 The repetitive inhalation–exhalation cycle is described esoterically in the myth as an up–down motion of Sisyphus and his boulder on a hill.In experiments that test how workers respond when the meaning of their task is diminished, the test condition is referred to as the Sisyphusian condition.The two main conclusions of the experiment are that people work harder when their work seems more meaningful, and that people underestimate the relationship between meaning and motivation.