«The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.», Albert Camus famously wrote. This essay, based on two new books, contemplates the opposite. What if we gave ourselves permission to stop struggling? What if we started seeing giving up as a «sign of imagination, acceptance, or wisdom»? (There’s obviously a third option: Take a break, catch your breath, then continue with the sisyphean work of weekly newsletter writing)

From Weekly Filet #501, in October 2024.