Existential Angst

Nietzsche called it "the death of God." Sartre called it "nausea." Camus called it "the absurd." No matter how you put it, it all comes down to the same thing--existential angst.

There is no God. Consequently, we are left adrift in a world without transcendant values. It is both liberating and frightening. The existentialists struggled with this new reality. We still struggle with it today. How do you find meaning in a life that is ultimately meaningless?

I think you create your own meaning. Some people choose religion. Others choose an ambitious project. Still others choose to do nothing but live in hedonistic excess. There are many paths, but I think they all have the same destination--human happiness.

The pursuit of happiness is what gives our lives meaning. Philosophy is simply the strategy for finding that happiness. We make our choices, and we live with the results for good or ill. The first choice we must make is a simple one. It is the question that Camus asked. Should one live or should one die?

When faced with absurdity, the ultimate question is whether or not life is worth living. Camus, Sartre, and Nietzsche all chose to live. I think it is a good choice since death is certain and ultimate. You can always choose not to live. Choosing to live is another thing.

Once you choose to live, the next question concerns how you choose to live. People have to answer this question for themselves. There are many others who would like to answer this question for you. But who the fuck are they? Who put them in charge? What makes them the ones who get to choose for me? The next question is as simple as the first one. Do you choose slavery or freedom? Are you going to determine your own path? Or are you going to let others determine it for you? If you choose slavery, you can stop reading here. If you choose freedom, carry on.

Once you choose freedom, you must also take responsibility for that freedom. Your life belongs to you. There are things that happen to you. You become sick. You get arrested. You get laid. You win the lottery. We cannot control what happens to us. We can control how we respond to those circumstances. Our choices are us. We are what we choose to be.

In everything, we can choose happiness, or we can choose misery. Misery is the false belief that we had no choice. But this isn't true. We always have a choice. You only have to think back to that first choice to live instead of dying. Likewise, in adversity, we continue to choose to live. Or we can give over and choose to die. If life is so horrible, why do we cling to it?

It is in overcoming this absurdity that our lives find meaning and greatness. When an amputee chooses to become a runner, this is defiance. When a dyslexic chooses to become a great author, this is heroism. When you choose to be happy no matter the circumstance, this is virtue.

Our times of existential angst come when we must make a choice. It is so easy to have someone else make the choice. But we make our own choices, and we live with those choices. If I have any deeper meaning to impart here, it is this. Quit being a fucking pussy and get on with it.

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