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Out searching for a friend’s graduation present I stumbled on this, and couldn’t hold back my ROFLMAO.
Are you kidding me? A man pushing a rock up a hill symbolizes “Determination”?! Anyone who’s taken Philosophy 101 recognizes this image as the exact opposite of anything motivational. This is Sisyphus, the symbol of absurdity, existentialism and nihilism!
Let’s compare the description of the gift with the description of Camus’ essay on Sisyphus- just to cement this as the worst/best graduation gift you could ever buy.
Product Description:
The Motivational Gift of Determination is an inspiring office award and gift that encourages hard work and determination. This office award has a unique inspirational message about determination. This beautiful crystal and wood motivational trophy features a determined silver alloy figurine pushing a steel ball up a mountain-shaped crystal. Encouraged by the figure’s resolute determination, this inspiring office award will push your employees to work harder. The award can also be used to recognize a great employee. The inspiring gifts can be engraved and personalized to reflect your office or company. It’s one of our most popular office awards and our most inspiring gifts.
Wikipedia:
The Myth of Sisyphus is a philosophical essay by Albert Camus. In the essay, Camus introduces his philosophy of the absurd: man’s futile search for meaning, unity and clarity in the face of an unintelligible world devoid of God and eternal truths or values. Does the realization of the absurd require suicide? Camus answers: “No. It requires revolt.” He then outlines several approaches to the absurd life. The final chapter compares the absurdity of man’s life with the situation of Sisyphus, a figure of Greek mythology who was condemned to repeat forever the same meaningless task of pushing a rock up a mountain, only to see it roll down again.
Simply amazing. Fail.
I think you’re interpreting the gift very literally. Snob.
I think you nailed it perfectly. The idea of creating the future through nothing more than intention and yes, hard work (pushing that damned boulder up a hill), is as absurd as trying to change the past by rewriting history. The future can be planned, yes, but predicted only to the degree that human nature can be counted on to learn nothing from the past. It is little more than foolishness, political expediency, and philosophies of convenience to equate advances in technology and improvements in “standards of living” as actual “progress”. Wild-eyed chest-thumping gorillas and pooh-flinging monkeys do not change just because they come down from the trees, live in caves, and build multi-million dollar mansions.