Happiness, then, becomes an act of defiance !!! ❤️

The Camus Experience & The ‘Virtue’ of Vices

Office-Time Vibes

It is indeed a rare occurrence for staff members or students to walk into my office just with the avowed aim of discussing books, theories, concepts or ideas.

I should admit that, I’ve always had a penchant for such visitors who come to meet me just for the joy of discussing such lovely literary concepts, theories or ideas!

Added, I’ve had the highest regards for those lovely literary beings who devote a major chunk of their spare time - for reading and writing!

So, you can imagine my delightful surprise today when a professor from the science department walked into my Office, with such joy on him, gently pulled up a chair, and with a sense of satisfaction in his tone, said, “Sir, on Bhogi day, during the Pongal holidays, I read Albert Camus’ The Stranger. I finished it off in one sitting. I loved the book, Sir.”

Felt so happy to heart that! 😊

Reading Camus is certainly an experience - though often a disorienting experience! 😊

When you read The Stranger or The Myth of Sisyphus, you don’t just read it; you feel it.

That’s because Camus helps us unmask and peel away the comfortable illusions of society, layer by layer. What you are left with is a stark, cold reality.

That’s hence Roland Barthes famously described Camus’ style in The Stranger as “writing at degree zero” - a neutral, colourless writing with a prose style that is deceptively simple, yet amazingly detached.

Call it a “Camus Experience” or a “Cleansing Experience,” but one thing is quite certain - 

Meaning is not something you find in the world; it is something you create through the stubborn, joyful act of living.

Happiness, then, becomes an act of defiance!!!

One reason why, after reading Camus, you usually walk away with a clear-eyed view of life that is quite liberating!

Secondly,

From French philosophy, our discussion then veered towards American statesmanship and a famous quote by Abraham Lincoln.

“It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.”

A quote that’s been widely bandied about both on and off academic circles!

Well, we hypothesised that Lincoln likely had this belief that people who are ‘perfectly behaved’ often lack the intensity required to do great things.

A person who never steps out of line, never loses their temper, or never indulges in a bad habit might simply be passive or lacking in drive.

Omg! Sounds utterly postmodernish!? Ain’t it? 😊

Or probably, Lincoln was likely suspicious of people who appeared “perfect.”

When we look up the historical context behind this quote, it makes for fascinating reading.

The quote is often associated with Lincoln’s defence of General Ulysses S. Grant.

When harsh critics of General Grant, complained to Lincoln about Grant’s drinking habits (a vice), Lincoln reportedly dismissed these complaints because Grant was the only general winning battles (a virtue) for him.

Lincoln even famously joked that he wanted to find out what brand of whiskey Grant drank so he could send a barrel to his other generals.

The anecdote suggests that Lincoln preferred a “flawsome” man who was effective to a “perfect” man who was useless.

Pardon the sexist overtones (saying man instead of human) here. That’s because it was Lincoln’s quote!

And yes! Beware the pitfalls of presentism! 😊