School Operations

The power of persistence and perspective

The herculean task of navigating Term Two is mythological in scale. In the dark and twisty final weeks of Semester One, my mind is often cast to the story of Sisyphus as we tiredly trudge to the end of term.

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the deceitful, proud and sneaky king of Corinth who cheated death - literally. Amongst other epic lapses in judgement, his most misguided power play happened when Thanatos (the peaceful God of Death) came to chain him in the underworld for his crimes. Sisyphus tricked Thanatos into demonstrating how the chains worked and, in doing so, Sisyphus bound Thanatos instead. As his eternal punishment for tricking the gods, Hades condemned Sisyphus to roll a massive boulder up a steep mountain in Tartarus. Just as he reaches the top, the rock rolls back down, forcing Sisyphus to start over endlessly. Eternally. Forever. Sisyphus is still pushing that boulder now.

Futile and repetitive labour is a symbol of the sometimes absurd nature of our mortal lives. This metaphor works marvellously for our daily routines at St George’s, especially when the exhaustion sets in and patience wears thin at the end of term. As we all know, life often appears to have no rhyme or reason. Just ask any Year 12 ATAR student when they are studying for their third exam in 2 days, with 2 more exams to go. Or the Year 8 student who left their phone pouch at home, their Period 6 class is in Murray Street, their phone is at William Street, it is pouring with rain and their umbrella has turned inside out, they have Production rehearsal at Murray Street starting in 10 minutes but they need to collect their phone from Ms Sephton at William Street to be able to call their parents when rehearsal ends at 6.00pm. Or the PCG tutor who has diligently laboured to complete their PCG report comments by the deadline only, in an impulsive laptop lid slam of satisfaction, accidently closing their Word document without saving. The Sisyphean struggle is real!

Despite the seemingly hopeless nature of his predicament, there are valuable lessons we can learn from Sisyphus and his cautionary tale. 

In Percy Jackson and the Olympians, when Percy first enters the Underworld, having successfully navigated past Cerberus with Annabeth and Grover, he spots Sisyphus in the distance, in the Fields of Punishment, pushing his rock up the hill – so insignificant that it barely registers against the more pressing demands of Percy’s own quest. He is seeing Sisyphus from so far away that, from his perspective, he is the size of an ant on an ant-sized hill. Oh, how easily Percy trivialises the very real struggle of Sisyphus in this moment!

In 1942, French philosopher Albert Camus argued that Sisyphus represents the human condition by showing how absurd we can be as we blindly accept that

"the struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart". 

It does sometimes feel absurd when one finds their core business is often not changing lives but changing jewellery choices. Yet, we must keep pushing that rock up the hill.

For Camus, the most interesting part of Sisyphus’ punishment is not the pushing of the rock up the hill, but when it rolls back down and Sisyphus must walk back to get it. In that moment, Sisyphus is well aware of his hopeless fate, yet he chooses to walk down and push the rock again anyway. Again, and again, and again. Much like a Year 9 student who resignedly goes to class after PCG, despite knowing that they forgot to charge their computer overnight, which they need for their assignment in Period 1, and they don’t have an excuse. They go to class oddly content, comfortable in the known, the predictable, the inevitable acceptance of their lot. Camus proposes that, by accepting and embracing the struggle rather than giving up, "one must imagine Sisyphus happy”. By finding purpose and ownership in his never-ending labour rather than despairing over its futility, Sisyphus conquers his fate, leading to Camus' theory that he is, in fact, the GOAT absurdist hero.

In an experiment that examined how employees responded when the meaning of their task was diminished, the two main conclusions were that people work harder when their work seems more meaningful, and that people underestimate the relationship between meaning and motivation. Sisyphus' eternal labour highlights the importance of embracing the present moment and finding joy in the process, regardless of the outcome. Sisyphus persisted in his efforts, finding purpose and meaning in the act of pushing the boulder up the hill. This is an important reminder that finding fulfilment and contentment in life often lies in the journey itself, rather than the final destination. 

Sisyphus' struggle highlights the universal nature of endurance and the shared experience of confronting life's challenges, giving us hope in knowing we are not alone in these moments. A shared struggle creates community, empathy, and support - especially as we finally get that rock to the top of the hill and … this time … it holds its precarious balance at the top. Perhaps we are lucky that we aren’t Sisyphus after all. And that is existentially very deep! 

Here’s to a restful and rejuvenating break for all our St George’s family. 

Mrs Shannon Allen

Dean of School Operations