Albert Camus' The Myth of Sysiphus tells the story of Sysiphus, punished by the gods, sent to the underworld to push a rock up a hill for all eternity.
SPOILERS!!
Aware that this will be his only purpose and action forever, he looks inside himself for a way to free his mind from the punishment. He decides that by "choosing" to push the rock up the hill– by finding enjoyment in his punishment and finding peace in the dependable and constant rock that will always fall back down for him to push back up– he frees himself from the gods' brutality, and mocks them openly in his newfound freedom to pursue a singular and clear purpose. He is eternally content, and happy; he will never have to strive for something better, or have a void to fill, or long for something more.
As I'm wading through a bitter ocean of this stress-pressure smoothie (do i taste ginger?), Sisyphus offers an interesting perspective on how to achieve happiness for myself, when trapped and forced to push a rock up a hill forever.
The problem though, is that it made me think of my life-long clamor and struggle for a better rock to push. I can deal with the four years in high school right now, cause I'm gonna go to college, which will make me happier. I realize that the happiness i'll feel when starting college will be quickly plateau, replaced by the longing for a job– and then I'm eternally fucked by the constant need to make more and more and more money. The difference between me and Sysiphus is that I'm living a life where I have a chase a bigger better high, instead of just pushing my rock. That's a punishment I can't flip the bird to my captors for, yet.
Just a thoughtski.
edit: I have so much to say in the comments but so little brain juice left to squeeze out for it. Damn you, Mr. Hegarty, God of the AP US History class, for punishing me to push my textbook into my brain for all eternity.
Am I right in saying this is drawing the parallel between ol' Sis in the first slide, and us in the second? also, dat v-taper
Sounds about right. Gamification is intriguing. People (myself included) will do boring stuff for hours if you give them meaningless progress indicators. Maybe that's another way of thinking about the moral: a key to happiness is making your own "progress indicators." Speaking from experience: money isn't worth it. Things won't make you happy. If you insist on workaholism, I suggest learning instead. Keep learning to excel in your field. It's a lot more fulfilling than just climbing the ladder. And brings more than enough money with it anyway, if you're in a STEM field. Also: I don't recommend workaholism.this is drawing the parallel between ol' Sis in the first slide, and us in the second
he looks inside himself for a way to free his mind from the punishment
the constant need to make more and more and more money
A couple quick responses: 1) It is possible to reach a state where you don't need "more and more and more" money. Once your basic needs are met the marginal utility of wealth decreases. This is usually the point where people stop talking about "money" and start talking about "capital." Many, many people never get there but the number isn't as high as most people think. As HL Mencken said, happiness is earning $100 more than your wife's sister's husband. 2) The main grind of high school is the near-total lack of determinism. You've gotten to pick what? 1, 2 electives each year? College is all electives which makes it suck a lot less, but you still have little control over the metrics by which you are judged. "Real life" is that much more; you're basically progressing from true/false to multiple choice to essay. You're also in the zone where every superior you meet wants to instill you with the notion that ZOMG if you fuck up now your life is over forever. Once you hit college that will be replaced with "go away kid you botha me." The time to stop thinking passively about it is now - high school is something that happens to you. College is something you do.
Myths can be best understood as models of the Subjective Unity. Sysiphus plays the 'subject' here so it is the 'subjective self'. (Not necessarily the 'ego'). His inward vision was 'fractured' (thus "gods"), he 'sinned', and is 'punished' by his fractured conception of the Reality. He toils like a hamster on an ever Turning Wheel and never 'arrives'. The moment 'he' realizes that there is only One GOD and that 'he', the 'rock', and the 'mountain' are all one, his nightmare will end.
I'd guess that this translation is at least many hundred years old, so I found it interesting how our contemporary usage of "screwed up" juxtaposes the other typically unfamiliar idioms and syntax....one sees the face screwed up...
Still it is pause-worthy to see the words of contemporary phrases used so.this translation is at least many hundred years old
Camus wrote The Myth of Sisyphus in 1942. The story of Sisyphus can be found in Homer and Ovid, but Camus's interpretation, translated here from the French, is most likely his own words.
Now that you mention it, it is considerably less cryptic than most translations of Greek "Classics"... I just hadn't had my coffee yet (my go to excuse). Thanks for setting the record straight, lil. :)
"I forgot." I have a notoriously terrible memory-- usually amongst friends (and even sometimes with teachers), those two words suffice to explain away my failings. The fun part is that 90% of the time, I actually did forget.I'd like to hear more "go-to excuses" from hubskiville.
You could do differently than most of society tells you to do, don't get debt, develop some skills, get a good job or start a business, without spending 4 years of your life in corporate education. The problem though, is that it made me think of my life-long clamor and struggle for a better rock to push. I can deal with the four years in high school right now, cause I'm gonna go to college, which will make me happier. I realize that the happiness i'll feel when starting college will be quickly plateau, replaced by the longing for a job– and then I'm eternally fucked by the constant need to make more and more and more money. The difference between me and Sysiphus is that I'm living a life where I have a chase a bigger better high, instead of just pushing my rock. That's a punishment I can't flip the bird to my captors for, yet.
Wow, nobody corrected me on my wretched spelling throughout the entire post :D thanks