Final answer:
Alain de Botton's phrase about straining backs while carving beams signifies personal dedication to creating beauty, reflecting the workmanship and pursuit of fine details that contribute to a collective cultural legacy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alain de Botton's reference to "people have strained their backs carving flowers into their roof beams" underscores the intense dedication to detail and the work ethic in pursuit of beauty and perfection. This analogy points out how individuals invest great effort and suffer physical strain in the creation of artwork or cultural artifacts that others may overlook or take for granted. This act can be seen as a symbolic representation of personal contributions to a larger, intricately connected society. In carving these delicate details, there is an intimate manifestation of the individuals' sufferings and joys that contribute to a collective identity and cultural legacy. This is akin to the concepts presented by Camus, who speaks of solitary individuals whose actions every day counteract the 'crudest implications of history.'