If we’re gonna appreciate this topic, let’s start with the Father of Existential Angst~
“The crucial thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I am willing to live and to die.” — Soren Kierkegaard
1813-1855 Philosopher, Poet, Social Critic, Dramatic AF (so relatable AF)
More Existential Titans Here https://supervalentthought.com/most-famous-existentialists/
Even if you haven’t researched what existentialism is, you’ve definitely experienced it.
What’s the point? Why are we here? Like Daddy Kierkegaard is saying, these answers are completely up to YOU. And that’s a lot to handle.
What Is Existential Angst?
Existential angst often blooms from the idea that humans are the only species that are extremely self aware (that we know of), and this understanding leads many people to the staggering edge of all the possible paths they could take.
Instead of feeling motivated which sounds way more fun, most of us find ourselves frozen with indecisiveness. This fear of making the wrong decision keeps us stuck. Unmoving as life rushes past us. Like those rocks Angus Tuck talked about in Tuck Everlasting (iconic movie, bet it’s an even better book)
How Existential Angst Can Wreck Your Life
- Choice overload: Too many paths can lead to making no move at all.
- Pressure of “doing it right”: Society, social media, and even our inner critics scream at us about what we should be doing.
- Fear of regret: Worrying that one wrong move will ruin everything keeps us stuck on the sidelines.
- Isolation: Angst can trick you into thinking you’re the only one feeling this way. (Spoiler Alert: you’re not.)
Mix that with
- Knowing just how close we are to “making mistakes”
- Mixed with strict social expectations, ideas of what we should do, vs ideas of what we want to do
- People on social media claiming they each have the answer to our problems
- Television blasting over our intuition
- Political BS actively deconstructing the nation…
No wonder we get overwhelmed and don’t know which direction to go in.
Sometimes Existential Angst can lead us to ponder that life has no overall meaning
For me, it hits a different way- I feel that life has more meaning than I could ever feel the full depth of. When I go into one of my spirals, I often feel trapped between ideas, between moves, because there are SO many directions I want to move in.
Think of this illustrated excerpt from Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar- https://sarahsspirals.com/choice-overload/
Our girl sees so many possibilities, she just can’t bring herself to choose one, and ends up losing all of them. I am turning into this girl, and I can’t let that happen to me.
which brings us to
me documenting my spirals, gleaning the lessons I can and striving to apply the knowledge in valuable ways. Not gonna lie- I know I’m my own worst enemy, but while I work to realign my spirit, perhaps there are a few gems in here that will shine some light on your own journey.
