The absurdity of life is the contrast between the human desire for meaning and purpose, against the indifference of an unchanging universe.
You are supposed to revolt against the absurd instead of try to escape it. However, there are three primary paths to escape the absurd:
- Physical suicide
- Camus argues that this is an act of surrender to the absurd
- Philosophical suicide (the leap of faith into religion)
- Camus believes that this requires you to blind yourself to reality and to accept something for which there is no proof. Camus thinks that this leap of faith tricks the mind
- Making up and existential meaning (trying to invent a custom personal destiny to mask the absurd)
- This is more or less, also just tricking the mind
Instead of trying to escape, revolt:
- Acknowledge that the universe has no inherent meaning and keep that fact clear
- Without a pre-written destiny, you are free. You can live life intensely experiencing the human condition and chasing your passions