Review Of Verena Kast's Book "Sisyphus": Filling Life With Meanings

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

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Verena Cast draws our attention to another aspect - namely, that Sisyphus is engaged in the hard work of pulling a stone up a mountain only half of his time. Then, when the stone breaks down and rolls down, it also comes down. What does he do while descending? Maybe he is examining the surrounding surroundings, resting (what is resting - for sure!), Relaxing and enjoying life?

Let us draw analogies with our daily life again. Even if we are busy with hard everyday work, and our whole life consists of this work in our inner picture of the world, in fact there are moments in our life when we can relax and rest. Someone might argue that his (or her) life consists of continuous work and endless effort. Coming home after work, for example, a woman is forced to do housework, children, get up at night if there is a small child and he cries.

If there is no small child, it can be, for example, a dog that needs to go outside at exactly 5 in the morning. And the rare moments of relaxation on the couch are not perceived as such? Yes, compared to such a life, the life of Sisyphus is a sinecure. What the myth suggests to be considered a terrible punishment, in fact, turns out to be not such a terrible occupation - half of his time he rests, walks down the hill, admires the surroundings and, perhaps, even whistles something. Judging by the character of Sisyphus during his lifetime - a rogue and a merry fellow, this is not so incredible. That is, his life is easier than, for example, the life of a working woman with a small child in her arms?

It is clear that the pathos of the myth is a little different. Namely, in the senselessness of Sisyphus's efforts, the unattainability of his goal. He hopes that someday he will still roll a stone up the mountain, and all his suffering will end. This is the essence of punishment, and this is precisely the proximity of the goal and the impossibility of achieving this goal should be the source of suffering for Sisyphus. This is the insidious and cruel plan of the gods, it is this that should ensure the cruelty of his punishment.

As you know, the human psyche is able to build defense mechanisms against unfavorable situations for it, in particular, to change the focus of attention or even dissociate (separate from itself) the problem. What could have helped Sisyphus not to suffer so much from the punishment imposed on him, what antidote could he find from him? And what can we do to protect ourselves from experiencing the futility of our efforts? Of course, you want these defense mechanisms to be adaptive, not pathological - so that compensating for one suffering, they do not create another.

What can Sisyphus do to protect himself from the severity of the experience of this punishment? And what can we do to cope with the experience of the meaninglessness of effort, if it does arise, and the seeming meaninglessness of life in general?

It is impossible to give a short and comprehensive answer here. No one has yet answered the sacramental question "What is the meaning of life?" An answer that would, in general, suit many. Perhaps this hypothetical Sisyphus from the book of Verena Cast, descending the mountain after failing again, can serve as such an example of cheerfulness? He continues to carry out his meaningless work, not discouraged, and, in fact, why did we decide that his work is meaningless? In all his images, this Sisyphus looks like a completely athletic man, with good muscle relief. That is, exercises with a stone simulator are clearly beneficial to him.

What can we do? To be inspired by his example and understand that the part of life that seems meaningless and unnecessary to us is not necessarily that. There is a lot of beauty in life besides what seems meaningless to us. Life can be lived wonderfully and with pleasure, filling everyday life with a variety of meanings, achieving results where it seems impossible. And to be realized, overcoming this very senselessness.

Literature:

1) Verena Cast "Sisyphus"

2) Viktor Frankl

3) Antoine de Saint-Exupery "The Little Prince"