Albert Camus — Quote from The Stranger
“I had lived my life one way and I could just as well have lived it another. I had done this and I hadn't done that. I hadn't done this thing but I had done another. And so?”
The Stranger (1942)
Concepts: absurd, meaning, freedom
Resonant Quotes
- “Every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness ...” — Jean-Paul Sartre, Nausea Both quotes capture the existentialist revelation of life's fundamental contingency—Camus's indifferent 'And so?' mir...
- “Existence precedes essence. Man first of all exists, encounters himself, surg...” — Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialism Is a Humanism Camus's recognition that he could have lived any other life equally well perfectly embodies Sartre's insight that we ...
- “Do it or do not do it — you will regret both.” — Søren Kierkegaard, Either/Or Both philosophers confront the fundamental arbitrariness of choice—Kierkegaard's recognition that regret haunts all d...
- “What, if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your lonelies...” — Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science Camus's indifferent acceptance of his arbitrary life path anticipates the psychological test Nietzsche poses—could on...
- “So it goes.” — Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five Both express profound acceptance of life's arbitrariness—Camus through philosophical recognition of choice's ultimate...
- “I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell y...” — Kurt Vonnegut, Timequake Both embrace radical acceptance of life's arbitrary nature, with Camus's existential indifference finding its complem...
- “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort o...” — Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science Both confront the collapse of traditional meaning-making structures, with Camus's moral indifference reflecting the d...
- “There are no facts, only interpretations.” — Friedrich Nietzsche, Notebooks Both philosophers dissolve the illusion of objective life paths—Camus shows the arbitrariness of any particular life ...