why is Sisyphus happy?

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Published 2023-12-06
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Chapters:
00:00 Is he stupid?
02:07 Learned Helplessness & The Absurd
05:34 Acceptance & Amor Fati
07:20 The Self As Context & Taoist Identity
09:42 Commitment & Flow Psychology
15:00 The Will To Happiness
18:00 Between Yes & No





SOURCES

Camus, A. (2000). The myth of Sisyphus (J. O'Brien, Trans.). Penguin Classics.

Zaretsky, R. (2013). A life worth living: Albert Camus and the Quest for Meaning. Cambridge : Harvard University Press,

Overmier JB, Seligman ME. Effects of inescapable shock upon subsequent escape and avoidance responding. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology. 1967;63:28–33. dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0024166. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Benson, J. S., & Kennelly, K. J. Learned helplessness: The result of uncontrollable reinforcements or uncontrollable aversive stimuli? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1976, 34, 138-145.

Au TK. Counterfactual reasoning. In: Semin GR, Fiedler K, editors. ”Language, interaction and social cognition. Sage; Thousand Oaks, CA: 1992. pp. 194–213. [Google Scholar]

Hayes SC, Wilson KG. Experiential avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology. 1996;64(6):1152–68.

 Hayes SC, Luoma JB, Bond FW, Masuda A, Lillis J. Acceptance and commitment therapy: Model, processes and outcomes. Behaviour research and therapy. 2006;44(1):1–25. 10.1016/j.brat.2005.06.006

Hayes SC, Strosahl KD, Wilson KG. Acceptance and commitment therapy: An experiential approach to behavior change. Encyclopedia of Psychotherapy. 2000;32(1):1–8.

Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Gay Science. IV, §341.

Moeller, H. & D'Ambrosio, P. (2017). Genuine Pretending: On the Philosophy of the Zhuangzi. New York Chichester, West Sussex: Columbia University Press. doi.org/10.7312/moel18398

Csikszentmihalyi M. (1990). Flow : the psychology of optimal experience (First). Harper & Row.

Frankl, V. E. (1992). Man's search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy (4th ed.) (I. Lasch, Trans.). Beacon Press.

Link between flow, buddhism and absurdism inspired by this great piece of writing: mettarefuge.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/a-buddhist-re…

All Comments (21)
  • @hellxsco
    One must imagine Sisyphus 55 happy.
  • @sqob
    “Is there a lore reason for sisyphus to be happy? Is he stupid?”
  • @Legalize_Ranch
    Everyone imagines Sisyphus happy but no one asks him if he's happy
  • Thank goodness, I have been wondering this for a while. Most of it stems from “If Sisyphus is happy, why am I unhappy? How did he do it?”
  • is there a lore reason why the indomitable human spirit occasionally gives me the motivation to push on in spite of my dire circumstances? Am I stupid?
  • @moture
    Alternative title: Is there a lore reason why Sisyphus is happy? Is he stupid?
  • @epicshinji9258
    The last line "What has happened has happened, and what will happen is never guaranteed. Now, what will you do next?" sums up this whole video and I love it
  • I’ve been diagnosed with severe Major Depressive Disorder for awhile now, and since the beginning I’ve been asking myself why. I’ve never found the answer, but every time I watch one of your videos, I feel that I get a little bit closer. Please know that your content does not fall on deaf ears. If nothing else, you’ve made a difference for me.
  • @jaykay4137
    It took me almost two decades to figure out even half of this on my own. I was tortured as a child. Tortured by my classmates' constant bullying and my parents' apathy and abuse. Tortured by the relationships and opportunities I missed out on because of fear and trauma. When I went off to college, I isolated myself to prevent that pain from going on any longer. After I graduated, I realized that I had wasted those four years. I've now been in the workforce for over three years. Only this year was I able to actually find happiness by accepting that I had a troubled childhood which made navigating early adulthood a near impossible task. Finally I realized that I shouldn't be leaving my apartment to make friends and have relationships. I should be leaving my apartment because it's what I want to do. That's when I finally felt joy in being around others, rather than the terror I had felt my entire life. Like Sisyphus, I accepted my boulder for what it was. And I felt pride in carrying such a massive boulder up so far.
  • @Vindiorix
    I've always been stuck on the specific choice of the word "must imagine" as in "One MUST IMAGINE Sisyphus happy, because the alternative, or to OBSERVE HIS REALITY, would be unbearable."
  • @cambrown5633
    One must imagine Camus so miserable that Sisyphus looked happy by comparison.
  • @urdad6802
    my friends bio was “i like to imagine sisyphus happy” for years. he’s passed now, but this reminded me of him :)
  • @Brambrew
    We must imagine Sisyphus happy because he must have learned by now how to live with himself for eternity.
  • @dexterwhit8565
    My dad died suddenly a week ago. It was not unexpected or understood by anybody. Including the doctors. And the "what ifs" Ive experienced were the worst thing I've ever felt. So thank you for this video.
  • @aster84855
    I always interpreted it as "one MUST imagine Sisyphus happy" because fathoming eternal suffering would break anyone. It's a demand, a requirement to remain sane
  • @hayden_hanna21
    One must imagine Sisyphus 55 dropping another instant classic on a wednesday morning.
  • @annavc1286
    "one must imagine sisyphus happy" is a thought that has been constantly on my mind lately. when i sent a ton of messages to get an "ok" "yeah" "idk" in return. when i kept throwing up everyday for three months. when i felt a cold crawling inside of my arms and shoulders upon hearing something that broke me. when i keep loving someone who hurt me badly.
  • @alexxx4434
    One must imagine Sisyphus in a flow state