7 phrases by Albert Camus to reflect on

Most of Albert Camus’s phrases reveal his rebellious spirit and libertarian, something that characterized him from an early age. This writer, born in French Algeria in 1913, was one of the most prominent novelists, journalists and philosophers of the 20th century.

Camus lost his father before he was one year old, due to the war. He grew up in the midst of great poverty and managed to study thanks to a scholarship given to the children of fallen veterans. However, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. at 44 years old.

The influence of Schopenhauer and Nietzsche is reflected in many of Albert Camus’s phrases. However, Camus defined himself as an anarchist. In his thought and work the central theme is the absurdity of existence.. These are some small samples of his thinking.

1. Love and be loved

One of Albert Camus’s phrases about love says the following: “Not being loved is a simple misfortune. The real misfortune is not knowing how to love”. In this way, he speaks of love as an active quality of the subject.

Camus was convinced of freedom and autonomy. Therefore, this focus on love is not surprising. In it highlights the importance of being the subject, rather than the object, of a feeling from a reality.

2. Walk next to another

This is one of Albert Camus’s phrases that has been repeated the most over time. He says: “Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow you. Do not walk behind me, I may not guide you. Walk next to me and be my friend”.

Beyond talking about friendship, In this phrase what he makes is a criticism of power relations. It is a rejection of hierarchies and vertical links. Camus was an independent left-wing thinker who always deplored different forms of power.

3. One of Albert Camus’s phrases about success

The theme of success is not one of the most frequent in Camus’ work. In fact, his thinking is considered “absurd.” He believed that existence was basically a failure, due to its lack of meaning.

Even so, one of Albert Camus’s phrases says this: “Success is easy to obtain. The difficult thing is to deserve it”. This opposes the concept of success as a great victory and rather places it in the field of ethics, of merit.

4. In the heart of winter

Camus had a difficult childhood, mainly due to the enormous poverty in which he lived. However, He had the great fortune of discovering the world of books, thanks to his teacher Louis Germain. He thanked her so much for his teachings that he dedicated part of his Nobel Prize acceptance speech to her.

One of Albert Camus’ most popular phrases speaks precisely about that will to resist and have the courage to overcome adversity. He says like this: “In the depths of winter I finally learned that an invincible summer lives within me”.

5. About sadness

Sadness was a recurring theme among novelists and philosophers of the 20th century. Camus was no exception. In this regard he wrote this lucid phrase: “Sad people have two reasons for being sad: they ignore and despair”.

Although his story had to do with the absence of meaning, this phrase is a rejection of sadness. By saying that it arises from ignorance and desperation, it also implicitly points out that knowing and waiting keeps us away from melancholy.

6. Be normal

Many of Albert Camus’s phrases have an ironic and fun tone. This does not take away anything from their enormous depth, but it does show that He was a genius who under no circumstances lost the humility that characterized him..

One of his phrases says: “No one realizes that some people expend tremendous energy just to be normal.”. In short, this is a sharp rejection of the idea of ​​normalization of behavior.

7. The beginning of great deeds

Albert Camus was part of many great causes. Among them, the French resistance to the Germans during World War II. He also always had his pen sharpened to question the different powers and their abuses.

Deep down, Camus may have been a great disillusioned idealist. Someone who never stopped having hope. This is reflected in one of his phrases: “All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning.”.

The work of Albert Camus is one of those that will remain valid for many centuries.. The intelligence and sensitivity with which he revealed many human realities have a universal character. A writer full of creativity and elegance, who never goes out of style.

You might be interested…