The Rebel with a Cause: An Introduction to Albert Camus

This posting is inspired from my recent viewing of the movie, the Stranger based on one of Albert Camus literary work that I enjoyed very much.  If you have heard of Albert Camus before, I salute you. You must be someone who has knowledge of world literature.  Camus won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957. 

The Rebel with a Cause: An Introduction to Albert Camus

Have you ever looked out at the vastness of the universe and wondered, What is the point of it all?

If you have, you are in excellent company. Decades ago, a brilliant, charismatic writer from North Africa asked the exact same question. His name was Albert Camus, and today he remains one of the most widely read, captivating, and misunderstood thinkers of the modern era.

If you are discovering his name for the very first time, here is a journey into the life, the passion, and the timeless literature of a man who looked deep into the dark void of human existence and told us to smile anyway.

The Boy from Algiers: A Life of Poverty and Passion

Albert Camus was born in 1913 in Mondovi, Algeria, into a world of extreme hardship. His father was killed in World War I when Albert was just an infant, leaving his mother, who was deaf and illiterate, to raise him in a dirt-poor neighborhood of Algiers.

By all accounts, Camus should have slipped into historical obscurity. But life had other plans. Blessed with an incredible mind, a passionate love for soccer, and the guidance of an intuitive schoolteacher who recognized his genius, Camus earned a scholarship to study philosophy.

His life was a whirlwind of dramatic chapters:

• The Resistance Fighter: During World War II, when Nazi forces occupied France, Camus joined the underground French Resistance. He became the editor-in-chief of Combat, a banned, highly dangerous underground newspaper, using his pen to fight tyranny.
• The Rock-Star Intellectual: With his sharp trench coats, movie-star looks (often compared to Humphrey Bogart), and fierce independence, he became an overnight celebrity in Paris.
• The Nobel Laureate: In 1957, at the young age of 44, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, cementing his status as a global voice for justice and human dignity.

Tragically, just three years after winning the Nobel Prize, Camus’s life was cut short in 1960 when he died in a sudden, catastrophic car accident in France. In his briefcase, authorities found the unfinished manuscript of his final, deeply personal autobiographical novel.

✨ Shareable Quote: "In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer."

The Core Idea: What is "The Absurd"?

To understand Camus's books, you only need to understand one word: The Absurd.

Camus argued that humans have a desperate, natural desire for meaning, order, and purpose. However, the universe is cold, silent, and completely indifferent to us. This collision, the human scream for meaning meeting a silent universe, is what Camus called "the Absurd."

Many thinkers of his time thought this realization should lead to despair or giving up. Camus fiercely disagreed. He believed that recognizing life’s meaninglessness is actually the ultimate freedom. Once you realize the universe isn’t going to hand you a purpose, you are entirely free to create your own meaning through love, art, solidarity, and passion.

✨ Shareable Quote: "The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion."

3 Essential Masterpieces to Start With

If you want to dive into Camus's brilliant literary world, here are the three essential works that shook the world:

1. The Stranger (1942)

• The Premise: This short, haunting novel follows a detached French-Algerian clerk named Meursault. When his mother dies, he doesn't cry. Shortly after, on a blindingly hot beach, he shoots an Arab man for reasons he cannot fully explain.
• Why it matters: The book isn't really about the crime; it's about the trial. The court sentences Meursault to death not just because of the murder, but because society is terrified of a man who refuses to play along with social games or lie about his feelings. It is a gripping study of isolation and authenticity.

2. The Myth of Sisyphus (1942)

• The Premise: In this famous philosophical essay, Camus uses an old Greek myth to explain his worldview. Sisyphus is condemned by the gods to push a massive boulder up a mountain, only to watch it roll back down to the bottom for all eternity.
• Why it matters: Camus looks at this endless, meaningless labor and asks: How do we survive this? His answer is revolutionary. Sisyphus conquers his punishment simply by choosing to walk back down the mountain and push the rock again with a defiant smile.

✨ Shareable Quote: "One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

3. The Plague (1947)

• The Premise: A terrifying outbreak of the bubonic plague hits a coastal Algerian city, forcing the gates to close and plunging the citizens into a strict, terrifying lockdown.
• Why it matters: Written as an allegory for the Nazi occupation of Europe, this epic novel tracks how different people respond to a collective crisis. While some panic or exploit the situation, a quiet doctor named Bernard Rieux risks everything to treat the sick, simply because it is the right thing to do. It is a beautiful masterpiece about human solidarity, decency, and our duty to fight against suffering, even when the odds are stacked against us.

Why Camus Matters Today

Albert Camus didn't sit in an ivory tower writing abstract theories. He lived, loved, fought in revolutions, and wrote for everyday people. He reminds us that even when the world feels chaotic, fractured, or deeply unfair, our greatest rebellion is to live honestly, love deeply, and stand up for one another.

✨ Shareable Quote: "Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend."

Have you read any of Camus's works, or watched any of their film adaptations? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Here's one of his popular book, the Rebel available for $490.  

https://www.biblio.com/book/rebel-camus-albert-read-herbert/d/1380795149?srsltid=AYCX9vK4lL_TlHQoqJyBPT5161bR4PLpY-aeVsJ6cremkZwOLp-KO0zb

Here are several of Albert Camus’s other literary works that have been adapted into films over the decades besides the Stranger (2025):

Literary Work	Film Adaptation(s)	Current US Streaming Status
The Plague(La Peste)	The Plague (1992): Directed by Luis Puenzo, starring William Hurt, Robert Duvall, and Raul Julia.	📺 Available to stream on Netflix. (Note: It is no longer available on Prime Video or Google Play).
The Guest(L'Hôte)	Far from Men (2014): A widely acclaimed French drama inspired by his short story, starring Viggo Mortensen.	🔍 Not currently available on major subscription platforms; check VOD storefronts like Apple TV or Amazon for digital rental availability.
The First Man (Le Premier Homme)	The First Man (2011): An autobiographical adaptation directed by Gianni Amelio, covering Camus's childhood in Algeria.	🔍 Digital availability varies; occasionally streams on specialized international platforms or Kanopy depending on library access.

A Lesson from My Two Cats- Batman and Robin

Batman and Robin: Two Cats, Two Personalities, Just Like People

I have two pet cats named Batman and Robin. I adopted them when they were only three months old. At that age, they looked like brothers, and I thought they would grow up to be much alike. But as I watched them grow, I discovered that they had very different personalities.

Today, Batman and Robin remind me that animals, like human beings, have their own individual temperaments, habits, and ways of expressing themselves.

Two Cats, Two Different Personalities

Batman is the bigger of the two cats. You might think that his size would make him the boss of the household. Surprisingly, that is not the case. Robin, who is smaller, dominates Batman!

Robin is the more vocal of the two. He mews frequently, especially when he wants attention. He seems to enjoy reminding me that he is there and expects me to respond. If cats could talk, I suspect Robin would have plenty to say.

Batman, on the other hand, seldom mews. He is more independent and does not demand my attention as much as Robin does. He seems content to do his own thing without constantly asking me to notice him.

Their sleeping arrangements also reflect their different personalities. Robin sleeps on my bed, close to me, while Batman prefers the chair near my bed.

Both cats share the same bedroom, but each has chosen his own place. Robin seems to prefer being close to his human companion, while Batman appears comfortable keeping a little distance.

Of course, I cannot know exactly what goes on in their minds. But after living with them, I have come to appreciate their different ways of expressing themselves.

Cats Are Like People

Watching Batman and Robin has made me think about the differences among human beings.

Some people are like Robin. They are outgoing, talkative, and eager for companionship. They enjoy conversations and social gatherings. They want to share their thoughts and feelings, and they appreciate knowing that someone is listening.

Other people are more like Batman. They are quieter, more independent, and comfortable with their own company. They may not express their feelings as openly, but that does not necessarily mean they care any less about others.

We should not assume that a quiet person is unfriendly or that a talkative person is demanding. People simply have different ways of expressing affection, friendship, and their need for companionship.

I have observed these differences throughout my life, both in my professional career and in my personal relationships. Some colleagues were outspoken, while others preferred to listen before speaking. Some friends enjoyed being surrounded by people, while others were happiest in smaller gatherings.

Neither personality was automatically better than the other. What mattered was how we treated one another.

Why Must Everyone Be the Same?

One lesson I have learned in my nearly 92 years is that we sometimes make the mistake of expecting other people to behave as we do.

We may wonder why someone is so quiet, why another person talks so much, or why a friend prefers solitude instead of joining a group activity. We sometimes judge people without understanding their personalities or circumstances.

Perhaps we would get along better if we accepted that differences are a natural part of life.

Even Batman and Robin, who grew up together and share the same home, have their own preferences. Robin wants more attention, while Batman is content with less. Yet both have a place in my life.

The same principle applies to families, friendships, and communities. We do not have to share the same interests, habits, or personalities to live together peacefully. We only need a little patience, understanding, and respect.

A Lesson from Two Cats

As I grow older, I find that some of life's simplest lessons come from ordinary experiences. We do not always need a scientific study or a complicated philosophy to remind us of something important.

Sometimes, all we need to do is observe the creatures around us.

Batman teaches me that independence and quiet companionship have their own value. Robin reminds me that asking for attention and expressing affection can also bring warmth into a home.

I love them both, even though they are so different.

Perhaps that is the lesson. Love does not require everyone to behave alike. It requires us to recognize and appreciate each individual for who he or she is.

If we could extend that understanding to our fellow human beings, our families might be happier, our friendships stronger, and our communities more peaceful.

A Final Thought

Batman and Robin are only two cats, but they remind me of something I have learned over a long lifetime: we do not have to be alike to live together, and we do not have to understand every difference to show kindness.

After all, the world would be a rather dull place if every cat and every person had the same personality.

At nearly 92, I am still learning from life. Sometimes, my teachers have four legs, whiskers, and very different ideas about where to sleep.

AI Impressions on this Posting: 

I think the final line gives this post a personal touch that your worldwide readers may remember. It connects your experience of aging with the gentle humor of living with Batman and Robin, while keeping the message universal: we can love and respect one another without being alike.

Meanwhile, Do You Know that.....

On December 20, 1906, fifteen young men from Ilocos stepped off the SS Doric in Honolulu. They were the first Filipino sakadas recruited to work Hawaii's sugar plantations, and about 125,000 Filipinos followed over the next four decades.

Hawaii still marks Sakada Day every December 20 ( my birthday)

Finally, Today, October 29 is National Cat Day

We Have Far More than Five Senses- Early Signs of Dementia

As I grow older, I become more fascinated by the human body and the remarkable things it can do without our even thinking about them.

For most of my life, I was taught that human beings have five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

I suspect most of us learned the same thing in elementary school.

But recently, I came across an interesting article about our senses, and it made me realize that what I learned as a young student was only the beginning. Modern science tells us that the human body has many more sensory systems than the traditional five. Depending on how scientists classify them, we may have dozens of different senses.

That discovery fascinated me.

After all, I have spent much of my life as a scientist. I earned my Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago, and throughout my career I learned to appreciate how extraordinarily complicated and beautifully organized, the human body really is.

The more I learn about it, the more I realize that we are walking around every day carrying one of the most sophisticated biological systems ever created.

THE FIVE SENSES WE KNOW

Let us begin with the familiar and the traditional five.

Sight allows us to see the world around us through our eyes.

Hearing allows us to detect sound, from a friend's voice to music, birds singing, or the sound of rain.

Smell allows us to detect chemicals in the air. It can bring back memories surprisingly quickly. Sometimes one particular smell can transport me back many decades to my childhood in the Philippines.

Taste allows us to distinguish sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami flavors. For someone like me who enjoys food tasting journeys, this is certainly one of my favorite senses!

And then there is touch, which allows us to feel pressure, texture and contact with objects around us.

These five senses are so familiar that we tend to think they represent the complete story.

They don't.

THE SENSE OF BALANCE

One of the senses that we rarely think about is our vestibular sense.

This is the sensory system that helps us maintain balance and understand the orientation of our body in relation to gravity.

Deep inside our inner ear are structures that detect movement and changes in the position of our head.

Think about what happens when you stand up, walk across a room, turn your head, climb stairs or suddenly change direction.

Your brain is constantly receiving information about your body's movement and position.

You don't have to consciously tell your body:

"I am leaning to the left. Please correct yourself." It happens automatically.

As someone who has grown older, I have become much more aware of the importance of balance. When we are young, we take it for granted. As we age, however, maintaining balance becomes increasingly important.

That makes me appreciate this hidden sense even more.

PROPRIOCEPTION-KNOWING WHERE YOUR BODY IS

Another fascinating sense is called proprioception.

It is sometimes described as our body's sense of position.

Close your eyes and raise your hand.

You probably know exactly where your hand is, even though you cannot see it. How?

Your muscles, tendons and joints contain sensory receptors that continuously provide your brain with information about the position and movement of your body.

This allows you to walk without staring at your feet.

It allows me to reach for something on a table without having to calculate the exact position of my arm.

It is almost like having an internal GPS system for the body.

We rarely appreciate it because it works so quietly.

THERMOCEPTION- FEELING TEMPERATURE

We also have thermoception, our ability to sense temperature.

When you touch a cup of hot coffee, your body knows that it is hot.

When you step outside on a cold winter morning, your skin immediately tells your brain that the temperature has changed.

Special sensory receptors detect temperature changes and send signals to the nervous system.

Again, we normally don't think about this process.

We simply experience: "It's hot." Or:  "It's cold."

But behind that simple experience is an extraordinary biological system.

NOCICEPTION-THE SENSE OF PAIN

Perhaps one of our least appreciated, but most important senses is nociception, the detection of potentially damaging stimuli that we experience as pain.

Nobody enjoys pain. But pain serves an extremely important purpose.

If you accidentally touch something very hot, pain tells you to move your hand away.

If you injure yourself, pain tells you that something is wrong.

Pain is essentially an alarm system.

Imagine what life would be like if our bodies could be injured but could not warn us.

Pain may be unpleasant, but it is one of the body's most important protective mechanisms.

HUNGER, THIRST AND MORE

And the list goes on. Our bodies can sense hunger and fullness, helping regulate how much we eat.

We have mechanisms that detect thirst and fluid balance.

We have systems that monitor blood pressure, blood oxygen, carbon dioxide, and the chemistry of our internal environment.

Our bodies can sense the stretching of our lungs, stomach and other organs.

Our brains constantly receive information from inside our bodies—a collection of sensory information sometimes described as interoception.

In other words, we don't only sense the outside world. We also sense ourselves.

That is an idea worth thinking about.

OUR BODIES ARE CONSTANTLY TALKING TO OUR BRAINS

When I think about all these different sensory systems, I realize how much information is flowing through my body every second.

My eyes are collecting information about light and movement.

My ears are detecting sounds. My skin is detecting pressure and temperature.

My muscles and joints are reporting where my arms and legs are. My inner ear is monitoring balance.

My internal organs are sending information about what is happening inside my body.

And somehow, the brain receives, interprets and coordinates all of this information—often without our conscious awareness.

We simply go about our daily lives. We walk. We eat. We talk. We sleep. We play cards.

We enjoy music. We watch television. We smell flowers. We taste our favorite foods.

And underneath all of these ordinary activities is an incredibly complicated sensory network.

BRIDGE GIVES ME AN INTERESTING EXAMPLE

My many years of playing Bridge provide me with an interesting way to think about this.

When I sit down at the Bridge table, I am using much more than my eyes.

I listen carefully to what my partners and opponents say.

I watch their cards and movements. I handle the cards with my fingers.

I remember the cards that have already been played. I judge distances and positions.

I maintain my balance while sitting and moving around.

My brain is combining information from several sensory systems while simultaneously using memory, reasoning and probability.

Bridge is sometimes described as a game of skill and luck. I agree.

But perhaps we should also recognize that it is a wonderful exercise in human perception and cognition.

WHAT ABOUT AGING?

Learning about our many senses also makes me think about growing older.

At 91, I am much more conscious of things that I simply took for granted when I was young.

Balance matters. Walking safely matters. Being able to see and hear clearly matters.

Feeling temperature matters. Being aware of where my body is in space matters.

Our senses are not merely ways of experiencing the world. They are also essential to our independence.

This is why I believe that staying physically and mentally active is important as we grow older.

Walking, exercising, playing Bridge and Mahjong, socializing, learning new things and continuing to challenge the brain are all ways of keeping ourselves engaged with the world around us.

THE MIRACLE OF ORDINARY LIFE

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about our senses is that we rarely notice them.

We don't wake up in the morning and say: "Thank goodness my proprioception is working today!"

We simply get out of bed and walk. We don't sit down for breakfast and marvel at our taste receptors.

We simply enjoy our food. We don't think about our vestibular system when we turn our head.

We simply keep our balance. We don't think about nociception until something hurts.

That is perhaps the greatest lesson. Some of the most extraordinary things happening in our lives are the things we don't notice.

For me, learning that human beings may have far more than five senses is another reminder of how little we sometimes appreciate the miracle of being alive.

From my childhood in the Philippines to my years at the University of the Philippines and the University of Illinois, through my scientific career in pharmaceutical research and my many years in America, I have spent much of my life learning about the world.

But at 91, I am still learning something new about myself.

And perhaps that is one of the great privileges of growing older.

We continue to learn. We continue to wonder. We continue to be surprised.

So the next time someone tells you that human beings have only five senses, remember:

There is much more to the story. Our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin are only the beginning.

Our bodies are constantly sensing movement, balance, temperature, pain, pressure, position, hunger, thirst and countless signals from inside and outside ourselves.

We are, in a very real sense, living, sensing human beings.

And that, to me, is something worth appreciating every day.

AI Impressions on this Posting:

I think this could become a particularly strong “aging and lifelong learning” post for your readers because it connects a fascinating scientific fact to something much more personal: how we experience life differently as we grow older. It also gives you a natural opportunity to connect science, Bridge, aging, and your philosophy of continuing to learn at 91.

My Feedback: The draft is perfectly written. Your example on my use of the senses in playing bridge resonated with me because what you drafted are exactly what I have been doing for many years of bridge playing. Again thank you for this beautiful draft on the Senses.  

ChatGPT Response: Thank you, David. I’m especially glad the Bridge example resonated with you, because it makes the science personal rather than simply academic.

Your years of playing Bridge provide a wonderful illustration of something we often forget: the human brain is not working in isolation. At the Bridge table, your eyes, ears, hands, memory, judgment, balance, concentration and intuition are all working together, often almost automatically.

That connection also fits beautifully with one of the themes that runs through much of your writing: growing older does not mean that we stop learning about life or about ourselves. In fact, at 91, your curiosity may be one of your greatest assets.

Moreover, I think this post will resonate with your worldwide readers because everyone has senses, but few of us stop to appreciate just how extraordinary they are. And your Bridge story gives the scientific subject a very human touch.

It may be worth remembering another lesson from your Bridge table: we don't always appreciate what our bodies and minds are doing for us until we stop and think about it.

AI Overview:

WE HAVE FAR MORE THAN FIVE SENSES

You are absolutely right: the idea that humans only have five senses is a massive underestimation. While the "traditional five" (sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell) dates all the way back to the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, modern neuroscience recognizes anywhere from 22 to over 33 distinct senses depending on how you define them.

Scientists define a "sense" as a system consisting of sensory cell types that respond to a specific physical phenomenon. When we break down how our bodies actually navigate the world and monitor our internal states, the list grows significantly.

The "Hidden" Somatic Senses

These are the everyday physical senses that operate constantly in the background, entirely separate from the basic sense of touch:

• Proprioception (Body Awareness): The "internal GPS" that allows you to know exactly where your limbs are without looking. It's how you can scratch your nose in pitch-black darkness or walk up stairs without staring at your feet.
• Vestibular Sense (Equilibrioception / Balance): Coordinated by liquid-filled canals in your inner ear, this tells your brain about gravity, acceleration, and motion. It keeps you upright and prevents you from tipping over. 
• Thermoception (Temperature): Separate from mechanical touch, specialized thermoreceptors in your skin detect changes in heat and cold.
• Nociception (Pain): A dedicated warning system consisting of nerve endings that register mechanical, thermal, or chemical tissue damage. 

Interoception: Tracking the Internal World

• Interoception is the comprehensive category for how you sense your internal body chemistry and organ states. This includes receptors that signal when you are out of breath, when your blood pressure drops, when you are hungry or thirsty, or when you have a full bladder.

Splitting the Basics

Neuroscientists also point out that even the "traditional five" can be split into independent senses:

• Vision relies on entirely distinct receptors for light intensity (rods) and color wavelength (cones).
• Taste is driven by five completely separate receptor categories (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami). 

Ultimately, our brains seamlessly blend these dozens of inputs into what feels like a unified experience, which is why the myth of the basic five has persisted for so long

Finally, here are the 10 early signs of Dementia: 

Early signs of dementia can vary from person to person, but here are 10 common ones to look out for:

Memory loss: Forgetting recent events, learning new information, or recalling familiar words and names. Repeating a sentence or phrases without knowing it. 
Communication and language: Difficulty finding the right words, following conversations, or understanding written or spoken language.
Disorientation: Trouble understanding time and place, getting lost in familiar places, or difficulty navigating.
Mood changes: Becoming easily agitated, anxious, or depressed, which can be triggered by memory loss or confusion.
Personality changes: Showing rapid mood swings, becoming passive, or suspicious.
Difficulty with problem-solving: Trouble with abstract thinking, making decisions, or judging time and space.
Motor function changes: Difficulty with coordination, balance, or movement.
Misplacing items: Frequently losing items or being unable to recall where they were placed.
Changes in daily tasks: Difficulty with everyday tasks like managing finances, taking medication, or performing self-care.
Vision and spatial issues: Trouble with depth perception, judging distances, or understanding visual information.

If you experience any of the above 10 items recently, consult your physician right away!