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You wake up one morning and realize you could quit your job, move to Patagonia, and become a sheep farmer. Nothing is stopping you except… you. That paralyzing moment when you grasp your complete freedom? That’s existentialism in action.
Most people think philosophy is about abstract ideas that don’t matter in real life. But existentialism is different — it’s the philosophy of your 3 AM anxiety attacks, your quarter-life crisis, and that sinking feeling when someone asks “What do you want to do with your life?”
The Revolutionary Idea That Changed Everything
Traditional thinking worked like this: God (or nature, or society) creates you with a specific purpose, like a hammer made for hitting nails. Your job is to discover that purpose and fulfill it.
Existentialists flipped this completely upside down. They argued that existence precedes essence — you exist first, then you create your own purpose. You’re not a hammer waiting to discover you’re meant for nails. You’re raw material that gets to decide what to become.
Think of it like being handed a blank canvas instead of a paint-by-number kit. The freedom is exhilarating. It’s also terrifying.
The Founding Fathers (and Mothers) of Anxiety
Kierkegaard: The Original Anxious Thinker
Søren Kierkegaard, a 19th-century Danish philosopher, started it all. He coined the term “angst” — that deep, existential anxiety you feel when confronting life’s big questions. Unlike fear, which has a specific object (spiders, public speaking), angst is about the dizzying realization of your freedom to choose.
Kierkegaard described the “leap of faith” — moments when you must choose without having all the information. Sound familiar? That’s every major life decision you’ll ever make.
Sartre: Condemned to Be Free
Jean-Paul Sartre took existentialism mainstream in 20th-century France. His famous line: “Man is condemned to be free.” You didn’t ask to be born, but now that you’re here, every choice is yours to make.
Sartre argued that when existentialism is explained simply, it comes down to radical responsibility. You can’t blame your parents, your circumstances, or society for who you are. Even choosing not to choose is still a choice.
This sounds harsh, but Sartre saw it as liberating. You’re the author of your own story, not a character in someone else’s play.
Camus: The Absurd Hero
Albert Camus faced the darkest question: if life has no inherent meaning, why not just give up? His answer was revolutionary — embrace the absurdity.
Life is like Sisyphus eternally pushing a boulder up a mountain, only to watch it roll back down. The task is meaningless, but Camus argued we must imagine Sisyphus happy. Why? Because the struggle itself becomes the meaning.
This is why Camus resonates with anyone who’s felt trapped in seemingly pointless routines. Your job might feel absurd, but you can choose to find meaning in how you approach it.
De Beauvoir: The Ethics of Freedom
Simone de Beauvoir added a crucial dimension: your freedom is interconnected with others’ freedom. You can’t be truly free while others are oppressed. This connects existentialism to social justice in ways that feel incredibly relevant today.
Her famous quote “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman” applies to all identity categories. Gender, race, class — these shape your experience, but they don’t determine your essence. simone-de-beauvoir-philosophy
Bad Faith: The Great Self-Deception
Here’s where existentialism gets uncomfortable. Sartre identified “bad faith” — lying to yourself about your freedom to avoid the responsibility of choosing.
Examples of bad faith are everywhere:
- Staying in a job you hate because “I have no choice” (you do have choices, they’re just difficult)
- Following social expectations blindly because “that’s just how things are”
- Adopting an identity completely defined by external roles: “I’m just a parent/employee/student”
Social media amplifies bad faith. You perform a curated version of yourself, then convince yourself that performance is who you really are. The existentialists would say you’re hiding from your authentic self behind a socially acceptable mask.
Existentialism in Your Daily Life
When existentialism is explained simply through modern examples, it becomes incredibly practical:
Career Anxiety: That panic about choosing the “right” path assumes there’s one correct answer. Existentialism says there isn’t — there are only choices and their consequences. The anxiety comes from wanting certainty in an uncertain world.
Identity Crises: Feeling lost about “who you really are” misses the point. You’re not discovering a fixed self; you’re creating one through your choices. identity-vs-authenticity
Analysis Paralysis: Endlessly researching the perfect decision is often bad faith in disguise. You’re avoiding the responsibility of choosing by pretending you need more information.
Imposter Syndrome: That feeling that you’re “faking it” assumes there’s a “real” you waiting to be discovered. But competence and identity are built through action, not revealed through introspection.
The Modern Existential Crisis
Technology has created new forms of existential anxiety. Dating apps reduce relationships to swipe-based choices. Career platforms like LinkedIn turn professional identity into performance art. Social media creates infinite possibilities for self-presentation.
This abundance of choice should be liberating, but it often feels overwhelming. Psychologist Barry Schwartz calls this “the paradox of choice” — too many options can paralyze rather than free us. choice-overload-psychology
Existentialists would say this paralysis comes from looking for the “right” choice instead of taking responsibility for making choices and living with their consequences.
Practical Existentialism
How do you live existentially without drowning in anxiety?
Embrace “Thrownness”: Heidegger’s concept of being “thrown” into circumstances you didn’t choose (your family, country, historical moment). You can’t control your starting point, but you control your response to it.
Act First, Understand Later: Instead of trying to figure out who you are before acting, discover yourself through action. Want to know if you’re creative? Start creating. Want to know if you’re brave? Act bravely.
Accept Anxiety as Information: Existential angst isn’t a problem to solve; it’s a sign that you’re taking your freedom seriously. The goal isn’t to eliminate anxiety but to act despite it.
Create Your Own Values: Don’t just adopt society’s values wholesale. Question them, modify them, or replace them entirely. Your moral code should be consciously chosen, not passively inherited. moral-relativism-ethics
Beyond Individual Freedom
Critics argue that existentialism is too individualistic, ignoring social structures that limit real choices. But existentialists like de Beauvoir and Sartre were deeply political, recognizing that individual freedom requires collective action.
The point isn’t that everyone has equal opportunities — they clearly don’t. The point is that within whatever constraints you face, you still have choices about how to respond. free-will-vs-determinism
Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, exemplified this. Even in concentration camps — the ultimate constraint on freedom — people retained the power to choose their attitude toward their suffering.
The Courage to Be Yourself
When existentialism is explained simply, it’s ultimately about courage — the courage to create meaning in a universe that doesn’t hand it to you on a silver platter.
This doesn’t mean rejecting all traditions or social connections. It means consciously choosing which traditions to embrace and which relationships to nurture, rather than accepting them passively.
The existentialists offer no easy answers, no comfort, no predetermined purpose. What they offer is something potentially more valuable: the recognition that you are the author of your own meaning.
That’s both terrifying and magnificent. The terror keeps you honest. The magnificence keeps you going.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is existentialism just nihilism in disguise?
No, though they’re often confused. Nihilism says life has no meaning, period. Existentialism says life has no predetermined meaning, but you can create your own. It’s the difference between “nothing matters” and “you decide what matters.”
Do existentialists believe in God?
It varies. Kierkegaard was deeply religious, while Sartre was atheist. The key existentialist insight works regardless: even if God exists, you still must choose how to interpret and respond to divine will. Faith itself becomes an existential choice.
How is existentialism different from just “following your dreams”?
Following your dreams assumes you have predetermined dreams waiting to be discovered. Existentialism says you create your dreams through your choices and actions. It’s more about becoming who you choose to be than discovering who you “really” are.
Can existentialism help with depression and anxiety?
Existential therapy, based on these principles, can be helpful. Instead of seeing anxiety as pathology, it frames it as a normal response to freedom and responsibility. However, clinical depression often requires medical treatment alongside any philosophical approach.
Is existentialism relevant in a world of climate change and global problems?
Very relevant. Existentialism emphasizes that even facing overwhelming global challenges, you still choose your response. You can choose despair, denial, or action. The philosophy provides a framework for taking responsibility without becoming paralyzed by problems beyond your individual control.