REFLECTION Dec. 4 - What is Existentialism?

Existentialism is...

WHO KNOWS?!

I mean, as much great information was presented in the class discussion, I feel like I came away with the exact stance I entered with on existentialism.

What. Is. This?

Although I will save most of the digging and epiphanies I have had for my paper, I will go over my favorite idea that came to me during class here.

One of the outstanding points that caught my attention was a quote that the first group presenting shared. I guess it was from a cartoon called Rick and Morty, which I have never heard of.

But the quote was,

"Nobody exists on purpose."

I really liked that quote, and it directed my thinking to a main vein of the conversations that were conducted during class.

I have found that, as is the case with most of the principles of existentialism, I agree with this quote in certain lights but can also argue with myself to present a valid point to support the converse.

Thank you, existentialism.

Back to the quote, no person has a choice on whether they exist or not.

INITIALLY.

You're born, and by the time you are conscious enough to realize that you have been forced into this existence you have already established a life.

At that point, you have connections with people and ties that can be difficult to break.

So in this sense, no.

You don't have a choice.

You're here, and you're stuck.

BUT, thanks to the magic of existentialism, you can take a slightly different approach to the concept and come out with a radically different viewpoint.

Case in point: one could make the argument that once you pass the age of coming into consciousness about your existence, you could kill yourself.

This would transfer the control of your own existence back to you.

Also, again altering the take on the matter slightly, if you chose to lead an unfulfilled life and abstain from joy or meaningful relationships or fulfilling your potential,

are you really existing?

And at that point, does your spiteful misery give you back the control over your existence?

If we take apart the term existence, does it simply meant to breath and have life function?

Or are we talking about the deeper sense of existence where what you do with your life creates existence and you can achieve a greater sense of existence by improving others around you?

This is the whirlwind that existentialism creates in my head.

All in all, this class has been very eye opening to me.

I will admit that I was not wholly receptive to it at first, taking it only to fulfill an upper division humanities credit. Not to learn something.

But I have taken more from this class than I anticipated.

I have grown to appreciate the viewpoint of others, even if it does not agree with my own.

I have learned that simple life decisions have deeper meaning than what is attributed to them on a surface level.

Most of all, I have discovered that values, viewpoints, emotions, hard moral life conclusions...

these things are all fluid.

They can morph along with the path of your life, and it is not a bad thing.

It does not indicate weakness or flightiness in a person.

I have come to understand that it simply indicates growth.

Your life changes, and hopefully, you change with it.

This is what existentialism has taught me.