The Appeal of the Absurd

Not too long ago, I wrote an article about Absurdism. Absurdism is the belief that the universe is inherently paradoxical, that the universe is Absurd. It tells us that the nature of human beings is to search for meaning and purpose, but that the universe does not allow for this. We are simply here, abandoned, yes, but free. Albert Camus, the “father” of Absurdism, presents three options in response to the Absurd. First, end your life. Second, take a leap of faith to religion, or some other power. Finally, Absurdism, where you embrace the paradox, the absurd, and live anyway. Evidently, Albert Camus chooses the third. I want to tell you now about the various ways I have encountered these ideas in my life, and how I use them.

I have found comfort in this idea. I agree with Camus’ statement that we are beings who search for meaning. It’s so common that “What’s the meaning of life?” has become a joke to make about pointless philosophical questions. But this is not without reason. It is to wonder about it, that though we make jokes about it, it sits in our mind, the truly unanswerable question. We are so easily able to question our existence, our purpose, or meaning, but the universe is unconcerned and uninvolved. Indeed, we are here, and that is all we get.

Even at school, Absurdist ideas manage to sneak in. In my English class, we were given an excerpt from a book by Claire Whitehead called The Fantastic. This excerpt is in reference to Tzvetan Todorov’s idea of the Fantastic. Todorov tells us that the Fantastic is the hesitation taken when you witness a supernatural event, but when you know that it could not be supernatural. He tells us how storytellers such as authors can utilize the Fantastic to disrupt the “realness” of a story. 

It’s interesting that the idea of the Fantastic seems so desirable to storytellers. It is easy to wonder why you would want to essentially lie in a story that is supposed to tell the truth, but the Absurd provides an explanation. The Fantastic is so desirable in a story because it emulates the Absurdity of real life. Even the words themselves are synonyms. Often, life itself will be inexpressable in terms of complete, unedited, truth, so it will be necessary for a writer who wishes to convey pure life, pure experience, to utilize a tool such as the Fantastic. 

This method of storytelling appears more often than you think. You often hear that some stories end up “embellished”, or changed. But when you think about why this happened, sometimes it’s to glorify a person or thing, but often it’s just that, in tellings and retellings of a story, the storyteller will exaggerate or change some details to better convey what happened, or what seemed to happen to them. This “seemingness” of the happening is the Absurd at work, and an author will utilize the Fantastic to convey it.

You may have heard the advice “live in the mystery”, or even to “live in the moment”. It may seem like cheesy advice, but all advice comes from experience, and all are based on something useful. If you don’t worry about the past, it is easier to see the current Absurdity of life more vividly and exist with it anyway. If you don’t worry about the future, it is easier to simply exist, and live, here and now. This is in accordance with Albert Camus’s statements that we should live vibrantly, and as much as we can.

This article is just a small continuation on how I have encountered Absurdism in my own life, and I believe that looking out for these signs can help you live more happily. Remember that though life may not always make perfect sense, it has always been that way, and will always be that way. You have been given the absolute freedom to live with real experience, so the ability to choose how you take this opportunity is absolutely and individually yours. Live accepting it, live despite it, and live as much as possible. You are abandoned to this planet, experience it as best you can.

The Fantastic by Claire Whitehead

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