Existentialism

[Stephen Fischer]

For the quiz, I got Existentialism. I found out that the basic
definition is the a set of ideas about human existence. I think it
fits me because I believe I focus on more of things that are
subjective (beliefs, feelings, emotions, etc) as opposed to analyzing
objective knowledge, language, or science.

[Lexie]

"Human free will
Human nature is chosen through life choices
A person is best when struggling against their individual nature,
fighting for life
Decisions are not without stress and consequences
There are things that are not rational
Personal responsibility and discipline is crucial
Society is unnatural and its traditional religious and secular rules
are arbitrary
Worldly desire is futile"

I'm always trying to figure out what my existence means. Obviously, I
haven't figured that out yet and maybe I never will, but I think about
it all the time. I can even freak myself out sometimes if I think
about it too much. But what it sounds like is something very
liberating. It's certainly a perfect world idea. I do feel myself
pulling away from the way society kind of rules your life and takes
away some of your free will. I do agree that life is about choices. I
also think, though, that the way we go forward in making decisions can
effect the outcome. I believe in positive and negative energy. What
you send out, you get back, kind of thing. I think that existentialism
kind of works for me because it sounds like each person could be an
individual, make their own way of life, without disturbing that of
another's. It's all about freedom and personal expression and when you
can express yourself freely, your choices do become unique to
yourself. I like the idea of being an individual, and still being able
to feel like I can be one with the rest of the world. This is the
whole Thoreau idea, which I loved by the way, never mind the run on
sentences. Also, one thing that I feel so strongly about is that there
definitely are things that aren't rational. But what is really
rational, right? Facts and perceptions are always changing so what's
rational changes with that. I mean, when the Greeks and Romans were
around the Gods and Goddesses weren't myths, they were just Gods and
Goddesses. So yes, I definitely find resonance with existentialism.

[Mr. Fletcher]

I also seem to be cast under "Existentialism". It seems to suit my
attitude. I agree with the quote "It is man's natural sickness to
believe that he possesses the Truth." It should be up to each person
to find his/her own meaning. Some people take that to mean that only
they matter and all decisions in life should be made alone without
regard for other people. Problem! Doing that supposes a truism that an
individual's choices are right for him/her and societies viewpoints on
the matter are either false or moot. This is falling into the trap of
man's natural sickness and not getting better. Instead, I believe
everyone must find his/her own meaning within the context of one's own
life while keeping in mind the thoughts, opinions, and supposed truths
of others. You should never believe you are the only one with answers
because you will ignorantly walk to your downfall. Listen to me, I
have the answers.

[Mr. Pareja]

It's human nature to react and become intertwined with their own
emotions, however many times it clouds an individual's judgement.
Existentialism works well in that it provides insight and questions
human thought of how religion, actions, and attitudes influences our
life experience. Trying to seek the meaning of life is an endeavor
that can be like watching a dog chase its own tale. While we are an
amalgamation of these experiences, I think the single most important
aspect many neglect to do is introspect and find out what's true
within themselves. Experience is subjective and our environment never
ceases on continuing to modify itself.
One of man's on going downfalls is the ego. It creates an illusion in
which the individual believes has to fight for itself to survive in
this world. In this process man creates their own problems.
To hold an absolute truth on something is impossible. How can I be
sure you are seeing the same tone of red as I am? These are just
axioms that are taken for granted.
What is the truth for you? How can you search for it within yourself?


On Sep 27, 9:35 pm, "Mr. Fletcher" <mr.fletcher.sage...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Tanya Voytus]

You Scored as Existentialism
Your life is guided by the concept of Existentialism: You choose the
meaning and purpose of your life. “Man is condemned to be free;
because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything
he does.” “It is up to you to give [life] a meaning.” --Jean-Paul
Sartre “It is man's natural sickness to believe that he possesses the
Truth.” --Blaise Pascal


Existentialism
100%
Hedonism
85%
Strong Egoism
70%
Utilitarianism
60%
Justice (Fairness)
40%
Kantianism
30%
Apathy
20%
Nihilism
10%
Divine Command
0%

I got Existentialism too. When one delves into the study of
Existentialism, there are two very different emotional reactions. The
first is that these characters are bad people, they don't "care"
enough about their lives and the people around them, and they end up
depressed and forlorn because of it. The opposite reaction, which
most scholars contend is what Existential authors intend, is that
these characters are free because they are aware of the transience of
everything. They have the ability to place value on their world in
any way they choose, and this is an incredibly powerful feeling.

What do you all think?


Stephen - "...a set of ideas about human existence" is very broad.
Did you find anything else about the tenets that Existential
philosophy subscribes to? The difference between subjective and
objective is a good observation - Existentialism is a very subjective
philosophy. But look deeper.

Lexie - your internal struggle - thinking about the meaning of your
life too much and freaking yourself out sometimes is incredibly
natural, and very existential. You're right - you probably never will
know exactly what that meaning is. However, this doesn't mean you
stop trying. Your struggle to understand yourself will be never-
ending because you yourself are always changing. But, the more you
understand your current self as it relates to your past selves, the
more equipped you are as a human being. On another note, like I
mentioned in response to your other post, you found a nice balance of
believing that you can be an individual without infringing on the
rights of another human being. What if this wasn't possible? What if
you were forced into a choice between benefiting yourself or
benefitting another human being? Which would you choose? Why? Is
the Self or the Other more important?

Mr. P and Mr. Fletcher - thanks for your contributions and
elucidations.