What is an Existential Crisis?

[Tanya Voytus]

What is an existential crisis? Hit "Reply all" to this email and
discuss what you think an existential crisis is. Feel free to comment
on each other's posts as well. Please have this done by Tuesday.

[dylan...@hotmail.com]

"An existential crisis is a stage of development at which an
individual questions the very foundations of his or her life: whether
their life has any meaning, purpose or value. This issue of the
meaning and purpose of existence is the topic of the philosophical
school of existentialism."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
-In my opinion, this basically is a time where humans question what
they are doing and other general questions about meaning of their
life. I have a feeling that this can be a point in someone's life that
we now call, "midlife crisis". Not sure if thats true or not, but i do
see that as an example of an existential crisis.
Existential crisis can result from:

1- Feeling of being lonely/alone and isolated
2- A totally new discovered idea behind one's original morals- Would
this be something where it scares a person because now this person has
a completely different basis for his or her morality- It's like a
culture shock- A sudden change....
3- A loss of meaning in life
4- Being aware of someone's freedom the effects of accepting or
rejecting that freedom
5- An event/experience that was extremely pleasurable or extremely
hurtful

Overall, I feel as if I can sum this up by saying it all has to do
with events in someone's life. It could be a sudden realization or
something that had such a huge effect either bad or good.

So I have a good point to look at= MEANINGLESS vs. MEANINGFUL

[Tanya Voytus]

Dylan,

A midlife crisis is a great example of an existential crisis. Usually at this point a person is asking themselves, "what am I doing with my life?" It doesn't always have to be that huge, though. Like you said, it can stem from one of many different types of life experiences and/or trauma.

What are you questioning in terms of the difference between meaningful and meaningless? Perhaps a feeling of meaninglessness is what causes an existential crisis? And the discovery (or rediscovery) is what might end one?

[Jeremy Haug]

To me, an existential crisis is when your mind and heart disagree with
what they "know" or feel. You can't be at peace with yourself if
there's a battle inside you.

[Tanya Voytus]

Very interesting idea, Jeremy! Many times what we reason is the right idea is not what we feel we want to do. can you think of an example of a time when you (or someone you know) went through an existential crisis and what the two sides of them were saying?

[Jeremy Haug]

I can personally think of many examples.

[Nethera]

I don't know what an existential crisis is but if I were to guess I think it would be when you don't know why you are on this earth.

[Tanya Voytus]

Christine,

That is a very good guess.  You're getting close, and one aspect of an existential crisis is asking why you are on this earth - what does your existence mean.  Good work.

Ms. V.

[Stephen Fischer]

An Existential Crisis, at least to me, means that you find an
appreciation of your own mortality. Be thankful for what you have and
what has been given to you; enjoy the little things in life.

[Tanya Voytus]

Stephen,

You have an interesting outlook. If only all our existential crises ended like that! I think what you're describing is more of the best possible outcome of an existential crisis. I think that it's less of finding an appreciation for your mortality, and more of a searching for that appreciation. What do you think?

Great post.