Happy Birthday, Albert Camus!
Today we celebrate the birth of the legendary writer and philosopher Albert Camus, born November 7, 1913. You might recognize his name from The Stranger or know his famous quote about the “invincible summer” within him—a line that shines with an unexpected brightness. While it’s an inspiring thought, for Camus, this kind of optimism was rare amidst a life filled with challenges.
He expressed a more complex vision of resilience and realism. In one of his writings, he argues, “Hope is tantamount to resignation. And to live is not to be resigned.” It may start on a down note, but look closely, and you see a different kind of optimism. Camus wasn’t about passive hope; he believed in action.
To Camus, relying solely on hope isn’t a strategy. When we simply “hope,” we surrender our agency, leaving our fate to the decisions of others. In his essay The Almond Trees, he writes, “We must mend what has been torn apart, make justice imaginable again in a world so obviously unjust.” In other words, to create a better world, we must act.
So, what does Camus’s legacy mean to you? Let his words inspire you to think, act, and create change.
What will you do today? Share your thoughts!
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