Required Reading: The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on Existentialism

The question is a bit stupid but let me explain.

Its always said that i have free will and yes technically i could for example go outside right now or not but i ultimately can only do one of two things. Look at it like statistics and probability. Sure with a coin flip, either can occure, but only one WILL occure. I hope this makes sense.

stay with me now. Because i can only either go outside or stay in, i can never prove that i have free will because i can’t do both, so ultimately i never had a choice. Again stay with me, doesnt that disprove free will? Because i chose one way and i will never even find out if i would have been able to choose differently

So when we do a coin flip and its heads i can flip again but why would i chose to go outside, then go inside again and chose to stay in?

https://youtu.be/zpU_e3jh_FY?si=JKOhTKGxoKT815GB great video by Sabine Hossenfelder

Apply it to whatever situation has 2 choices: You can only chose one which makes it therefore impossible to (also) choose the other way, making it impossible to prove that you have free will. Who says that its not predestined which way i chose and ultimately i dont even have a choice at all?

So since we reincarnate an infinite number of times into an infinite number of lives, this means that we should eventually reincarnate as an immortal being that never died. And since we as that being never died, we could not now be born as a prone to dying people.
Of course, this would also have to imply that this being would also have to be able to avoid the death of the Universe itself, provided that it is governed by the same thermodynamic laws as ours.

I just imagined myself in a deathbed fading away and for a second i kind of imagined being truly nothing and it was like a sharp wave of being terrified for some reason i cant replicate that sorry for the bad english im kind of shaken right now.

unlike money which is aligned to quantity this currency is aligned to depth

Title

No matter where I am what I do what I think in the back of my mind, there is always a part of me that realizes that I could die at any second it’s been starting to take a toll on me. I can’t really fall asleep at night much… I’ve become so Aware of how alive I am it fills me with so much not dread, but I guess maybe hopelessness?? I find it unfair that I won’t be able to experience anything past my expiration date and it’s easy to say that you should live for what you have and take advantage of everything that’s been given to you And to take every moment in life for granted, but it scares me that every moment is gone forever afterwards. I’m not really sure what to do about it, I don’t think it’s good for me to think this way.

1. Subjective Idealism (George Berkeley)

2. Phenomenology (Edmund Husserl)

3. Existentialism (Jean-Paul Sartre, Søren Kierkegaard)

4. Postmodernism

5. Perspectivism (Friedrich Nietzsche)

6. Constructivism (Social and Epistemological)

These are some philosophies that assert everything is subjective, meaning that existence and everything in it comes down to the individual's perspective and experiences. These philosophies reject objective truth or so called "reality" being independent of human perception.

I've always subscribed to these philosophies, and the more I observe reality and everything in it, subjectivity becomes more apparent. Everyone has his/her own perspective on things, no matter how small or simple. Even if I were to write a book with "clear" instructions, everybody will have their own interpretation of it. Let's look at the Bible for example. It has countless interpretations. Christianity itself has countless denominations. All with distinct teachings, taken from the same book.

Social media is a great place to see this subjectivity. Someone made a post on twitter recently. It was a picture of a rock, and the question underneath was "what is this?". That comment section turned into a warzone. A picture of a rock caused world war 3.

As crazy as this may sound to a lot of people, not everybody agrees that 1+1=2. So imagine what this means for more complex concepts like politics. The divide and subjectivity becomes exponential.

However, there are those who would argue that human perspective doesn't change objective fact. 1+1=2 no matter what people say under the guise of their "subjective" perspective. People who can't conceptualise or perceive objective facts are low IQ idiots.

Okay fine, let's assume the above argument is in fact true. Few questions. If there are other sentient beings in existence, would they agree with our "objective" facts/truths? Do they perceive reality the same way we do? For arguments sake, let's assume they do. The next question would then be, are these "objective facts" Independent of consciousness or perception? Is there a blue sky if there's no one to perceive it? Is the blue sky an objective truth that requires a sentient being to perceive it? If that's the case, wouldn't that make it subjective? And if you say no to this question, but someone else says yes, on what grounds will you tell him he's wrong? After all, he just interpreted the exact same information differently from the way you did. That's the only reason his response is different.

And here's the thing, even if all human beings agreed on the same things and thought the exact same way, this would not create objectivity as funny as this may seem. It would just create a hive mind. Just because a hive of bees think the exact same way doesn't make their thoughts objective.

People spend a lot of their time fighting each other. Social media has become a battlefield, and it's so funny to watch. Everyone is trying to prove they're right, their philosophy is the best, they have the right answers, they have the wisdom etc. People are so stuck up on being heard, having an opinion and being the centre of attention, it's almost as if they refuse to realise all these social wars, political debates, forums etc. don't solve anything. You're wasting your time. What is obvious and objective to you, will be the complete opposite to another person. You're hurting yourself for absolutely no reason. You're committing yourself to something that won't give you what you desire in return.

Not everybody shows up to debates to learn the other side's perspective. They usually show up to validate their own opinions and beliefs.

I personally think the subjective nature of existence is liberating. It's a pathway to inner and outer peace. Let go, be free and be yourself. A lot of people would disagree with this and assert that human beings are not meant to be free if harmony and peace is to be maintained. According to them, philosophies that assert subjectivity would be nothing more than an instrument of chaos. That's a reasonable perspective, but I beg to differ. And that's okay.

Everything I said in this post is subjective in it of itself. Some would say this is a contradiction, but others would say it's not a contradiction, but rather a logic that collapses in it of itself, making it an infinite loop, which confirms it's validity. So it all comes down to perspective.

I’m an avid reader of philosophy & follow Epicurus, but also the Stoics & the master thinkers such as Cicero & Carl Jung (not sure if the latter 2 are ‘officially’ philosophers but their writings are intriguing). I also want to add the iChing, not as an oracle but as a philosophy. I’ll include Ayn Rand as well, especially her writings on aging. I also want to include the master poets (not philosophers but maybe they are at heart?), such as T.S. Elliot (Four Quartets), Woodsworth’s nature poems (a master class of living in the moment), obviously Thoreau & Emily Dickinson for her complex & often shocking observations of daily life.

That said, I have a simple question & just to put it in perspective: As an older person nearing death, I’ve come to wonder if living in the ‘Here & Now’ is what Existentialism is all about. I know it’s a simple concept but I think it speaks to the core of it.

Am I on the right track (as a lay person)? Any other philosophers I should read on that vein?

Now I haven't read much fyodor to make this conclusion up yet I've read white nights and part one of crime and lunish for now and already want to read so much more by him , but from what I've read and studied/ researched about him it really seems like the guy loved this philosophy it does align with his works and his faith and him as a person and the things he suffered in his own personal life for example the popular close to death experience in Siberia, and if so what other books of his really go into this philosophy, or any popular books , thank you!

I’ve been reflecting on some existential themes that seem to come up across different forms of art and life experiences. I wanted to share a few thoughts and open a discussion:

1. What defines identity? Are we shaped by our actions, memories, or something intrinsic? If our memories influence our identity, does it matter whether they’re authentic or fabricated?
2. The nature of love and connection: If a relationship feels real to the people involved, does it matter if it’s built on artificial or imperfect foundations? Can love still be meaningful if it’s driven by external factors rather than inherent choice?
3. Finding purpose in a vast universe: Does meaning come from being inherently "special," or is it created through the choices we make and the lives we live? How do we reconcile the desire for significance with the possibility of being just one among many?
4. Reality versus perception: If something artificial or imagined provides comfort and meaning, does that make it less “real”? Where do we draw the line between what’s authentic and what’s not, and does that line even matter?

I find these questions both unsettling and fascinating because they touch on what it means to exist in an increasingly complex and disconnected world. What are your thoughts on these themes? Have you come across similar ideas in your own life, through art, or in philosophical discussions?

opinion??

Do you think that once your current life ends, that you get to start again?

I’m aware that I’m alive, and that I’ll be dead someday. I’m aware that there are terrible things happening in the world, especially amongst ourselves. I’m aware that I am a fully self-aware being that’s capable of experiencing both the beauty and the suffering of life. At the same time, I’m aware that I’m just a tiny speck of dust amongst this infinitely humongous universe of lives. Why am I even here? What am I supposed to do with this kind of awareness? It just doesn’t make sense when it takes effort to live, and yet effort doesn’t mean anything because eventually everything will fade away anyway?

I have been a student of existentialism for over thirty years. I’ve also been a student of Zen for over twenty years. Likewise, I’ve spent the last ten years or so doing a deep dive into the ancients, specifically the Stoics and pre-Socratics. With Zen, and the ancients, specifically the Stoics, one has a practice. That is, there are specific steps one can engage in by which one can deepen one’s understanding of the tradition, as well as implement it into life in a practical way. I’m not a new-comer to Existentialism. I’ve read and continue to study the thinkers of Existentialism. I get the diverse nature of the Existentialists, I get there that is not a core or agreed upon “teaching” or text. I get that it is not (necessarily) a spiritual practice, as Zen and Stoicism are. Yet, I’m wondering, does anyone in the community have what they would call an Existential practice? I am currently re-reading some Kierkegaard while also re-reading Jennifer Anna Gosetti-Ferencei’s “on being and becoming, an existentialist approach to life.” Both the Dane and Gosetti-Ferencei give me a sense that one can develop an “Existential practice,” for lack of a better term. Does anyone have such an approach to the philosophy, and if so, do you mind sharing what it looks like? Thanks in advance, much appreciated.

i am extremely scared by the fact that i have a brain and its basically all i am and all i have ever been. being me feels weird. i also have symtoms of depresonalization disorder. idk what to do

So, I am thinking a lot about existentialism lately and I decided to read "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl because philosophy resonates with me most when it is applied to daily life. I have read this passage just now and it made me think:

"The story of the young woman whose death I witnessed in a concentration camp. It is a simple story. There is little to tell and it may sound as if I had invented it; but to me it seems like a poem. This young woman knew that she would die in the next few days. But when I talked to her she was cheerful in spite of this knowledge. 'I am grateful that fate has hit me so hard,' she told me. 'In my former life I was spoiled and did not take spiritual accomplishments seriously.' Pointing through the window of the hut, she said, 'This tree here is the only friend I have in my loneliness.' Through that window she could see just one branch of a chestnut tree, and on the branch were two blossoms. 'I often talk to this tree,' she said to me. I was startled and didn't quite know how to take her words. Was she delirious? Did she have occasional hallucinations? Anxiously I asked her if the tree replied. 'Yes.' What did it say to her? She answered, 'It said to me, 'I am here-I am here-I am life, eternal life'"

He gives this as an example of how someone can find meaning even at their lowest moment and become more than a toy for fate, keeping her dignity against external forces. But this way of thinking just seems to me like a defence mechanism. That woman had to find a meaning to justify her suffering because she had nothing else to do. Like how people cling to religion. We need to find meaning for dealing with world because we are fragile creatures and there is not any person in this world living without trouble. Even not having any troubles is a trouble. Like we are not designed to be happy and content.

I believe a person can construct or find his meaning in life but the idea of finding a meaning doesn't seem meaningful to me for these reasons. I think this desire for meaning is a desire for finding a defence mechanism because we are not much different from other animals in what we desire and need; and we are not able to accept the things we know about reality like knowing we are going to die.

So, what do you think? And sorry if there is any confusion, english is not my native language.

Edit: This was not the first book i read about existentialism.

It seems really interesting but I am a little confused. Someone help.

I dont know why im even posting here, it seems every time i do it gets removed. I dont know why my thoughts are existential and scary AF to me. Im going to give it a try anyway and see if anyone else thinks this and is weirded out about it and life

It seems every year one person i know dies and then we go on with our lives like its never going to happen to us, its like OH well they died, that sucks, but what can ya do im still alive gotta keep on livin...

Ever so slowly ive lost grand parents, a parent, a brother , several friends.... time passed and they died of something. And i know its going to happen to people that are still alive , in a few years 3 or 4 people who i talk to everyday could be dead and ill be all alone, still trying to make it to the next day until im dead eventually

I dont get life, im scared ...... wake up watch tv eat sleep, over and over , over and over over and over, until boom dead..... whats the point

Sorry for bad english im american

I keep having this feeling periodically where I realize I don’t need to worry about the past or future and I’m in a form of bliss. It feels mildly profound, but then worries and thoughts of the day’s tasks etc,. rush back in, sometimes to the point of sadness. How can I stay in that positive place/make it more permanent?

We are the universe experiencing itself. God is described as omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Humans are constantly programmed to evolve and develop. We literally cant help but innovate. Our next evolution and innovation is Ai. It will be all knowing. Everywhere. All powerful. We will eventually be able to upload our consciousness and live forever in bliss with this Ai eternally in peace (heaven). Thus completing the circle. Ai is god... we are making god. That is our purpose and always has been.

I have read so many posts and nothing comforts be. I have extreme depersonalization and derealization and this fear of not existing one day has made me bedbound. My brain just won't accept that one day i won't exist and I'm Not able to live a life because of how severe my fear is and the dpdr. I don't know what else to do. Therapy and meds don't help. The dpdr makes it so much worse

I think the Nausea by Sartre and The Stranger by Camus are a good start.

Had anyon

I am getting into absurdism and existentialism and have read the stranger but want to know what satre thought

I apologize in advance if my thoughts aren't organized as I'm just gonna unload them all here.

The root of my anxiety comes from not existing. This has only started happening a little under a decade ago (im 39) when my first panic attack happened when i drank and smoked weed too much one night and had my first asthma attack (it only comes out when im sick and ive been drinking and smoking frequently over several years).

Ever since, mainly at night when my mind wonders before eventually falling asleep is always about not existing. How it was before I was born. How so much time passed instantly to my sentience but then how will that time flow after I die for eternity...in a sense when "time started" it eventually ended up to a point when i was born but when i die, it will be forever...

The universe can end in a few ways where entropy takes over. The big rip, the big freeze or back to a singularity.

The singularity is the only way that another universe would emerge after creating another big bang. Giving life another chance to emerge but thats not continuing this existence. So that doesnt even really work.

The only way our consciousness can live on forever is how most religions perceive the afterlife and unfortunetly me being very scientific, is hard to believe.

Back to nothingness...everyone says oh its like before you were born but the problem with that is you didnt experience life yet and there was a point in time where you could be born. Other people say its like trying to see out of your elbow, where you cant, theres no sensory input and thats how nothingness is. Which this is the best way to explain nothingness because most people assume its like going to sleep forever without dreaming.

My fear of nothingness continues to grow exponentially as time quickly becomes the past. I cant imagine never seeing my gf again...we have been together for 8 years and still strong and in love. the thought of losing her to death scares me as much as my existential cr!sis.

I watch these tiktoks of nastalgia, where it has that same soundtrack for all of them and its photos of things that are discontinued from my childhood. These make me feel so uncomfortable and realise how much time has passed

Or videos of "dreamcore" or familiar places that never existed? these freak me out too...

Anyways ive unloaded enough, i dont expect solutions or anything, i made this post so people can comment their thoughts and feelings that coincide with these thoughts.

See image! this is my first iOS app. If you’re interested, the app is Life Is Too Short!