The Myth of Sisyphus

Source: Albert Camus

In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus explores what he takes to be the absurdity of the human condition. He likens us to Sisyphus, a Greek legendary figure who, as punishment from the gods, was forced to roll a heavy boulder up a hill only to have it fall back down again, forever. The human condition is like this, according to Camus, we must labor to survive, and we relentlessly seek to attribute meaning to our labors when the reality is that there is no meaning. However, rather than despair in this thought, Camus argues that we should find joy in our lives anyway - in other words, "One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

 

Image Credit: "Sisyphus" by AK Rockefeller is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Keywords: Anxiety , Happiness , Meaning of Work , Philosophy , Purpose