Albert Camus was only 28 when he published a book that basically told the world that life is a bit of a joke, but we should probably keep laughing anyway. It’s called The Myth of Sisyphus. If you've ever felt like your morning commute, your endless emails, or your repetitive gym routine is just a series of meaningless loops, you’re already vibing with Camus. He wasn't some dusty academic writing for other professors. He was a guy living through the chaos of World War II, trying to figure out why anyone should bother getting out of bed when the world is clearly falling apart.
He starts with a punch to the gut.
"There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide."
That’s how the book opens. No warm-up. No pleasantries. Camus essentially argues that the most important question we ever have to answer isn't about God or politics or the stock market, but whether life is actually worth living. It sounds dark. Honestly, it is. But the weird thing about The Myth of Sisyphus is that it actually ends up being one of the most hopeful things you’ll ever read if you’re going through a rough patch.
What is the Absurd, anyway?
People throw the word "absurd" around all the time, but Camus meant something very specific. To him, the Absurd isn't just a funny coincidence or a weird situation. It’s a divorce. It’s the gap between two things that can never be reconciled: the human heart’s desperate longing for order and meaning, and the "unreasonable silence" of the universe.
We want answers. We want to know why things happen. We want a cosmic guarantee that our hard work matters. But the universe? It doesn't care. It’s just rocks and gas and entropy.
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When you realize that your desire for meaning is never going to be met by reality, that’s when you hit the Absurd.
Most people try to escape this feeling. Camus points out two main exits: physical suicide (giving up) or "philosophical suicide" (taking a leap of faith). He wasn't a fan of either. For Camus, "philosophical suicide" is when you just make up a meaning—like a religion or a rigid political ideology—to hide from the truth. He thought that was cheating. He wanted us to live in the tension of the Absurd without blinking.
The Guy with the Rock
The book gets its name from the Greek legend of Sisyphus. The gods condemned this guy to roll a massive boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down the moment he reached the top. For eternity. It’s the ultimate "this could have been an email" scenario. It’s futile. It’s painful. It’s repetitive.
Camus sees Sisyphus as the "absurd hero."
Think about that moment when the rock starts rolling back down. Sisyphus has to walk down the hill to start over. Camus is obsessed with that walk. That’s the moment of consciousness. Sisyphus knows exactly what his life is. He knows the rock is going to fall again. But by accepting that his fate belongs to him—and him alone—he becomes stronger than the rock.
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"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."
That’s the famous closer. It’s not that Sisyphus is having a blast. It’s that he has found a way to be okay with the struggle. He has revolted against his fate by simply continuing to exist and finding satisfaction in the effort.
Why This Book Isn't Just for Philosophy nerds
In 2026, we’re more connected and more "productive" than ever, yet the feeling of pointlessness is everywhere. We spend years of our lives scrolling through feeds that don't satisfy us or working jobs that feel like moving sand from one pile to another. Camus was writing about the 1940s, but he might as well have been writing about a guy staring at a flickering laptop screen at 2:00 AM.
He argues for three ways to live an absurd life:
- Revolt: Refusing to give up or give in to easy answers.
- Freedom: Realizing that if there’s no grand "destiny," you’re actually free to do whatever you want.
- Passion: Experiencing as much of life as possible, not because it "means" something, but because it’s there.
He wasn't telling you to be a hero in the traditional sense. He was saying that the act of living is, in itself, an act of rebellion. If the universe doesn't care about you, the most rebellious thing you can do is care about your own life anyway.
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Common Misconceptions About Camus
People often mix Camus up with Jean-Paul Sartre or call him a nihilist. He hated that.
Nihilism says, "Nothing matters, so who cares?" Camus says, "Nothing matters, so let’s make it matter." There’s a huge difference. Nihilism is a dead end. Absurdism is a playground. Camus loved the sun, the sea, and football (soccer). He believed that the physical pleasures of life—the smell of the ocean, the feeling of a warm breeze—were enough to justify existence, even if there was no "greater purpose" behind them.
Another thing: The Myth of Sisyphus isn't saying you should be happy all the time. That’s toxic positivity before it was a thing. It’s saying that you can find a sense of victory even in the middle of a struggle. You don't need a "win" at the end of the day to make the day worth it.
Applying the Absurd to Your Own Life
So, what do you actually do with this? If you're feeling burnt out or stuck in a loop, Camus offers a weird kind of liberation.
Stop looking for the "reason" why things are hard. Sometimes things are just hard because that's the nature of the hill and the rock. When you stop expecting life to be fair or logical, you stop being disappointed by it. You can start focusing on the "how" instead of the "why." How are you going to walk down that hill? How are you going to treat the people next to you who are also pushing rocks?
Actionable Steps for Living the Absurd Life
- Acknowledge the Rock: Stop pretending that everything has to have a deep, spiritual meaning. Some tasks are just tasks. Accepting their futility can actually make them less stressful.
- Choose Your Struggle: Since we're all pushing rocks anyway, try to find a rock that you actually enjoy pushing. If the effort is the point, make sure it’s an effort you respect.
- Practice "The Walk Down": Find moments in your day to be fully conscious of your existence without distraction. No phone, no music. Just you and the realization that you’re alive.
- Reject Easy Answers: When life gets chaotic, avoid the urge to fall into "everything happens for a reason" traps. It’s okay for things to just happen. You have the strength to handle them regardless.
- Maximize the Now: Camus was big on "quantity over quality" when it came to experiences. Try new things. Say yes to weird opportunities. Don't worry if they "build your resume" or "fit your brand." Just live them.
The takeaway from The Myth of Sisyphus is surprisingly simple: Life is a struggle without a destination, and that’s perfectly fine. The boulder is going to roll back down. You’re going to have to do it all again tomorrow. But for today, you’re here, the sun is out, and the rock is yours. That is enough.