11/10/2024
In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus suggests that we should imagine Sisyphus happy, but I don’t think happiness is necessary for his story to have meaning. Sisyphus is stuck in a cycle of endless struggle, and it’s quite possible that he’s not happy at all. But that doesn’t mean his life, or any life, lacks value or purpose. The expectation that we need to be happy all the time, especially in difficult or repetitive situations, feels unrealistic. Sometimes, life is just hard, and it’s enough to keep pushing forward without pretending everything is great.
Happiness isn’t the only measure of a worthwhile existence. Sisyphus continues his task, not because he’s happy, but because he has no other choice. And there’s something powerful in that persistence—accepting life as it is, even if it’s full of struggle or frustration. We don’t need to force happiness onto every situation. It’s okay to acknowledge that some things are tough or even pointless, but that doesn’t make them any less significant.
I think Sisyphus’s strength comes from continuing, even without happiness, and maybe that’s more valuable than happiness itself.
