--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So the thing that bothered me most was…" description: "\"So the thing that bothered me most was that the condemned man had to hope the machine would work the first time.\" — Albert Camus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/albert-camus-47_bothered_so-the-thing-that-bothered-me-most-was-t_2619329.jpg" --- # So the thing that bothered me most was that the condemned… ![“So the thing that bothered me most was that the condemned man had to hope the machine would work the first time.” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/albert-camus-47_bothered_so-the-thing-that-bothered-me-most-was-t_2619329.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/albert-camus-47_bothered_so-the-thing-that-bothered-me-most-was-t_2619329.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/albert-camus-47_bothered_so-the-thing-that-bothered-me-most-was-t_2619329.jpg) > “So the thing that bothered me most was that the condemned man had to hope the machine would work the first time.” [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. Hope in a system can be futile when the system is inherently unreliable. **In simple terms:** Hope may be misplaced. Key Takeaway Question the reliability of the structures you trust. Themes existentialism hope justice Mood skeptical reflective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - legal trials - technological reliance - medical procedures Key Concepts absurdism human condition Questions to Reflect On - What systems do you trust without question? - How can you prepare for failure? A Different Perspective Blind hope can lead to disappointment if not tempered with realism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bothered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bothered/) [Bothered Condemned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bothered-condemned-2097070/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Condemned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condemned/) [Condemned Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/condemned-man-384162/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Hope Machine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope-machine-612940/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Thing Bothered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-bothered-1318101/) ## Related quotes > [She realized all at once the deeper thing that bothered her, the thing that made him not just irritating but intolerable: how he kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/she-realized-all-at-once-the-deeper-thing-that-bothered-her-the-thing/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [The thing that bothered me when I was in college was that I saw myself rejecting the way of life that got me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-thomas/the-thing-that-bothered-me-when-i-was-in-college-was-that-i-saw/) [Clarence Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-thomas/) > [The make up took about an hour to put on, but the wig was a thing that bothered me more than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/the-make-up-took-about-an-hour-to-put-on-but-the-wig-was-a-thing-that/) [Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/) > [“In the darkest region of the political field the condemned man represents the symmetrical, inverted figure of the king.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/in-the-darkest-region-of-the-political-field-the-condemned-man/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [The unknown future rolls toward us. 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One thing that bothered me, I would go on Twitter, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-huerter/there-are-a-lot-of-different-things-that-i-just-played-through-one/) [Kevin Huerter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-huerter/) > [We are condemned to live together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-are-condemned-to-live-together/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“We are like he who the gods have condemned to push the boulder up the hill only to watch it roll back down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/we-are-like-he-who-the-gods-have-condemned-to-push-the-boulder-up-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [What would become of the world if the condemned started to confide their heartaches to the executioners?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/what-would-become-of-the-world-if-the-condemned-started-to-confide/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“He had awakened at five that morning, as the condemned man awakens at dawn on the day of his execution,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-had-awakened-at-five-that-morning-as-the-condemned-man-awakens-at/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-intelligent-man-who-is-proud-of-his-intelligence-is-like-the/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) ## 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 Bothered quotes > [Life is such unutterable hell, solely because it is sometimes beautiful. If we could only be miserable all the time, if there could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-such-unutterable-hell-solely-because-it-is-sometimes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never bothered about keeping track.Every now and then someone records one of my songs, and I get credit for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-never-bothered-about-keeping-track-every-now-and-then-someone/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [Right, and you point out something important which is that people who don’t want to pay, people who are pirates, don’t get bothered by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/right-and-you-point-out-something-important-which-is-that-people-who/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) > [He went to Paris looking for answers to questions that bothered him so. He was impressive, young and aggressive, saving the world on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/he-went-to-paris-looking-for-answers-to-questions-that-bothered-him/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) > [Many people think of me as a perfectionist, someone who polishes and shines each song and performance. I've always been bothered by that assumption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-collins/many-people-think-of-me-as-a-perfectionist-someone-who-polishes-and/) [Phil Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-collins/) > [People think unless you have loops and electronics and so on, you must be in your 50s. I quite like a lot of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-thompson/people-think-unless-you-have-loops-and-electronics-and-so-on-you-must/) [Teddy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-thompson/) > [When your house is on fire, you cant be bothered with the neighbors. 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It's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/to-combat-social-awkwardness-i-would-just-act-like-i-couldn-t-be/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Quietly, President Obama has done warrantless wire tapping. And it was hardly covered. I don't know if any of the mainstream press bothered to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/quietly-president-obama-has-done-warrantless-wire-tapping-and-it-was/) [Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/) > [“I'm sorry I bothered you, Susan. I'm just having a tough time. That's all. Have a good one," I said and walked away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-m-sorry-i-bothered-you-susan-i-m-just-having-a-tough-time-that-s/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I'm not bothered by the idea of getting old, or I guess you could say by having arrived at old. 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I ain't doing nothing cause I ain't bothered.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-tate/am-i-bothered-am-i-bothered-though-i-ain-t-doing-nothing-cause-i-ain/) [Catherine Tate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-tate/) [Browse all 599 Bothered quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bothered/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So the thing that bothered me most was that the condemned man had to hope the machine would work the first time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Albert Camus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/so-the-thing-that-bothered-me-most-was-that-the-condemned-man-had-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bothered" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/so-the-thing-that-bothered-me-most-was-that-the-condemned-man-had-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/albert-camus-47_bothered_so-the-thing-that-bothered-me-most-was-t_2619329.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/albert-camus-47_bothered_so-the-thing-that-bothered-me-most-was-t_2619329.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e34/albert-camus-47_bothered_so-the-thing-that-bothered-me-most-was-t_2619329.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“So the thing that bothered me most was that the condemned man had to hope the machine would work the first…” — 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": "So the thing that bothered me...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/so-the-thing-that-bothered-me-most-was-that-the-condemned-man-had-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/so-the-thing-that-bothered-me-most-was-that-the-condemned-man-had-to/#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 } } ] } ```