Sisyphus was a Greek king who angered the gods. As punishment for his sins, he was condemned to push a boulder uphill for eternity. Every time he neared the top, the weight of the boulder sent it crashing down to the bottom again, and he had to start over.
In his essay “The Myth of Sisyphus,” philosopher Albert Camus compared Sisyphus’ endless punishment to the endless toil of working in modern factories and offices.
Work can sometimes feel futile. You may feel like Sisyphus, stuck in an endless loop with no escape. Camus wrote that we must find joy in this absudity; we must imagine Sisyphus happy.
But there are other ways to find fulfillment in work. Work can be meaningful and fulfilling when it has purpose and meaning. Unlike Sisyphus, we are not condemned to have every rock roll back down to the starting point. Even hard work is rewarding when you push that rock over the top and watch it gain momentum on the other side.
Do you feel like you;re pushing a big rock up a long hill? Why are you doing it? How far have you come already? How far do you have to go? How will it feel when you get to the top?
See also: Infinite loop, Doom loop, Momentum, Snowball effect.
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