Existentialism. The word itself feels alien and scholarly. A subject only to be pondered by those much more versed in philosophy than I, by those who have had a lifetime of meaningful experience and wisdom beyond their years, not by a freshman at a public university who has only left the country once and has scarcely begun to experience adult responsibilities. Yet throughout the introduction to this subject, both in class and in the reading, there seems to be a powerful emphasis on the accessibility of this philosophy independent of age. It seems that existentialism is less for those exceptional few with great insight into the human condition as it is for those who have pondered the simple questions of, “Why am I here?”, “What does it mean to be conscious?” and “What is the point of my existence?” but refuse to accept the layman explanations that seem to plague society at large.
It is with this understanding of existentialism that I will take with me moving forward. I have not suffered the existential crises that seem to characterize the greatest existentialists throughout human history, I am choosing here to omit the sudden realizations of ones own mortality or the insignificance of ones existence in the universe as I feel that every person deals with these same epiphanies at some point in their lives, although the methods of dealing with these thoughts varies vastly between persons. I will enter this subject of study with an open mind, willing to forego any previous assumptions I may have had of the world, including those natural explanations of the world that come most readily to me as a physics major and math oriented individual, in order to accept the possibilities of an absurd, dangerous, temporary, uncaring, hopeless, yet all the while breathtakingly beautiful, world.
I like your rose Ryan, you seem like a strong writer. I have a question for you though. you mention that you have never had an existential crises but you also say that you have had moments when you have pondered your own mortality or the insignificance of your existence. So you don't seem to think those things constitute an existential crises, but then what does constitute such a crisis. If reflecting on the insignificance of your existence or acknowledging your own mortality is not an existential crisis, what is one? What do you have in mind?
ReplyDeleteprose, not rose* I have yet to comment on a single blog without at least one typo. I for one, blame my wife's laptop as the keyboard is spaced differently. Yes, surely that's it.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the small instances where I have existential thoughts about life and the universe are too small and insignificant to be considered a true existential crisis on par with those who have studied existentialism and philosophy in general for years. I think that everyone has these fleeting thoughts at one point or another, but only a few have a true existential crisis, one that significantly alters a persons entire perspective on life.
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