Trigger Warning: Sisyphus Cannot Convince Everyone out of *******
TRIGGER WARNING: sexual assault and suicide
Sisyphus Cannot Convince Everyone out of Suicide
Existentialism: Existence and Anxiety
December 19, 2014
Katie did not believe that life was not worth living, she believed that her life was too painful for her to stay alive. I met Katie in the emergency room as a rape crisis counselor following her sexual assault. She displayed flat affect, as if even though her body was present, her conscious mind was not. Katie explained that she tended to dissociate because otherwise the painful trauma from her past would lead to thoughts of suicide. Katie’s father had sexually abused her as a child, she spent three years in jail as a young adult, she had attempted suicide twice, and her suicidal ideation led to frequent hospitalizations. This particular evening Katie had come to the emergency room after surviving a sexual assault perpetrated by two strangers while she was waiting for the bus. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether or not embracing positions of existentialist philosophy can prevent people like Katie from dying by suicide, as there is no doubt in my mind that at some point in the future Katie will attempt to take her life again. I will begin by explaining Albert Camus’ position that one can make life worth living by accepting that the universe will never provide a concrete meaning for existence and by finding intrinsic value in the meaningless tasks of everyday life. Camus illustrates this argument by using The Myth of Sisyphus as a metaphor for how to live a meaningful life. I will argue that Camus’ position is not sufficient to prevent individuals like Katie from dying by suicide, as it does not offer her the ability to have autonomy over her life, which is a necessary factor for surviving adversity and reducing one’s risk of suicide. Camus’ argument does not apply to someone who faces extreme adversity, because rebelling against the absurd like Sisyphus is not enough to convince someone out of taking her own life.
Camus addresses the option of suicide in response to the absurd, which refers to how the world is silent and does not provide us a clear answer for living. The two obvious options to respond to the absurd are to invent one’s own meaning of life or to die by suicide. Camus argues that both of these options avoid addressing the absurd and are merely an escape from it. He suggests a third option of rebelling against the absurd through accepting that the universe will never respond to our questions and so we must find intrinsic value in meaningless struggles. Camus illustrates his argument by using The Myth of Sisyphus as a metaphor for rebelling against the absurd. In the myth, the gods punish Sisyphus by sentencing him to repeatedly rolling a boulder up a hill that will always fall back down for the rest of eternity. Sisyphus rebels by finding intrinsic value in this meaningless, never-ending, unachievable task by taking pride in his rolling of the boulder. Camus says that, “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” (1) Instead of dying by suicide or inventing a purpose for rolling the rock, Sisyphus finds happiness in the challenge itself.
The Myth of Sisyphus is a helpful way for many individuals to make life feel meaningful. However, the problem with The Myth of Sisyphus is that it is not enough to steer someone who faces extreme adversity away from the option of suicide. Camus neglects to include that part of living a meaningful life where Sisyphus has the option of letting go of the rock and choose to do something else. Camus’ prescription for choosing an option other than suicide does not work for individuals who are seriously considering ending their own lives. The essential part of the prescription is to address symptoms of depression that lead to suicide by encouraging the individual to foster a sense of autonomy and embrace the idea that she cannot only control her attitudes and beliefs, she can also make concrete decisions on how she wants to live her life. The reason that this is important is because suicide is not often the result of philosophical contemplation over the meaning of life, but rather the result of painful depression and hopelessness that has become unbearable for the individual. Rebelling against the absurd like Sisyphus may be inspirational to an average individual tackling everyday tasks, but Sisyphus’ intrinsic happiness cannot convince everyone out of choosing suicide by powerlessly, yet joyously accepting one’s fate. One needs to be able to find intrinsic value in life, while also taking ownership of deciding how to live.
Camus would respond by arguing that the punishment for survivors of adversity is similar to that of Sisyphus because the individual cannot control what happened to her. The only option is to accept what has happened and find meaning in the challenge of tolerating the punishment. Camus believes that Sisyphus has sufficient autonomy because he controls how he thinks about the situation that he has no power to change. Sisyphus does not have the option to decide to let go of the rock because the gods have punished him to do so and they are the only ones who can make that decision. For Sisyphus, letting go of the rock would symbolize suicide. An important part of life is that everyone experiences events that they are powerless to change and this should be embraced in order to live a meaningful life.
However, Camus’ argument does not address that though everyone must accept that there are parts of life that cannot be controlled, part of living a meaningful life is believing that one can decide how to think and act. The gods punish Sisyphus in the beginning of the myth and there is no reason why Sisyphus cannot take ownership of his own actions and choose to let go of the rock. He believes that he must accept his task because the gods said he had to, and the only way for him to exert control is to think about the punishment differently. However, we can control more than our thoughts; we can also control our behavior. Katie was powerless to stop her assault from happening, but she can still choose how to respond to it. She has already demonstrated this by voluntarily going to a hospital to get help. When Katie eventually thinks about the option of suicide again, it will not be because she cannot find intrinsic value in her struggles, but because she does not believe that she can survive the emotional injuries that she has endured. Taking action also shows that she believes that there is enough meaning in her life to exert the effort to go to the hospital and tell strangers about what happened to her. What leads Katie to be suicidal is not the meaninglessness of everyday existence, but when she feels like the amount of trauma she has experienced exceeds her ability to cope.
I will argue that Camus’ use of the metaphor of The Myth of Sisyphus to show how one can make meaning in a meaningless world is not sufficient for persuading a suicidal individual from following through with the act. Philosophical rumination does not typically lead to actively suicidal thoughts; the thoughts are the result of depression and feelings of hopelessness. An important part of overcoming depressive symptoms is accepting the parts of life that one is powerless to change and actively choosing how to think. However, the most important aspect of overcoming suicidal thoughts that stem from extreme adversity is fostering the belief that one has the power to make decisions over what happens to her. Sisyphus may empower himself by choosing to view his task as a challenge rather than a punishment, but he never considers the option to let go of the rock and take ownership of his own fate. The Myth of Sisyphus perpetuates the idea of being a passive victim to the punishment of living a boring, everyday life, and since Sisyphus has let the gods influence him to think that there is nothing he can do to change his situation, Sisyphus romanticizes his struggles and finds his happiness in an act he would really not be doing if he believed that he had a choice.
Even if Katie is able to find intrinsic value in her suffering, it will not be enough to convince her that continuing to endure such suffering is even possible. Katie indicated that she believes her life has meaning by voluntarily going to the emergency room for help, openly letting her boyfriend know what happened so that he can support her, and allowing a nurse to treat her injuries. Many survivors of trauma are not able to execute actions that demonstrate a sense of self-care. Despite the evidence that Katie believes that her life is worth living, it was also apparent that she is still at high risk for suicide. Katie does not think that her life is meaningless and that she has no ability to dictate her own thoughts. Katie contemplates suicide because she is in such excruciating emotional pain and she feels like she has been robbed of the power to decide what happens to her body. If she were Sisyphus, the weight of the rock would exceed her physical capabilities and therefore accepting her fate to roll the rock up the hill would actually kill her.
Camus neglects to acknowledge the power of the individual to choose her own actions in response to adversity. The ability to control one’s physical self, as well as one’s own thoughts, plays an important role in convincing oneself that suicide is not the best option for someone facing extreme adversity. Sisyphus’ punishment should not imply that Sisyphus has no control over his physical body rolling a rock up a hill. It is great to acknowledge the freedom to find intrinsic meaning in everyday acts, but it is more important to acknowledge the individual’s freedom to choose how to act in response to an event that one has no control over. Sisyphus has the physical capability to let go of the rock, just like Katie has the power to decide whether or not to report her assault to the police, seek therapy, or agree to let a nurse take pictures of her injuries for evidence. The first conversation I had with Katie was about her right to consent. Katie had just been robbed of control over her own body, and part of my job was to remind her that she had the right and the ability to decide what happened to her from that point forward. Katie could decide to end the evidence collection exam at any point and it was her choice whether to report the crime to the police.
My official job title is “medical advocate.” This means that my main role in supporting survivors of trauma is to empower them by advocating for their right to choose what happens to them and their bodies. I provide legal, medical, and social service information so that they can make their own informed choices about how to actively respond to the traumatic event. My first objective is not to guide the survivor to try and find the bright side to her suffering, it is to support any decision she chooses to make, simply because her ability to choose what happens to her is the most important factor in emotionally surviving the event. Katie chose not to report her assault to the police and opted out of certain parts of the evidence collection kit, and I did not try to convince her otherwise. What I did do was reassure her that she had the power to make these decisions and that it was her right to do so.
Camus’ analogy of The Myth of Sisyphus as a way to rebel against the absurd or seemingly meaninglessness of life is valuable, as Sisyphus shows that though we cannot control everything that happens to us, our response is what makes life meaningful and worth living. However, though the analogy may be especially inspirational to a shift worker looking to make meaning out of everyday, instrumental tasks, like shopping at the grocery store or driving to work during rush hour, it is not enough to save the life of a seriously suicidal individual. Individuals like Katie do not become suicidal because they are frustrated that the universe will not provide them with a concrete answer for why life is worth living; they become suicidal because they feel powerless over their own lives. The first time Katie tried to die by suicide was the night before she was sent to jail for three years. The second time was during her incarceration. These were both situations in which Katie was powerless to decide what would happen to her and the only way she believed she could assert control was to die by suicide. The Myth of Sisyphus is not an uplifting philosophical analogy for someone experiencing struggles like Katie. Sisyphus plays a victim who somehow forces himself to see the fun in not being able to control his own actions, and what now puts Katie at a high risk for suicide is if she similarly continues to feel like a prisoner in her own body. The existentialist philosophy behind The Myth of Sisyphus cannot convince a suicidal individual like Katie out of dying by suicide. In fact, the powerlessness and lack of control Sisyphus has over his physical self would more likely convince her that suicide is her only option.
References
Soloman, Robert C. "Soren Kierkegaard." In Existentialism. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
(1) Robert C. Solomon, Existentialism, 2nd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 198.
