--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To stay or to go, it amounted to the same…" description: "\"To stay or to go, it amounted to the same thing.\" — Albert Camus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/albert-camus-47_stay_to-stay-or-to-go-it-amounted-to-the-same_301533.jpg" --- # To stay or to go, it amounted to the same thing. ![“To stay or to go, it amounted to the same thing.” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/albert-camus-47_stay_to-stay-or-to-go-it-amounted-to-the-same_301533.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/albert-camus-47_stay_to-stay-or-to-go-it-amounted-to-the-same_301533.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/albert-camus-47_stay_to-stay-or-to-go-it-amounted-to-the-same_301533.jpg) > “To stay or to go, it amounted to the same thing.” [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 choice between staying or leaving is ultimately irrelevant because both lead to the same outcome. **In simple terms:** Staying or leaving makes no difference. Key Takeaway Accept the futility of the decision. Themes existentialism choice absurdity Mood reflective melancholic Type philosophical existential When to use this quote - personal relationships - career moves - migration - political exile Key Concepts free will determinism Questions to Reflect On - Does the perception of futility affect your choices? - Can meaning be created despite absurdity? A Different Perspective May overlook the impact of agency and responsibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amounted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amounted-1247918/) [Amounted Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amounted-thing-2879872/) [Stay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay/) [Stay Amounted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-amounted-2879871/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) ## Related quotes > [“What was meaningful? What was meaningless? What did it mean, to amount to something? What type of life, was worth living? Was it better,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/what-was-meaningful-what-was-meaningless-what-did-it-mean-to-amount/) [T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/) > [“Sex and a cocktail: they both lasted about as long, had the same effect, and amounted to about the same thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/sex-and-a-cocktail-they-both-lasted-about-as-long-had-the-same-effect-2/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [“Sex and a cocktail: they both lasted about as long, had the same effect, and amounted to the same thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence-2/sex-and-a-cocktail-they-both-lasted-about-as-long-had-the-same-effect/) [D.H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence-2/) > [The most important thing to do as you age is to stay physically active. Lots of people just throw in the towel if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/the-most-important-thing-to-do-as-you-age-is-to-stay-physically/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [In the end, the whole Internet thing kills me, because you can use it as a positive thing or you can read into all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/in-the-end-the-whole-internet-thing-kills-me-because-you-can-use-it/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [I think that's what makes a successful marriage: a mindful sense of self and the ability to make clear choices to stay together or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/i-think-that-s-what-makes-a-successful-marriage-a-mindful-sense-of/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) > [Instincts are a really important guide for any artist, but particularly filmmakers because it takes a lot to stay true to your instincts as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/instincts-are-a-really-important-guide-for-any-artist-but/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [I'm like my zombies. I won't stay dead!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-romero/i-m-like-my-zombies-i-won-t-stay-dead/) [George A. Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-romero/) > [I've never been one to stay in a complacent place where I just let the grass grow around me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-lawrence/i-ve-never-been-one-to-stay-in-a-complacent-place-where-i-just-let/) [Tracy Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-lawrence/) > [I can get runs much faster if I stay there in the middle to give bowlers more time and cushion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-l-rahul/i-can-get-runs-much-faster-if-i-stay-there-in-the-middle-to-give/) [K. L. Rahul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-l-rahul/) > [Certainly the most requested song in performance is 'Love is Here to Stay,' and that is a favorite for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-feinstein/certainly-the-most-requested-song-in-performance-is-love-is-here-to/) [Michael Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-feinstein/) > [I'm going to stay on stage until I drop dead. Then I'm going to have myself stuffed, like Trigger, and I'm going to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-m-going-to-stay-on-stage-until-i-drop-dead-then-i-m-going-to-have/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [You just have to stay humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-jackson/you-just-have-to-stay-humble/) [Lamar Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-jackson/) ## 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 Stay quotes > [You just have to stay humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-jackson/you-just-have-to-stay-humble/) [Lamar Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-jackson/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I'm going to stay on stage until I drop dead. Then I'm going to have myself stuffed, like Trigger, and I'm going to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-m-going-to-stay-on-stage-until-i-drop-dead-then-i-m-going-to-have/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [Certainly the most requested song in performance is 'Love is Here to Stay,' and that is a favorite for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-feinstein/certainly-the-most-requested-song-in-performance-is-love-is-here-to/) [Michael Feinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-feinstein/) > [I can get runs much faster if I stay there in the middle to give bowlers more time and cushion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-l-rahul/i-can-get-runs-much-faster-if-i-stay-there-in-the-middle-to-give/) [K. L. Rahul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-l-rahul/) > [I've never been one to stay in a complacent place where I just let the grass grow around me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-lawrence/i-ve-never-been-one-to-stay-in-a-complacent-place-where-i-just-let/) [Tracy Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-lawrence/) > [I'm like my zombies. I won't stay dead!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-romero/i-m-like-my-zombies-i-won-t-stay-dead/) [George A. Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-romero/) > [Instincts are a really important guide for any artist, but particularly filmmakers because it takes a lot to stay true to your instincts as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/instincts-are-a-really-important-guide-for-any-artist-but/) [Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/) > [I think that's what makes a successful marriage: a mindful sense of self and the ability to make clear choices to stay together or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/i-think-that-s-what-makes-a-successful-marriage-a-mindful-sense-of/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) > [Unless there was a reason for me to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/unless-there-was-a-reason-for-me-to-stay/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I'm here to win fights and I'm here to stay in the UFC for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin-gastelum/i-m-here-to-win-fights-and-i-m-here-to-stay-in-the-ufc-for-a-long-time/) [Kelvin Gastelum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin-gastelum/) > [It's always in the back of your mind that you want to stay at United, and you want to play for United.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-lingard/it-s-always-in-the-back-of-your-mind-that-you-want-to-stay-at-united/) [Jesse Lingard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-lingard/) > [You want to stay even-keel. When you get too high, when you get too low, that's when things tend to go wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-marchand/you-want-to-stay-even-keel-when-you-get-too-high-when-you-get-too-low/) [Brad Marchand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-marchand/) > [When people walk away from you, let them go. You're destiny is never tied to anyone who leaves you, and it doesn't mean they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-people-walk-away-from-you-let-them-go-you-re-destiny-is-never/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,540 Stay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To stay or to go, it amounted to the same thing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Albert Camus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/to-stay-or-to-go-it-amounted-to-the-same-thing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Stay" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/to-stay-or-to-go-it-amounted-to-the-same-thing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/albert-camus-47_stay_to-stay-or-to-go-it-amounted-to-the-same_301533.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/albert-camus-47_stay_to-stay-or-to-go-it-amounted-to-the-same_301533.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fb/albert-camus-47_stay_to-stay-or-to-go-it-amounted-to-the-same_301533.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To stay or to go, it amounted to the same thing.” — 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": "To stay or to go, it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/to-stay-or-to-go-it-amounted-to-the-same-thing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/to-stay-or-to-go-it-amounted-to-the-same-thing/#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 } } ] } ```