Dealing With Existentialism. Creating Meaning And Finding Purpose In Life
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Thoughts and questions I’ve battled with — From my Hypomanic Bipolar brain
Existentialism, Nihilism and Absurdity.
(Just flash words for thinking about our existence.)
Well, what does each mean?
These are from my understanding.
What’s Existentialism?
I personally like this one the most.
To me, it’s when you create your subjective meaning in life.
There’s no inherent purpose or meaning given to you,
so you get to define what makes your life meaningful.
This can be scary but also liberating as fuck.
What's Nihilism?
Nihilism explains that life is meaningless.
It’s the rejection that Life has meaning or purpose.
There’s no grand plan,
no objective good or evil,
just existence.
we live, we die.
It’s almost realism.
What's Absurdity?
I find absurdity can be hard to explain.
And also very subjective. And this is just my take on it.
(I’m open to debate on this also.)
Absurdity like Nihilism, accepts that life has no meaning.
However, emphasizes our response to it.
Life doesn’t have a point. And we know that. So we laugh and live and carry on.
Carpe’n all the diems and coping with jokes.
There’s actually a great scene in the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once. To me explains Nihilism, Absurdity, and Existentialism really well.
Were a daughter and Mother are rocks.
Link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXar2tNdG34
The daughter looks out into the desert. And says there is no point to anything. (Existentialism, Nihilism)
The mother makes a joke.
Then they both just laugh. It’s absurdity.
Our time on earth
Now we know those three fundamental schools of philosophy
Why are we here?
Our time on earth is finite.
We are just a little blimp in time.
So minute. Were almost brittle. We live. We die.
I’m not gonna Google and add how old the earth is and paste it here,
Because we can all agree it’s old right?
And humans have lived on it for a very long time.
Being existential finding your purpose and leaving a legacy is something all humans throughout history have dealt with.
It’s why Pharaohs built pyramids. Genghis Khan conquered so much. Leaders built statues of themselves.
People accomplished grand achievements to leave a legacy.
To me, life is greatly about purpose.
Because well. Why would we do anything?
The purpose is subjective.
For most people, I like to think it’s having a family. A legacy to leave behind. To carry your name. To carry your DNA through history. Living forever through family.
(It blows my simple mind when you realize your ancestors were a perfect line of the family tree that in turn birthed you in it. Throughout your name living on)
Religion is also another big one. People find purpose in a heavenly creator.
When I experience existentialism the most.
It can then merge into absurdity
Sometimes when the right ingredients lead me to it.
I like to look at the stars at night.
Just staring at them.
Wondering. Dreaming.
Being lost in the ever-expanding universe above.
Trying to find meaning.
So it makes me crave answers;
Why are we here? What’s the point? What is my purpose?
Yet, the vast nothingness of space offers no reply,
just endless stars in the Milky Way. Shining back at me.
This disconnect between my desire for meaning and the universe’s silence is an absurdity in itself. — Why the fuck are stars going to give me answers?
I then think — There are billions of stars up there.
And I’m here floating on a rock spaceship orbiting a sun.
And it makes me do those small laughs with your nose ones.
Because it’s accepting that the universe doesn’t give you answers to complex questions.
It just is.
(I try not to do this often as I can overthink things and it can be unhealthy for my mental health.)
Existentialism for me
What’s my purpose?
Well for me I’m in my thirties and I’m newly single.
I have concluded and accepted that I probably won’t have a family at this point.
Maybe as I get older and have more money and comfort to spare, I may adopt. But who knows at this point?
So what then? What is the purpose of a 30-year-old male?
I have battled with this.
Well.
I have conducted a list;
The purpose for me
(And hopefully, anyone who is in the same boat as me)
Is to be better than yesterday.
Help anyone who needs it.
Being nice being authentic, being genuine.
Living within my values and standards.
Surrounding myself with like-minded people who share my values.
Eating dinner with my family.
Holding my niece in my arms.
Having a Beer and a BBQ while watching the Rugby with my dad.
Listening to people be passionate about a personal subject.
Listening to music.
Relaxing with a coffee in the morning.
Being out in nature.
Laughing and having fun.
Being kind.
Learning new things.
Having an open mind
Being politically aware, voting, and dealing with political issues that will benefit future generations.
Healthy debates with people about passionate topics.
Finding new experiences.
Taking risks. Making mistakes. Learning from them.
Choosing the hard path. Choosing the easy path.
Traveling and experiencing different people and cultures.
Trying new food.
Listening and trying to understand differing opinions.
Drinking with friends.
Being open and warm.
It is being alive.
Our lives being finite gives it purpose
It took me a while to wrap my head around this.
But I found solace in knowing that life ends.
Because we don’t live forever. It gives life meaning.
If I knew life was forever.
I wouldn’t have great motivation to do anything. Because well.
I live forever.
There’s no point in most of the topics I mentioned above.
Because well it’s pointless in the end.
I don’t have to worry about legacy or learning things.
Because I’m immortal.
Conclusion:
This ones kinda short. But is kinda dope I reckon.
In conclusion.
You can create your own subjective purpose and meaning in life!
And it’s a natural thing all humans throughout history have experienced.
And don’t be scared of the thought.
But embrace life and its absurdities.
