comprise life. Find in yourself the meaning, the responsibility, for the life you lead. Make yourself into who you are, experiencing yourself and avoiding reflection--such as this writing--that taint the purity of emotion, the true wellspring of being. Be, not think. Feel, not plan.

Roll down your windows today on your way home. Spit, really spit. Take one minute to chew each bite. Walk barefooted all weekend. Stare at your spouse. Say nothing. Exist. Be.