Accepting the Absurdity of Life

Hernandez, Feli Adrian November 24, 2020
BSA-AS 1E

ACCEPTING THE ABSURDITY OF LIFE

(sysyphus one of the most iconic symbol of absurdism)

Hernandez, Feli Adrian November 24, 2020
BSA-AS 1E

ACCEPTING THE ABSURDITY OF LIFE

1.) List down 1 to 3 of your Greatest Growth Experiences in Life. Experiences that
made an impact or influence on your life today.

a.) Introduction to philosophy

One of the three things that I consider my greatest growth and made a big impact in
my life is my introduction to philosophy. I was introduced to philosophy when I am lost
unto my own existence. As I was looking for answer as to what is the real purpose of
existence I stumbled into philosophy and through philosophy I was able to grow and
understand more about the world around me.

b.) Knowing the absurd

While I am studying philosophy I learned about the existentialism and how absurd
and pointless our existence really are. At first, I had a hard time accepting and coping
with the fact that our existence are pointless. But, as I read more books and learned more
about existentialism I gradually understand how to accept it.

c.) Accepting the absurd

I’ve been studying existentialist philosophy for over two years now, but I learned
how to truly accept and acknowledge the absurdity of life just recently. Being
existentially aware can be pretty hard, knowing how pointless life is. I had experienced
several existential crises in the past two years. Although I am existentially aware and I
know how absurd life is there is still part of me that longs for meaning and existence, and
that is the hard part accepting and knowing are two different things. But recently, due to
unexpected circumstances I slowly learned how to accept the absurdity of life and it is
my greatest growth just yet. Learning how to accept life even though it’s pointless is my
greatest growth that made the biggest impact in my life.

(figure 1.1) (figure 1.2)

(figure 1.3) (figure 1.4)

(figure 1: from left to right. Existential philosophers: 1.1 Albert Camus, 1.2 Soren Kierkergaard, 1.3 Freidrich
Nietzsche, 1.4 Jean-Paul Sartre)

2.) What do you consider as the major blocks to your growth as an individual?
The major blocks I encountered through my individual growth is the human’s innate desire

for purpose and meaning. Because of our lack of meaning, we, humans are biologically
hardwired to look for meaning in this meaningless universe that is why Albert Camus call it
absurd.

Neither the human nor the universe is necessarily absurd but rather their relationship
together, for we humans have innate desire for meaning, purpose, and order, yet, we
simultaneously exist in a universe that lacks all of the above. This, for most of us creates
confusion that leave them to stray without any direction, because what is life without meaning
and purpose? I’ve asked myself that question many times before. Because, what is the point of
continuing life if the world is abusrd and meaningless? But just recently I started to understand
and accept the absurdity of life and if your life has no purpose why don’t you make one?
Because, in this meaningless and absurd world that we live in we are the ones who get to decide
our purpose and meaning.

(figure 2: book cover of Albert Camus’s novel about absurdism titled “The Stranger”)

3.) What do you consider as God’s greatest gift/s to you? Explain why.
Personally, I am still conflicted whether to believe to the existence of God. But if I had to

choose on what is his greatest gift unto humanity I think it is consciousness, at first I thought
about life but I remembered that life itself doesn’t really have a purpose and meaning, so I
thought how can it be a gift if it doesn’t even have a purpose?

If God gave us a gift I think it is consciousness or the ability to think critically. Scientists
and philosophers still can't agree on a vague idea of what consciousness is, much less a strict
definition. One reason for that is that the concept is used to mean slightly different things. Many
experts agree, however, that conscious beings are aware of their surroundings, themselves and
their own perception. It is what makes us different from other animals for we, humans, can think
critically and in doing so, we achieved so many great things. We learned how to develop our
own language and way of communication. The ability to think critically is what made the
difference and made the humans to come out atop the food chain. Because we can think critically
we gradually became smarter and being smart led to countless inventions and discoveries.

(figure 3: Is consciousness uniquely human? Or do other living things have varying degrees of it?)
(Image: © Shutterstock)

4.) What keeps you going in your life? What/Who are your sources of strength and
inspiration?
There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide. Judging whether
life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy.
All the rest— whether or not the world has three dimensions, whether the mind has nine or
twelve categories—comes afterwards, Albert Camus, the myth of Sysyphus.
One of the most remarkable thing I learned from Camus is his answer towards suicide. If
life is absurd and lacks any meaning is suicide the only real answer? Camus answered with a
sympathetic “no”. Instead of taking one’s own life because of its lack of meaning, we should
be the one to search for our own meaning. Instead of commiting suicide we should embrace
the absurdity of life and learn how to live happily knowing full well that life is absurd.
The search of ones meaning is the ultimate goal we should all strive to achieve. Life
although absurd, is very complex. One can’t just take one’s own life without trying to search
for one’s own meaning. If someone ask what’s my reason for going on my life, I would say
that it is because I am still searching for my own meaning.

(figure 4: illustration of life c: http://www.glogster.com/deathhangel/death-and-life/g-
6l1p46td8m4d3uhesabrba0)