Lessons from Sisyphus: on worrying well.

Myths and folklore across the world narrate stories of characters who endlessly strive for eternity. Sisyphus from Greek mythology was punished for cheating death by being condemned to roll an immense boulder up a hill for eternity, Wu Gang from Chinese folklore was known for endlessly cutting down a self-healing osmanthus tree on the Moon for eternity. One might think that we have nothing in common with such characters portraying absurdity. But deep down we are all Sisyphus.

We are all Sisyphus’s forever rolling the boulder of our discontents in the slippery slope of reality, hoping that one day we will reach the top and put a stop to the boulder of discontent and finally be set free. But humans are hard-wired to worry and no predicament fully shields one from worries. Though each of us envisions our own versions of the top and are condemned to fear that we might get run over by the boulder, that we might get run over by all our unfilled desires and aspirations. Every time we think we got to the top, the next boulder emerges with a more slippery slope. Depressing and absurd the striving at times might seem, it is the same boulder that makes us move ahead in life and gives meaning to our strivings. It’s painful to strive but it’s more horrible to have nothing to strive for. We, humans, are creatures who revolt against uncertainty by creating hope and meaning. The way to keep moving forward in life is not to worry less but to worry well and reasonably, worry about things that truly matter, things that are under one’s control. Having nothing to worry about can make one feel adrift with no desires and having more can get one crushed under its burden. Learning to worry well is a task of a lifetime, but taking an outside perspective of one’s own worries, examining each of its validity and worthiness is an essential skill to navigate our own mental landscapes. So, keep your worries rolling and move forward.