Rev Bras Fisiol Exerc. 2024;23:e235591
doi: 10.33233/rbfex.v23i2.5591
EDITORIAL
The sisyphean task and the search for true purpose
Marvyn de Santana do Sacramento1,2,3,
Uilma Sacramento Santana2, Jorge Luiz Rubbo Adbo4
1Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde
Pública, Salvador, BA, Brazil
2Centro Universitário Adventista do
Nordeste, Cachoeira, BA, Brazil
3Faculdade Atenas, Valença, BA, Brazil
4Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da
Bahia, Jequié, BA, Brazil
Received: April 27, 2024; Accepted
on: May 15, 2024
Correspondence : Uilma
Sacramento Santana, uilmassantana1@gmail.com
How to
cite
Sacramento MS, Santana
US, Adbo JLR. The sisyphean
task and the search for true purpose. Rev
Bras Fisiol Exerc 2024;23:e5591. doi: 10.33233/rbfex.v23i2.5591
The impetus for achievement is linked to the reward
system, more specifically, the proportion between perceived satisfaction and
work performed. In the face of adversity, this balance will be constantly
consulted and the results can be reflected in the motivation for any purpose in
our lives. In the absence of a favorable relationship, with high load and
absence or insignificance of perceived reward, we find ourselves in a Sisyphean
scenario.
The myth of Sisyphus is built on the perspective of the
ultimate punishment of the man who deceived the gods. Sisyphus was condemned to
laboriously lift a heavy rock to the top of a mountain, only to watch it slide
to the bottom as he prepared to resume the same work for all eternity [1]. The
representation of suffering due to a purposeless existence is demonstrated in
the tale of Greek mythology and, like the most beautiful productions of
humanity, transcends the contextual narrative and allows us to contemplate and
question our own lives.
Figure 1 - Sisyphus, by Titian, 1549
We risk saying that working with purpose is one of the
greatest challengers of human achievement, and that neither the desire nor the
execution are designed individually. For example, great names in our history,
such as Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai, achieved notable
achievements as a result of joint work that aimed for achievements that
transcend individual desires. In this sense, the process, even subject to
inclement weather, becomes rewarding by having your compass adjusted to a clear
destination, with a greater purpose.
Perhaps upon first reading this brief text, its purposes
are still not clear. Usually, students and professionals plan their lives (when
they do) based on financial remuneration and derivatives, as if this were the
final results of a career of effort and success. However, despite its social
importance, the relationship between remuneration and satisfaction does not
follow a linear organization, making it necessary to reflect on which scales we
will use to evaluate our lives and what the value of the next level will be,
after all, using the wrong metrics, the time and dedication spent may not be
worth the prize.
But how should we begin to think about our purposes?
Perhaps one of the best ways to find your own path is to ask yourself what,
within our areas/specialties, can we deliver to the world? This first step of
reflection sets us apart from individual desires and grants us the ability to
see further and in perspective. In this way, we will outline a directional
framework that can fulfill us professionally and as human beings.
Effort and dedication are irrevocable factors [2] in the
journey, and when programmed with the true purpose, they allow us to resist
adversity and enjoy the process. So, it is up to us to hope that our steps
follow clear paths towards the essential meaning of the true and glorious
purpose.
References
- Kast V. Sísifo. Cultrix; São Paulo, SP;
2017.
- Gardenghi G. Esforços médios, resultados médios. Resc. 2013;3(2):5-6.
