The Timeless Alienation of Meursault

Albert Camus’ The Outsider gave us Meursault. The man who couldn’t fake what he didn’t feel. Indifferent to societal norms, unmoved by ritual, and detached from emotion, Meursault became a symbol of existential honesty.

But in 2025, many of us are Meursault in disguise; except we aren’t staring at the sun on a beach. We’re staring at screens.

Scrolling Through Life: The New Absurd

• Social media feeds replace authentic emotion
• Career ambitions collapse under the weight of constant comparison
• Existence feels curated, not lived

Camus called it the Absurd.  The conflict between a meaningless world and our desperate search for meaning. The 21st-century version? The endless dopamine loop of digital media.

The Career Crisis: When Work Becomes Theater

• Performative work culture
• Endless self-branding on LinkedIn
• Jobs that demand hustle but offer little meaning

Instead of facing an executioner, we face layoffs, quiet quitting, or a creeping dread that what we do doesn’t matter.

Modern Existentialism: The Screen as the Judge

• Cancel culture, public opinion, and online mobs act as our courtroom
• Metrics, likes, and comments become our jury
• We curate lives to please algorithms instead of seeking truth

Fighting Back: How to Break the Cycle

• Limit media consumption and replace scrolling with reflection
• Pursue work with intrinsic meaning, not performative value
• Seek human connection outside digital platforms
• Accept that life has no inherent meaning and find freedom in choosing your own
• Engage with the world while staying true to yourself. Play the game without losing your identity

Final Thoughts

Meursault’s quiet rebellion was brutal honesty. Our rebellion might be something quieter:

• Turning off the phone
• Walking away from performative careerism
• Choosing real life over curated feeds

Camus challenged us to confront absurdity without illusions. Maybe it’s time we did the same. Not by escaping the world, but by engaging with it on our terms.