Ramblings on The Myth of Sisyphus

Discussion Group Selfie :D

The myth of Sisyphus tells of a man condemned by the gods to a ceaseless cycle of pushing a boulder up a mountain only to have it roll down once it reaches the top, follow it down and then repeat the process all over again. This fruitless, repetitive labor was seen by the gods as the worst possible punishment reserved only for the worst possible criminal and when you think about it, they’re probably right. Imagine toiling and working towards completing a certain task that yields nothing again and again and again and again for all eternity. You’re bound to lose your mind eventually.

Reflecting on the myth, the group likened Sisyphus’ eternal toiling to life outside of the university; life as part of the workforce and society because of The System. The System dictates that we as students should study hard for a college degree in order for us to be able to find a job and pay off our bills. Like Sisyphus we struggle our way up the mountain, shedding blood, sweat and tears in our jobs to reach the top only to enjoy the view for a few seconds before descending down and repeating the process all over again. The system makes it seem that we are not the masters of our own fate, that we are merely acting out a script in a play that was written for us since before we were born. Like drones from a hive, we either conform or live as an outcast.

It's depressing to realize this. It's depressing to think that we are nothing but drones. So how then do we assert our freedom in a world operating under an inescapable system? Well I look back at Sisyphus, what did he do to deserve a fate worse than death? He stood up to the gods. As a mortal he made a conscious decision - knowing full well of the consequences that may follow - to disobey the gods; to trick them and make fools out of them. Why did he do this? Was it arrogance? Folly? Foolishness? We can never know for sure. What we do know is that Sisyphus did what he did despite the consequences. That he owned up to his decisions, that he was true to himself and lived his life according to his own principles even if it earned him the ire of the gods. In a way, he's "free". Free from the expectations and prejudices of the world. Free of the judgement of mankind, free from the conventions of culture all because he woke up one day and said: "Today, I choose to be free. Let the chips fall where they may". Sisyphus, the ancient greek counterpart of Tyler Durden.

In the end, Sisyphus (and Tyler Durden) made us realize that we are all free despite the hold The System has on us. Freedom is right there for the taking, all we need to do is to reach for it. Freedom comes with responsibilities, we can choose to be free and be the masters of our own fate but there will always be consequences for our actions. To tell you the truth, absolute freedom is scary... This is why most people would rather choose safety and security over freedom, preferring to avoid the discomforts of living with the consequences of their own actions. The irony of freedom is that we are free to use it. Sisyphus and Tyler did.