Camus Quote by Sacha Hartgers
““Albert Camus did not know he was summing up modern photojournalism when he wrote:"Will I kill myself or have a cup of coffee””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast "The Art of Thinking Clearly", 2020
Camus unintentionally captured modern photojournalism’s existential dilemma of life and death choices.
In simple terms: Camus captured photojournalism’s existential dilemma.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge the gravity in everyday choices.
Themes
existentialism
photojournalism
modern media
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
literary
observational
When to use this quote
- news reporting
- personal decision making
- artistic expression
Key Concepts
meaning of life
ethical reporting
personal crisis
Questions to Reflect On
- Does this framing affect how you view daily decisions?
- What does “kill myself” symbolize in mundane contexts?
A Different Perspective
The quote may overstate Camus’s intent.
![“It's true that women appear very little in [Albert Camus] works. They have a very marginal place.” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/34e/catherine-camus-12238_littles_it-s-true-that-women-appear-very-little_1011183.jpg)
![“Where [Albert Camus] is in exile isn't especially in Paris or elsewhere, but from the intellectual world, because of his origins.” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c3d/catherine-camus-12238_camus_where-albert-camus-is-in-exile-isn-t-esp_787803.jpg)
![“[Albert] Camus' was born in Algeria of French nationality, and was assimilated into the French colony, although the French colonists rejected him absolutely because of his poverty.” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f43/catherine-camus-12238_algeria_albert-camus-was-born-in-algeria-of-fren_628933.jpg)
![“[Albert Camus] was not an existentialist!” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f71/catherine-camus-12238_albert_albert-camus-was-not-an-existentialist-5_524863.jpg)
![“We can't talk about the book [Albert Camus] wanted to write because we have barely its beginnings. He had written hardly any of it, but he needed to write it. It seems to me that if you look at the style of The First Man it conforms much more to who he was as a man, it resembles him very closely.” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/982/catherine-camus-12238_book_we-can-t-talk-about-the-book-albert-camu_131209.jpg)
![“I couldn't ever act or think on behalf of what my father [[Albert Camus]] would have said or done. He's an artist, he considers himself an artist, and so he takes on the responsibility of speaking for those who are not given the means or the opportunity.” quote by Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/872/catherine-camus-12238_art_i-couldn-t-ever-act-or-think-on-behalf-o_48718.jpg)
