[sigbottle]

I don't directly interpret Camus, but I think to my interpretation of Dostoevsky's underground man. He knows he's irrational, can "rationally prove" he's irrational, yet still lives on anyways.

There's a sort of pride in fully knowing, accepting, and disengaging with some rational proof, and still "living your life anyways". In some sense, even though that might be irrational, it's one of the deepest forms of satisfaction.

[sroussey]

And this explains a lot of politics these days…

[sigbottle]

I personally think that this kind of behavior is necessary, unavoidable, and actually good for society, precisely because no one has access to this thing called "rationality", if it even exists. The alternative is variants of authoritarian nightmares where one can't even begin to speak in opposition, because of course they're not rational.

But you're right, it can also be easily used to justify horrible things. And in this case, you can still lead to authoritarian nightmares, or worse.

Maybe bad people are bad, and no matter what philosophy you adopt, one can twist it to be bad.

[oliculipolicula]

As a sort of dessert to that main course, one could imagine Camus happy. (For example, while playing Aunt Agony.) Or appetizer.

Personally, this helped https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2023/03/14/camuss-new-yo...

https://archive.ph/JEuoa

>Forty-­eight hours of pleasant euphoria

Such an epicure? So Epicurean?

(As well as the rest of the diary)