Profound Meaning
"Not to believe in the profound meaning of things belongs to the absurd man. As for those cordial or wonder-struck faces, he eyes them, stores them up, and does not pause over them. Time keeps up with him. The absurd man is he who is not apart from time." ― Albert Camus, "Don Juanism" in The Myth of Sisyphus, Justin O'Brien Translation, Knopf, 1955
Now that I've put this up and seen it in the flesh so to speak, I think I should have broken it up a bit. Not only for length on Social Media, but I think it breaks apart well. Another time I guess. Re-using content isn't forbidden, especially since I'm making the rules, and I might change my thoughts on something. Also, as the quote indicates, as someone striving to be an Absurd Man, I shouldn't believe in profound meaning anyway. I guess that's the great thing about having such a goal, it's full of contradictions, but practical advice or Lebens Aphorismen that makes you question your whole purpose for doing something in the first place.
In this particular essay, he is talking about Don Juan, and I think it's a rich text full of profound meaning, See what I did there? In any case, this passage has stuck with me as something to keep in mind when dealing with "deep" thinkers or those trying to be or trying too hard. We've all met them. Many try too hard to be profound, but miss the fact that they sound foolish or indeed like they're trying to be profound. Myself included on occasion. Maybe this whole effort falls under this. But I am trying to put out there practical and interesting bits, a compilation of things that's been lacking for Absurdism, and is overrepresented in the discourse by other philosophies or religions. We've all seen the social posts with quotes (often misattributed) trying so hard to be profound. Worse are the ones marked "unknown" since you know it was probably someone's shower thought or drunken rambling that someone thought "profound." Freeing oneself of hanging on to this idea that there is any meaning, least of all profound meaning is a big step. The latter maybe harder than the first. Because when one makes the first leap, there's a tendency to try and be profound about it.
The second half of this goes in the direction of the acceptance of life as it is and the fleetingness of it I think. Don't be smitten by fame or sycophancy, don't let beauty or cleverness hold you in its thrall. Carry on. Age well, act your age, but don't think that means anything. Stick with time, it's coming for us all, and just as an Absurdist must recognize and live a contradiction, recognize time means everything in this life, but revolt against it as you must.
-DA
