So, is Sisyphus happy?
Let’s learn about Sisyphus here first
Lately, I've been learning about and exploring absurdist philosophy. Camus famously said, "One must imagine Sisyphus happy."
For Camus, the key lies in taking pride, joy, and purpose from the little things we can control in a chaotic world. It's about owning both our failures and successes. This mindset isn't always easy, but it offers a sense of agency.
Do you feel like you have some control over your life?
In many ways, Sisyphus mirrors our experiences. We’re all pushing that metaphorical rock up the hill: achieving the job, finding the relationship, reaching the goal—only for the rock to roll back down again. We face failures, breakups, and existential crises.
Nietzsche offers a perspective on this cycle, saying, "My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it—all idealism is mendacity in the face of what is necessary—but love it."
And so, we start over again.
When you develop radical acceptance, you strengthen your sense of self. It's a solid foundation to build on, much like what Sisyphus did. He rebelled against the absurdity of his endless task by accepting it. In fact, the ultimate act of rebellion might just be acceptance itself. That’s where true freedom lies.
But how does acceptance not lead to apathy?
Accepting reality still involves making choices. It allows us to walk new paths, to clearly see what we truly value, and to reclaim what matters most to us.
History offers incredible examples of rebellion through acceptance:
Viktor Frankl, who survived the despair of a concentration camp, regained a sense of freedom through nature and humor, despite his unfree circumstances.
Shackleton’s Expedition: 22 men stranded in Antarctica for 128 days with minimal supplies after a shipwreck. With little hope of rescue, they fought despair by organizing plays, maintaining routines, and keeping their spirits alive. They controlled what they could and held onto hope.
So it brings me to the conclusion, that Sisyphus must be remarkably happy if he has accepted his purpose in rolling the rock up the hill, the best he can. Radical acceptance of his fate and not despair. Equanimity and serenity in quietude and in that, happiness. No stake in what will be.
We’re all creatures of this absurd, rolling the rock up the hill.
What has happened has happened, and what will happen is never guaranteed.
So, what will you do next?
