The Existentialist's Survival Guide

1. Existentialism: A philosophy for navigating life's challenges

"The existentialists who make up the conversations in this book recognized that things don't always work out for the best. They address life as it is."

Existentialism's core tenets: This philosophy acknowledges life's inherent difficulties and provides tools for confronting them. Key principles include:

• Emphasis on individual responsibility and freedom
• Recognition of life's absurdity and lack of inherent meaning
• The importance of creating personal meaning through choices and actions
• Embracing authenticity in the face of societal pressures

Relevance today: Existentialism offers guidance for modern challenges:

• Coping with anxiety and uncertainty in a rapidly changing world
• Finding purpose in an increasingly secular society
• Navigating complex moral dilemmas without clear-cut answers
• Maintaining individuality in the face of social media and conformity pressures

2. Anxiety: A signal of our freedom and potential

"Anxiety is freedom's possibility, and only such anxiety is through faith absolutely educative, because it consumes all finite ends and discovers all their deceptiveness."

Reframing anxiety: Rather than viewing anxiety as purely negative, existentialists see it as:

• A sign of our awareness of life's possibilities
• An indicator of our freedom to choose
• A catalyst for personal growth and self-discovery

Practical approaches:

• Embrace anxiety as a natural part of the human condition
• Use anxious feelings as motivation to examine life choices
• Develop coping strategies that allow for productive engagement with anxiety
• Recognize that avoiding anxiety often means avoiding important life decisions

3. Depression and despair: Distinguishing psychological from spiritual struggles

"Depression develops into despair—into a spiritual malady—only when we let ourselves be defined by our depression and, in our hopelessness, toss in the towel on our moral and spiritual aspirations."

Understanding the distinction:

• Depression: A psychological state often rooted in biochemical imbalances or life circumstances
• Despair: A spiritual condition related to a loss of meaning or purpose

Navigating depression and despair:

• Seek appropriate treatment for clinical depression
• Explore philosophical and spiritual resources for addressing existential despair
• Maintain a sense of purpose and meaning even in difficult times
• Cultivate resilience through relationships, creativity, and personal growth

4. Death: A catalyst for authentic living and prioritization

"The awareness of death that everyone was eager to repress was alone capable of producing the intimacy with his family that Ivan was not even aware that he longed for."

Death as a teacher:

• Contemplating mortality can lead to a more authentic and purposeful life
• Awareness of death helps prioritize what truly matters

Practical applications:

• Regularly reflect on your mortality to maintain perspective
• Use death awareness to motivate meaningful actions and relationships
• Make decisions with the understanding that time is finite
• Live with intention, knowing each day could be your last

5. Authenticity: The journey to becoming one's true self

"To become authentic is to become yourself."

Defining authenticity:

• Being true to one's values and beliefs
• Resisting societal pressures to conform
• Accepting responsibility for one's choices and actions

Cultivating authenticity:

• Engage in regular self-reflection
• Identify and challenge internalized societal expectations
• Make choices aligned with personal values, even when difficult
• Embrace vulnerability and honesty in relationships
• Continuously reassess and refine personal identity and goals

6. Faith: A leap beyond reason and a source of meaning

"For Kierkegaard, prayer does not change God—it changes, it develops, the person praying."

Understanding faith:

• Not necessarily religious, but a commitment to meaning beyond empirical evidence
• A choice to believe in something greater than oneself
• A source of purpose and guidance in an uncertain world

Exploring faith:

• Reflect on personal beliefs and values
• Engage with philosophical and spiritual traditions
• Practice mindfulness or meditation to cultivate inner awareness
• Embrace uncertainty while maintaining commitment to chosen beliefs

7. Morality: Embracing responsibility and ethical decision-making

"Forgive the platitude, but for Sartre, if you don't walk your talk, then it is just talk."

Existential ethics:

• Emphasizes personal responsibility for moral choices
• Rejects absolute moral rules in favor of situational ethics
• Stresses the importance of aligning actions with professed values

Developing moral character:

• Regularly examine and refine personal ethical standards
• Practice making difficult moral decisions, even in small matters
• Take responsibility for the consequences of your actions
• Cultivate empathy and consider multiple perspectives in ethical dilemmas

8. Love: The ultimate challenge and reward of human existence

"We want to be loved as the people we aspire and perhaps imagine ourselves to be, not the flesh-and-blood fallible creatures that we are."

Existential view of love:

• Recognizes the difficulty of truly accepting and giving love
• Emphasizes the importance of self-love in loving others
• Views love as a choice and ongoing commitment, not just a feeling

Cultivating love:

• Practice vulnerability and openness in relationships
• Work on self-acceptance to better accept love from others
• Recognize and challenge personal barriers to giving and receiving love
• Choose to love actively, even when feelings fluctuate

Last updated: August 20, 2024