Friday, 8 July 2022

The Meaning of Life - Charlie Dockendorf

The meaning of life is a question that has been long debated throughout time. Luckily, I have found the answer. In order to explain it, I’m going to need some help from French Philosopher, Albert Camus. In Camus’ book “The Myth of Sisyphus” Camus introduces a groundbreaking idea in the last paragraph. "I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain. One always finds one's burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself, forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy." Sisyphus is a Greek figure who tried to cheat the gods out of death and was punished with rolling a Boulder up a hill for all of eternity and every time he gets to the top it rolls back down and he has to start again. 

Camus answers the meaning of life question by explaining that even though Sisyphus and an unbearable and mundane task, one must imagine him content with his curse. Camus uses Sisyphus rolling his Boulder up the hill as a metaphor for human life. Even though the task of life can be mundane and repetitive, if we can create our own meaning and purpose in life then we win. If we can be content with whatever happens in life and try to do whatever makes us happy then we are doing something right. Sisyphus being content with his task shows how the worst of situations can be positive and we give our own meaning to our own experiences.

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