Sisyphus comes from Greek mythology, a figure condemned to push a boulder up a hill for eternity, only to watch it roll back down each time he neared the top. Online, that ancient punishment became shorthand for modern frustration, and the guy pushing a boulder image spread as a reaction meme for grinding games, repetitive jobs, studying and working out. The short clip works because everyone recognizes the cycle instantly, so creators reuse it whenever effort feels rewarded with exactly the same task starting again.