You are a rung in a ladder. A single step. There are millions, billions upon this ladder. To ask someone to climb the whole thing would be a multi-lifetime endeavor. Within the unfathomably large number of steps lies you. You, reading this, very likely stand somewhere in the vast middle regions. Neither the very top nor the very bottom call you their inhabitant.
This ladder can mean anything. It can mean whatever you want it to mean. You can apply it anywhere that makes sense for you. But there is a ladder. Who’s vast central section you claim home. For many people, *climbing* this ladder is the goal. And if climbing isn’t possible, then comparing oneself to upper rungs follows close.
I find that this issue is especially prevalent in the creative fields. There’s always *someone* who’s better than you: someone who paints more elegantly, someone who writes quicker and better. Often, this leads to immense feelings of unworth. If there’s always *someone* who is better, where’s the point in trying? The question answers itself, of course – the point isn’t to be at the top of the ladder. It’s not even to eventually make it there. It’s simply to keep climbing.
The ancient Greek mythos holds many characters, yet among them is the well known Sisyphus. He was a king who cheated death and crossed the gods, who then subjected him to a life of eternal torture – having to push a boulder up a hill that will always inevitably fall down. To many (to most, actually) this sounds like a terrible fate. And it is! Sisyphus’ punishment is objectively just that – punishment. A fate that serves only to harm.
But compared to other fates in varius stories and mythos (eg. Prometheus of the same culture, having his liver eaten daily), is Sisyphus’ truly that bad? Albert Camus, a 20th century French philosopher, thinks not. In his book “The Myth of Sisyphus”, Camus uses Sisyphus as a central figure in his philosophical theory that many people call Absurdism. He posits that, even though Sisyphus is faced with an eternal, unrelenting, unfulfilling task, he could find happiness and fulfillment within it all. That, in absence of higher reason, we can find meaning in the menial. The day to day trudging of life.
And although every philosophical belief can have its flaws, there’s a certain beauty to Camus’ beliefs in particular. Even if Sisyphus is resigned to a fate of boulder-pushing, he can find fulfillment within the process, not the end. Even if you are resigned to a fate of eternal ladder climbing, wondering if you could ever reach the top – you can find fulfillment within the process, not the end.
So whilst yes, you are but a single rung in a ladder, and you will never make it to the top (ever), you can be happy about it. So long as you enjoy the climbing itself.