From 1913 until 1960, the French philosopher, writer, and journalist Albert Camus lived. The human condition in the face of an uncaring universe—what he famously called absurdity—was a common theme in his work. In his paper "The Myth of Sisyphus," Camus explored what he believed to be the central query at the core of our existence: why should we live?

Think of life as a protracted and difficult endeavor in which you are continuously pushing a boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back down once you have reached the summit. Camus utilized the myth of Sisyphus to highlight the hardship and pointlessness that people frequently experience in life. The question then becomes: what motivates us to continue if life can appear to be an unending cycle of work with no apparent end in sight?

According to Camus, each person must make their own philosophical decision about whether or not to live. He maintained that suicide might be viewed as a way to get away from this perceived ridiculousness and the pain it causes. But he also implied that life can have purpose if one can find a reason to continue—any reason at all.

By examining these concepts, Camus challenged readers to think about their own life's purpose and how they can discover or produce personal meaning even when they feel lost or overtaken by the world. His message is one of facing reality head-on and figuring out how to make sense of one's life, not one of hopelessness.