Futility + Infinity

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." ~ Macbeth (William Shakespeare)

To get out of bed, or not to get out of bed.

Shakespeare inspired the English world with many writings of note throughout his lifetime. Often, too, writers explain that their inspiration for their work come from personal beliefs, experiences and encounters. It is hard to believe then, that Shakespeare didn't adopt the same outlook on life as one of his most iconic characters after the death of his 'queen'. Either way, for us to have the same opinion on the futility of life as Macbeth, might seem like a perfectly good response to what is going on in the world, but I argue that it might not be the best response.

Although choosing the 'correct' option of getting out of bed or not can have a plethora of other factors influencing us, it is a sure fact that choosing the former would likely hold more benefits than the latter. Furthermore, we can reason that out of an array of difficult decisions we need to make in our lives, choosing to step out of bed could be the easiest of them all.

Futility's Hidden Advantage.

If you are in accord with Macbeth, and seem ever more inclined to the pessimistic side of Hamlet's paraphrased statement, it is all good and well. Think however of the advantage you have if you truly understand the futility of life, the Sisyphean nature of whatever we do here on earth. The edge here, is that there is no pressure. You see once Sisyphus accepted his fate (after cheating death twice) to roll a boulder up a hill and upon completion repeat the whole process over again, we can understand why philosopher Albert Camus commented on Sisyphus saying: "One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

What Camus is trying to get at here is that the acceptance of futility brings to one a sense of happiness incomparable to that of seeking the value itself. Although I concur with Camus, it is still important to know that futility does not mean meaninglessness (pointlessness, but not meaninglessness). Not having the pressure of needing to work ourselves to the bone in search of external rewards, doesn't mean we have no meaning or impact in what we do. Instead it brings us to a place where we can truly prioritize what to spend our time on when we are here on earth and what takes precedence in our search for meaning.

Carpe Diem

Another dead poet that helps us in bridging our thinking from futility to infinity, is Mr. Keating (played by the impeccable Robin Williams) from Dead Poet's Society (the 1989 film). When he reads Sonnet 116, also by Shakespeare, he explains to the learners that all the men they see in the photos in front of them are long past, and the only way in which they can meet the unavoidable truth of death, is to 'Cease the day'. Camus argues the same when confronted with the futility of life: take everyday as it comes and approach it with joy and fervor.

With your mind set less on how to achieve ultimate success and wealth on earth, and also not set on the meaninglessness of your actions, your are liberated to be the person you want to be. Furthermore, within embracing your freedom, you start to encapsulate your legacy in the things that will remain once you are strolling the wide open meadows of Elysium. Write, paint, podcast, collect rare things or be a present figure in the lives of your loved ones.

In doing so, when people look at your picture hanging on the wall, may they be stirred to Carpe Diem because of the person you were. Start today!

TF