--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A stranger to myself and to the world…" description: "\"A stranger to myself and to the world, armed solely with a thought that negates itself as soon as it asserts, what is this condition in which I can hav..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/albert-camus-47_appetite_a-stranger-to-myself-and-to-the-world-ar_3014697.jpg" --- # A stranger to myself and to the world, armed solely with a… ![“A stranger to myself and to the world, armed solely with a thought that negates itself as soon as it asserts, what is this condition in which I can have peace only by refusing to know and to live, in which the appetite for conquest bumps into walls that defy its assaults?” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/albert-camus-47_appetite_a-stranger-to-myself-and-to-the-world-ar_3014697.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/albert-camus-47_appetite_a-stranger-to-myself-and-to-the-world-ar_3014697.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/albert-camus-47_appetite_a-stranger-to-myself-and-to-the-world-ar_3014697.jpg) > “A stranger to myself and to the world, armed solely with a thought that negates itself as soon as it asserts, what is this condition in which I can have peace only by refusing to know and to live, in which the appetite for conquest bumps into walls that defy its assaults?” [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator feels trapped in a paradox where seeking peace requires denying knowledge, leading to a conflict between desire for control and existential limits. **In simple terms:** Peace through denial creates inner conflict. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty, avoid self‑contradiction. Themes existentialism paradox identity conflict Mood melancholic thoughtful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - mental health therapy - creative writing - philosophical counseling Key Concepts Absurdism self‑deception freedom vs. control Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to “refuse to know”? - Can peace be found without self‑deception? A Different Perspective Denial may lead to deeper alienation rather than peace. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appetite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appetite/) [Assault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assault/) [Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conquest/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“I protect myself by refusing to know myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floriano-martins/i-protect-myself-by-refusing-to-know-myself/) [Floriano Martins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floriano-martins/) > [Really knowing is good. Not knowing, or refusing to know, is bad, or amoral, at least. You can't act if you don't know. Acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/really-knowing-is-good-not-knowing-or-refusing-to-know-is-bad-or/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [A stranger is shot in the street, you hardly move to help. But if, half an hour before, you spent just ten minutes with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/a-stranger-is-shot-in-the-street-you-hardly-move-to-help-but-if-half/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“The philosopher Berkley claimed that everything in the universe exists solely as a thought in the mind of God. In response to this Samuel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-trachtenberg/the-philosopher-berkley-claimed-that-everything-in-the-universe/) [Peter Trachtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-trachtenberg/) > [to have solely one thought, but it to be capable to destroy the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mircea-eliade/to-have-solely-one-thought-but-it-to-be-capable-to-destroy-the/) [Mircea Eliade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mircea-eliade/) > [“To have solely one thought, but it to be capable of destroy the universe”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-cioran/to-have-solely-one-thought-but-it-to-be-capable-of-destroy-the/) [Emil Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-cioran/) > [People have played on words and pretended to believe that refusing to grant a meaning to life necessarily leads to declaring that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/people-have-played-on-words-and-pretended-to-believe-that-refusing-to/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Passionately defending one's principles is crucial. Representing your district is fundamental. But refusing to entertain the common ground - with no other cost but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-quigley/passionately-defending-one-s-principles-is-crucial-representing-your/) [Mike Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-quigley/) > [“It's too late," she whispered. He whirled her around. "Don't say that! We are no better than animals if we cannot learn from our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/it-s-too-late-she-whispered-he-whirled-her-around-don-t-say-that-we/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [“I hoped he was right. I’d never heard of a university refusing money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/i-hoped-he-was-right-i-d-never-heard-of-a-university-refusing-money/) [Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/) > [“The sun was a toddler insistently refusing to go to bed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-sun-was-a-toddler-insistently-refusing-to-go-to-bed/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“To heal the pain of another is to heal my own pain. Yet, some of the greatest pain that I can experience is found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/to-heal-the-pain-of-another-is-to-heal-my-own-pain-yet-some-of-the/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [By Refusing to satisfy unimportant or unhealthy desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/by-refusing-to-satisfy-unimportant-or-unhealthy-desires/) Senoraroy > [“No, I won't help you. No I won't hear you explain why I should. It really is a magical word: no. You say whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/no-i-won-t-help-you-no-i-won-t-hear-you-explain-why-i-should-it/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [No matter what your dream job is, you'll likely hear 'no' many times before you achieve your goals. Just accept that as a fact.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-bream/no-matter-what-your-dream-job-is-you-ll-likely-hear-no-many-times/) [Shannon Bream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-bream/) ## More by Albert Camus > [“The whole town rushed outside to celebrate this crowded minute when the time of suffering had ended and the time of forgetting had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-whole-town-rushed-outside-to-celebrate-this-crowded-minute-when/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Generally, I like all islands. There, it is easier to rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/generally-i-like-all-islands-there-it-is-easier-to-rule/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Being is good, but getting rich is better… If the gods had only the riches of men's adoration, they would be as poor as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/being-is-good-but-getting-rich-is-better-if-the-gods-had-only-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Having been, not only mutilated in our country, wounded in our very flesh, but also divested of our most beautiful images, for you gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/having-been-not-only-mutilated-in-our-country-wounded-in-our-very/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I've seen of enough of people who die for an idea. I don't believe in heroism; I know it's easy and I've learned it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-ve-seen-of-enough-of-people-who-die-for-an-idea-i-don-t-believe-in/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The best are led to make greater demands upon themselves. As for those who succumb, they did not deserve to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-best-are-led-to-make-greater-demands-upon-themselves-as-for-those/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Then he asked me if I wasn’t interested in a change of life. I said that people never change their lives, that in any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/then-he-asked-me-if-i-wasn-t-interested-in-a-change-of-life-i-said/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Life is meaningless, but worth living, provided you recognize it's meaningless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/life-is-meaningless-but-worth-living-provided-you-recognize-it-s/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Thinking of the future, establishing aims for oneself, having preferences-all this presupposes a belief in freedom, even if one occasionally ascertains that one doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/thinking-of-the-future-establishing-aims-for-oneself-having/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I explained to him, however, that my nature was such that my physical needs often got in the way of my feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/i-explained-to-him-however-that-my-nature-was-such-that-my-physical/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-only-way-to-deal-with-an-unfree-world-is-to-become-so-absolutely/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“We love people not because for good they did for us, but for good we did for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-love-people-not-because-for-good-they-did-for-us-but-for-good-we/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [You have so much inside you, and the noblest happiness of all. Don’t just wait for a man to come along. That’s the mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/you-have-so-much-inside-you-and-the-noblest-happiness-of-all-don-t/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [The desire for possession is insatiable, to such a point that it can survive even love itself. To love, therefore, is to sterilize the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-desire-for-possession-is-insatiable-to-such-a-point-that-it-can/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) [Explore all 1,600 Albert Camus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## More Appetite quotes > [I could not limit my values and pursuits to what makes others comfortable. Being possessed by a promise I live without options. I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/i-could-not-limit-my-values-and-pursuits-to-what-makes-others/) [Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/) > [the appetite for thinking must be regulated, as all sensible people know, for it may stifle one's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/the-appetite-for-thinking-must-be-regulated-as-all-sensible-people/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [“if you cannot control your hunger and appetite, good luck managing your blood chemistry, metabolism, waistline, and, in the bigger picture, the prospect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/if-you-cannot-control-your-hunger-and-appetite-good-luck-managing/) [David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/) > [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) > [If I had been an Italian I am sure that I should have been whole-heartedly with you from the start to finish in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/if-i-had-been-an-italian-i-am-sure-that-i-should-have-been-whole/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [My curiosity and my appetite for evolving as an actor is one of the main components of me still working today in the business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cattrall/my-curiosity-and-my-appetite-for-evolving-as-an-actor-is-one-of-the/) [Kim Cattrall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cattrall/) > [I have a strong appetite and its not for food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-a-strong-appetite-and-its-not-for-food/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The plain fact is that education is itself a form of propaganda - a deliberate scheme to outfit the pupil, not with the capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-plain-fact-is-that-education-is-itself-a-form-of-propaganda-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You should also eat eggs. Not “one egg per week” or some such non-physiologic restriction. Eat what your body tells you to eat, since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-davis/you-should-also-eat-eggs-not-one-egg-per-week-or-some-such-non/) [William Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-davis/) > [If your desires are not great, a little will seem much to you; for small appetite makes poverty equivalent to wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/democritus/if-your-desires-are-not-great-a-little-will-seem-much-to-you-for/) [Democritus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/democritus/) > [When passions and appetites are stronger than the intellect, men are savages; when the intellect governs the passions, when the passions are servants, men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/when-passions-and-appetites-are-stronger-than-the-intellect-men-are/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [A pivotal spiritual attribute is that of self-mastery-th e strength to place reason over appetite. Self-mastery builds a strong conscience. And your conscience determines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-m-nelson/a-pivotal-spiritual-attribute-is-that-of-self-mastery-th-e-strength/) [Russell M. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/) > [The commonest and cheapest sounds, as the barking of a dog, produce the same effect on fresh and healthy ears that the rarest music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-commonest-and-cheapest-sounds-as-the-barking-of-a-dog-produce-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Browse all 994 Appetite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appetite/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A stranger to myself and to the world, armed solely with a thought that negates itself as soon as it asserts, what is this condition in which I can have peace only by refusing to know and to live, in which the appetite for conquest bumps into walls that defy its assaults?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Albert Camus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/a-stranger-to-myself-and-to-the-world-armed-solely-with-a-thought/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Appetite" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/a-stranger-to-myself-and-to-the-world-armed-solely-with-a-thought/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/albert-camus-47_appetite_a-stranger-to-myself-and-to-the-world-ar_3014697.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/albert-camus-47_appetite_a-stranger-to-myself-and-to-the-world-ar_3014697.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/albert-camus-47_appetite_a-stranger-to-myself-and-to-the-world-ar_3014697.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A stranger to myself and to the world, armed solely with a thought that negates itself as soon as it…” — Albert Camus", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Albert Camus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A stranger to myself and to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/a-stranger-to-myself-and-to-the-world-armed-solely-with-a-thought/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/a-stranger-to-myself-and-to-the-world-armed-solely-with-a-thought/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```