The statement “everything is futile” reflects recurring sentiment when living with depression, but it is also one way to translate (from the original Hebrew) a passage in the bible. I mentioned in my previous post that “when I think about something, I tend to look at it from a range of perspectives in order to make sense of it”. While I’m certainly not suggesting replacing the DSM-5 or anything similar with the Bible, there are certainly some relatable passages and narratives in the Bible. Some of the narratives that focus on individuals who battled with despair, discouragement, and more, include: David, Elijah, Jonah, and Job.
This idea that “Everything is meaningless” or “… pointless” or “… useless” is something I find quite relatable, because at my lowest points I have felt the same thing. This sense of pointlessness and/or meaninglessness is not the final message proffered by the ‘Qoheleth’ or ‘teacher’ in Ecclesiastes, but I find it interesting that, in all the years I attended different churches, I don’t remember every hearing any sermon or teaching on from this part of the Bible. The Qoheleth doesn’t provide a ‘cure’ or ‘solution’ but provides what I might call some perspectives or suggestions on how to deal with this.
One suggestion, when considering how much of work/toil is “meaningless, a chasing after the win”, the author suggests that “[a] person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God”.
What’s the cause or source of this particular bit of meaninglessness? In colloquial terms, it’s all about jealousy or “keeping up with the Joneses”. While social media makes this more visible, it didn’t create this phenomenon.
So, what’s my point? I’m not sure I have just one, but at least one of them is the conflict between what someone with my experience, education and/or abilities should be doing or pursuing. My qualifications might suggestion I’m ambitious, but at least some of that was done out of actually wanting to learn and/or a personal challenge, rather than a pursuit of status, positions, and/or climbing any professional ladders. I just want to be able to afford my chosen lifestyle and get some enjoyment out of my work.
Consequently, it seems I don’t “fit” anywhere in the world of work (at least that’s how it seems at the moment), but I’m still trying to figure things out.
PS: Feel free to comment, critique, and/or ask a question, because I’ll be building on these ideas at a later stage.
About the Author
