Everything was so new and confusing that I often had the “just make it work” mindset that I’m sure others can empathise with. When I started out as a programmer, I can say with some confidence that the standards I held myself to were located somewhere near the bottom of the hill. I like to think that it’s because with each failed attempt he believes he’s improved - that he’s one step closer to success. An eternity of failed attempts and Sisyphus still continues to push. More specifically (and unfortunately for poor Sisyphus) the mindset of progress. It is the very nature of pushing the boulder that is inherently emblematic of progress. Now I understand that using the word ‘progress’ is a bit bold, but bear with me. At this point the tale of Sisyphus, for me, becomes an allegory not for futility, but progress in the face of adversity. In Stephen Fry’s book Mythos (a retelling of the myths of ancient Greece) he adds that Sisyphus is promised that if he completes his task he will become a god himself. We understand that whilst Sisyphus has not once successfully completed his task, his belief in achieving it does not falter. I believe this completely flips the tale on its head. “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. The French philosopher Albert Camus wrote an essay on the subject titled “The Myth of Sisyphus”. But what else can we glean from this story? When we describe anything as Sisyphean, it immediately suggests connotations of fruitlessness.
This was to be Sisyphus’ eternal torture. Zeus, however, had enchanted the boulder so that it would always fall down when it got near to the top. So, upon arrival into the underworld, he was tasked with rolling a large boulder up a steep hill as punishment.
Having cheated death twice, the Gods wanted to see him pay for his guile. The story of Sisyphus, the cunning yet deplorable king of Ephyra, is one of the more prominent tales of Greek mythology.
0 kommentar(er)
