“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.”
Albert Camus
Inner StrengthHope
Albert Camus Quotes
French - Philosopher|November 7, 1913 - January 4, 1960
50 FAMOUS QUOTES · PHILOSOPHER
Albert Camus Quotes
Read 50 of the best Albert Camus quotes on freedom, happiness, rebellion, truth and the absurd from the Nobel Prize-winning author of The Stranger and The Plague.
“In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love. In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile.”
Albert Camus
ResilienceLove
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”
Albert Camus
AutumnBeauty
“The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”
Albert Camus
StruggleThe Myth Of Sisyphus
“I know of only one duty, and that is to love.”
Albert Camus
LoveDuty
“Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.”
Albert Camus
Present MomentGenerosity
“Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.”
Albert Camus
FreedomGrowth
“But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?”
Albert Camus
HappinessHarmony
“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”
Albert Camus
HappinessMeaning Of Life
“Man is the only creature that refuses to be what he is.”
Albert Camus
Human NatureThe Rebel
“What is a rebel? A man who says no: but whose refusal does not imply a renunciation.”
Albert Camus
RebellionThe Rebel
“I rebel; therefore we exist.”
Albert Camus
RebellionSolidarity
“Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.”
Albert Camus
RebellionInnocence
“Integrity has no need of rules.”
Albert Camus
IntegrityShort Quotes
“Those who lack the courage will always find a philosophy to justify it.”
Albert Camus
CourageExcuses
“Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.”
Albert Camus
EmpathyStruggle
“Alas, after a certain age every man is responsible for his face.”
Albert Camus
CharacterAgeing
“Charm is a way of getting the answer "Yes" without asking a clear question.”
Albert Camus
CharmWit
“To be happy we must not be too concerned with others.”
Albert Camus
HappinessIndependence
“Don't wait for the last judgment; it takes place every day.”
Albert Camus
ConscienceThe Fall
“Your successes and happiness are forgiven you only if you generously consent to share them.”
Albert Camus
SuccessGenerosity
“Truth, like light, blinds. Falsehood, on the contrary, is a beautiful twilight that enhances every object.”
Albert Camus
TruthIllusion
“An intellectual is someone whose mind watches itself.”
Albert Camus
IntellectSelf Awareness
“The only real progress lies in learning to be wrong all alone.”
Albert Camus
ProgressIndependence
“To know oneself, one should assert oneself.”
Albert Camus
Self KnowledgeAction
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About Albert Camus
French - Philosopher | November 7, 1913 - January 4, 1960
Albert Camus (November 7, 1913 – January 4, 1960) was a French novelist, essayist, playwright and philosopher, born in Mondovi (now Dréan) in French Algeria. Raised in poverty by his mother and grandmother, he became a journalist, edited the Resistance newspaper *Combat* during World War II, and wrote some of the most important books of the 20th century, including *The Stranger*, *The Myth of Sisyphus*, *The Plague*, *The Rebel* and *The Fall*.
Camus is famous for his philosophy of the absurd: the idea that life has no ready-made meaning, yet we can still live with courage, honesty and joy. In 1957, at just 44, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature, one of the youngest writers ever to receive it. He died in a car accident in 1960. Here are 50 of the best Albert Camus quotes on freedom, happiness, rebellion and truth.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Albert Camus and these famous quotes.
Who was Albert Camus?
Albert Camus was a French-Algerian novelist, essayist, playwright and philosopher, best known for *The Stranger*, *The Plague* and *The Myth of Sisyphus*. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957.
What did Camus mean by "One must imagine Sisyphus happy"?
In Greek myth, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a rock up a hill forever. Camus used the story to argue that even when life seems repetitive or meaningless, we can find fulfilment in the struggle itself.
What is Camus's philosophy of the absurd?
Camus believed the "absurd" arises from the clash between our search for meaning and a universe that offers none. Rather than despair, he urged people to live fully, rebel against injustice and find joy in life as it is.
What is Albert Camus's most famous quote?
"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer," from his essay *Return to Tipasa*, is one of his most loved and most quoted lines.
Which popular Camus quotes are fake?
"Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow" is widely shared but isn't from Camus. "The only way to deal with an unfree world..." also has no source in his writings, and "Friendship often ends in love, but love in friendship never" is by Charles Caleb Colton.
How did Albert Camus die?
Camus died in a car accident near Villeblevin, France, on January 4, 1960, at the age of 46. An unused train ticket was found in his pocket, as he had planned to travel by rail.