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Self-Improvement From a Sisyphean Perspective

  • Writer: Deric Hollings
    Deric Hollings
  • 4 days ago
  • 7 min read

 

As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

 

The authors quote ancient Stoic philosopher Epictetus who stated, “[W]hat does Socrates say? ‘Just as one person delights in improving his farm, and another his horse, so I delight in attending to my own improvement day by day’” (page 214).

 

In common parlance, “improvement” is defined as the act or process of improving—to enhance in value or quality: to make or get better. Regarding the form of self-improvement advocated by Epictetus, one source states:

 

Personal development or self-improvement consists of activities that develops a person’s capabilities and potential, enhance quality of life, and facilitate the realization of dreams and aspirations.

 

Personal development may take place over the course of an individual’s entire lifespan and is not limited to one stage of a person’s life. It is not restricted to self-help and can include official and informal actions for developing others in roles such as a teacher, guide, counselor, manager, coach, or mentor.

 

With my role as a life coach and psychotherapist, I find purpose and meaning in self-improvement by attempting to help other individuals apply techniques of REBT which serves as a self-help approach to rational living. Concerning the topic of self-help, one source states:

 

Self-help or self-improvement is “a focus on self-guided, in contrast to professionally guided, efforts to cope with life problems”—economically, physically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. When engaged in self-help, people often use publicly available information, or support groups—on the Internet as well as in person—in which people in similar situations work together.

 

Throughout my blog, I illustrate examples of REBT practice which are designed to help people actually get better rather than focusing on merely feeling better. Thus, in Epictetian fashion, I delight in attending to my own improvement day by day, as well as trying to help others.

 

As such, I’ve discussed with a number of my clients—those who remain committed to earnestly doing the work necessary for ultimately getting better—the benefit of self-improvement from a Sisyphean perspective. For context, one source states of this outlook:

 

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus or Sisyphos is the founder and king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth). He reveals Zeus’s abduction of Aegina to the river god Asopus, thereby incurring Zeus’s wrath. His subsequent cheating of death earns him eternal punishment in the underworld, once he dies of old age.

 

The gods forced him to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down every time it neared the top, repeating this action for eternity. Through the classical influence on contemporary culture, tasks that are both laborious and futile are therefore described as Sisyphean.

 

For clarity, “laborious” is defined as involving, requiring, or characterized by hard and sustained effort: arduous. As well, “futile” is defined as serving no useful purpose: completely ineffective. Thinking of these terms, I invite you to consider the process of living and dying.

 

Fallible human beings endure an impermanent and uncertain existence fraught with suffering. At some point during one’s life cycle, the end of life will inescapably present itself. Thus, one’s efforts during life may seem laborious, and attempts to evade death are largely futile.

 

This is a Sisyphean perspective. Still, some people view this outlook as bleak—lacking in warmth or kindliness: grim. Yet, I conceptualize it as an opportunity to rigorously direct self-improvement strategies toward effective goals while one still has time left in this fleeting life.

 

We all have our own proverbial boulder to push. How will you respond to this seemingly laborious and futile endeavor? Personally, the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding attained from Albert Camus are preferable in this regard. Regarding his perspective, one source states:

 

The Myth of Sisyphus is a 1942 philosophical work by Albert Camus. Influenced by philosophers such as Søren Kierkegaard, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Friedrich Nietzsche, Camus introduces his philosophy of the absurd.

 

The absurd lies in the juxtaposition between the fundamental human need to attribute meaning to life and the “unreasonable silence” of the universe in response. Camus claims that the realization of the absurd does not justify suicide, and instead requires “revolt”.

 

He then outlines several approaches to the absurd life. In the final chapter, Camus compares the absurdity of man’s life with the situation of Sisyphus, a figure of Greek mythology who was condemned to repeat forever the same meaningless task of pushing a boulder up a mountain, only to see it roll down again just as it nears the top.

 

The essay concludes, “The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One [recommendatorily] must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

 

For those clients of mine who actually challenge the discomfort inherent with self-improvement from a Sisyphean perspective, they are able to envision Sisyphus with a smile on his face, whistling as he pushes a boulder, or telling his perceived tormentors “fuck you, I’m still here!”

 

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

 

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

 

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

 

 

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW


 

References:

 

Daily Stoic. (n.d.). Translating the Stoics: An interview with “The Daily Stoic” co-author Stephen Hanselman. Retrieved from https://dailystoic.com/stephen-hanselman-interview/

Holiday, R. and Hanselman, S. (2016). The daily stoic: 366 meditations on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living. Penguin Random House LLC. Retrieved from https://www.pdfdrive.com/the-daily-stoic-366-meditations-on-wisdom-perseverance-and-the-art-of-living-d61378067.html

Hollings, D. (2025, September 24). Animalistic instinct: Just because it seems right doesn’t mean it is. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/animalistic-instinct-just-because-it-seems-right-doesn-t-mean-it-is

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