Albert Camus Quotes
Albert Camus was a 20th-century French philosopher, novelist, and journalist, born in French Algeria, who developed the philosophical position known as absurdism. His 1942 essay The Myth of Sisyphus opens with the claim that there is only one truly serious philosophical problem, that of suicide, and proposes a defiant embrace of life in the face of its apparent meaninglessness. The quotes below are attributed to Albert Camus, organized by topic.
Albert Camus on Freedom
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Attributed to Albert Camus:
“I rebel; therefore we exist.”
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Attributed to Albert Camus:
“What is a rebel? A man who says no.”
Albert Camus on Happiness
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Attributed to Albert Camus:
“One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”
Albert Camus on Life
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Attributed to Albert Camus:
“The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart.”
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Attributed to Albert Camus:
“Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.”
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Attributed to Albert Camus:
“There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide.”
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Attributed to Albert Camus:
“Live to the point of tears.”
Albert Camus on Love
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Attributed to Albert Camus:
“In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love.”
Albert Camus on Mind
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Attributed to Albert Camus:
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
Albert Camus on Virtue
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Attributed to Albert Camus:
“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.”
Things actually not said by Albert Camus
A number of widely-shared lines are circulated as Albert Camus but are in fact from someone else. Did Albert Camus say these? No. Each entry below pairs the line with the person who actually wrote it.
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Did Albert Camus say this? No.
“Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”
This sentimental verse is widely circulated as Albert Camus, but no source has been found in his published works, journals, or correspondence. Researchers including Quote Investigator have traced it to anonymous greeting-card and bookmark verse circulating from the mid-20th century onward; it has also been spuriously attributed to Khalil Gibran and other authors. There is no evidence it is from Camus.