# philosophical suicide Albert Camus, a French philosopher and writer, believed that life was inherently absurd, and that humans could find meaning in their lives by embracing this absurdity. To help combat the absurdity of life, Camus suggested keeping a journal to reflect on one's experiences and find personal meaning in them. Here is a journaling template inspired by Camus' philosophy: 1. Start by reflecting on a specific experience from your day that struck you as absurd. This could be something that made you feel frustrated, confused, or overwhelmed. 2. Write down the details of this experience, including what happened, who was involved, and how you felt at the time. 3. Reflect on why this experience felt absurd to you. Was it because of a clash between your expectations and reality? Or because it challenged your beliefs or assumptions about the world? 4. Consider how you might find meaning in this experience, despite its absurdity. Could you find humour in the situation? Or learn something new about yourself or the world? 5. Write down any insights or lessons you gained from this experience, and how you might apply them to your life going forward. 6. Finally, reflect on the larger picture of your life, and how you can embrace the absurdity of existence to find meaning and purpose. What values or beliefs guide you, even in the face of life's inherent absurdity? By regularly journaling in this way, you can learn to embrace life's absurdity and find meaning and purpose in even the most challenging experiences. --- ## Lucidity For Albert Camus, **lucidity** is ==the clear-eyed, courageous awareness and acceptance of the fundamental meaninglessness (the Absurd) of existence, refusing comforting illusions or philosophical escapes (like suicide or blind faith) to fully embrace life's passionate, moment-to-moment experience==, much like Sisyphus finding happiness in his futile task through sheer conscious defiance. It's about paying attention to reality, not escaping it, and finding freedom and value in the human struggle itself.  **Key Aspects of Camus's Lucidity:** - **Understanding the Absurd:**Lucidity starts with recognizing the conflict between humanity's innate desire for meaning and the universe's cold indifference, as explored in _[The Myth of Sisyphus](https://www.google.com/search?q=The+Myth+of+Sisyphus&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari&mstk=AUtExfB5xRWsiLLEv0gwQSsInSoP4ymo4AlZ6FSNStqcNN_euSHHqk9vpYI-2eTQVhQuGHk-qpIOE_U3_0tWnWPTE5RqhrxT3mPw_Q5ynD-I2Hk24PCYQGjBjvid9WXNlYMifLz23AoLgQbr83DGOIGkt8p0EwikMtEyyzrUx8RJy6lVGhA8S_UP5vs8fwLGeNKv_rqRze9JwNg7mRWSEWtKctUrAEAxM-STVhV0PgmpbOcbVXAN3ZO2hCdryw3rlAkH8DXzpdjZmjB6UFwvbdFUsTHMOuYbF5SH7XZOyM39JIkWeg&csui=3&ved=2ahUKEwjMkMLs_-CRAxX1T0EAHTA-IuoQgK4QegQIAxAB)_. - **Refusal of Escape:** It means rejecting "philosophical suicide" (leap of faith) or literal suicide, and instead living _within_ the absurd condition, not trying to solve it. - **Alertness & Honesty:** It's a state of being awake, paying attention, and being honest with oneself about the limits of human understanding, notes [this Boston University article](https://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Lite/LiteLawr.htm). - **Embracing the Present:** Through lucidity, one finds liberation to live intensely for the beauty, pleasure, and grandeur of the immediate moment, creating value through actions, say this Reddit thread and this Medium article. - **Revolt & Creation:** It fuels a conscious, defiant revolt against one's fate, as seen in Sisyphus's struggle or the act of artistic creation, which itself becomes a form of lucidity and self-mastery, according to this Reddit post and [this LSU scholarly repository article](https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/5542/).  In essence, [Camus's concept](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00131857.2018.1493681) is the ultimate clarity to face a meaningless world without despair, finding freedom and purpose in that very confrontation --- Albert Camus inspired write up: As the new moon takes centre stage in the vast expanse of the night sky, we are reminded of the eternal cycle of life and renewal. In this moment of darkness, we find grief and a promise of a new beginnings, for many of us, the absurdity of life seems to loom large, casting a shadow on our hopes and dreams. But perhaps, in this moment of the new moon, we can find a way to transcend this absurdity, to embrace life in all its complexity and beauty. For Camus, the absurdity of life was not a cause for despair, but an invitation to rebel against the meaninglessness of existence, to create our own purpose and meaning in a world that often seems indifferent to our desires. In the same way, we can use the new moon as a time to reflect on our own lives, to question our assumptions and beliefs, and to forge a new path forward. We can make plans and set intentions, knowing that the future is uncertain and that our efforts may seem futile in the face of the vastness of the universe. But even in the face of this absurdity, we can find a sense of purpose and meaning, a reason to continue on our journey, to embrace life in all its mystery and wonder. So let us embrace the mystery and the unknown, and accept that life is full of both beauty and suffering. By doing so, we can cultivate a deeper sense of presence and awareness, and find meaning and purpose in the moment-to-moment experience of being alive. This alternative approach involves embracing the inevitability of death, and seeing it as an integral part of life rather than something to be feared or avoided. Rather than seeking to [[Control]] or shape the future, this approach invites us to surrender to the mystery of life, to accept that there are no guarantees or certainties, and to find meaning and purpose in the midst of uncertainty and impermanence and to embrace the full spectrum of the human experience, including its darkness and its uncertainty. By doing so, we can cultivate a deeper sense of presence and awareness, and find meaning and purpose in the here and now, rather than always seeking to escape into a future that may never come. --- `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:`