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Cioran's Paradox

 "Existence has no meaning, and this is meaningful."

This is the sum and essence of Emil Cioran's paradox. He was a Romanian writer and philosopher who is known for his intensely pessimistic reflections on human existence. His works seek to question and defy all that is conventional in society. One of the recurring themes in Cioran's writing is the concept of 'lucid despair.' He argues that facing the reality of human existence without delusion or false hope is the only real response to life's inherent absurdity and suffering.

Yes, hope is the one thing that keeps all of us going. As human beings, it's normal to have hope, even if it is so very little in many difficult situations. But to hold out hope is to be crushed under the expectation of it. To make meaning out of everything and anything and to treat it all as a sign makes a disappointment out of every situation when it doesn't meet our expectations. This proves that existence has no meaning at all and to hold out for that is stupidly human. But that's exactly what is meaningful. Confusing, yes- but true. The fact that I'm just one out of the sixty people in my class or just one out of the eight billion people on this planet reduces my existence down to the size of an atom in comparison with the entirety of it all but at the same time, it makes it all endurable because my actions are only effective on a miniscule level. If I hold up the notion that every single thing I do causes much significance in the course of my life and of others' lives, then I'm just making a delusion out of it all. Because it doesn't- for most parts at least. In Cioran's view, embracing despair is a way to attain a higher level of consciousness and achieve a semblance of freedom from the illusions that bind us.

"On the heights of despair, the passion for the absurd is the only one shedding some demonic light on chaos. When none of our present ideals – moral, aesthetic, religious, social etc. – can orient our life towards an ultimate aim, how can life maintain itself and not become nothingness? Only by relating to the absurd, by love for the absolute futility, that is, for something that cannot take shape but which, by its very fiction, can create the illusion of life." - (E.C)

It's only when you're aware of the absurdity of existence and have made peace with this notion that you can make peace with yourself and with life. According to Cioran, the existence of every person is, by its very insignificance, a proof of the existence of the absurd.

"The fact that I exist proves that the world has no meaning. How can I find meaning in the problems of one person, infinitely tragic and unhappy, for whom everything is eventually reduced to nothingness and for whom the law of this world is pain?" -(E.C)

As I don't want to complicate this paradox anymore, I'll just end with one more quote of his that underlines this belief-

"The fact that life has no meaning is a reason to live --moreover, the only one."

 



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