Existentialism

[Nautical Honors Society]

Anyone here adopt any existential qualities?

The reason I don't say "who here is an existentialist" is because no one can truly be an existentialist, not even Camu (that is why he created absurdism)

I truly believe that you are all you have in life and that your relationships with others are based upon what you can gain from each other. I also believe that all answers lie within and external affirmation of your actions can only lead to suffering. Generally, you can't care what others think of you.

But that is can never be totally the case, so that is why I say I adopt only certain notions of this philosophy.

Anyone else care to share?

EDIT: Sartre and Camus...sorry haha

 

[Jumping_Over_Fences]

I consider myself an optimistic existential nihilist.

I just find existentialism and nihilism to just seem so depressing, that is the reason for the optimistic addition. I am not an optimistic person, I just have a less depressing approach the the ideas. The idea of life having no inherent meaning or purpose does not make me want to kill myself, or depressed. I feel that this makes me free to experience life the way I wish. I am free to do whatever I want because I get to create the meaning. I have no set of rules for which I have to live my life other than those I have determined. Well, I don't want to get arrested, so I have to follow some rules that are put in to play by other people.

 

[the Dept of Science]

I think in some ways its kindof cool that nothing I do ultimately matters. I don't get so pissed off when I fuck up. There is no pressure of an ultimate acheivement that I might not live up to. Its quite liberating.

 

[CoverYourHead]

Yes. I tend to often reflect on life from an outside perspective and it tends to make me think about the pointlessness and insignificance of most things. Then I realize that THAT doesn't really matter either, and go on being my happy-go-lucky self.

 

[s0denone]

Anyone here adopt any existential qualities?

The reason I don't say "who here is an existentialist" is because no one can truly be an existentialist, not even Camu (that is why he created absurdism)

I truly believe that you are all you have in life and that your relationships with others are based upon what you can gain from each other. I also believe that all answers lie within and external affirmation of your actions can only lead to suffering. Generally, you can't care what others think of you.

But that is can never be totally the case, so that is why I say I adopt only certain notions of this philosophy.

Anyone else care to share?

I'd like you to clarify the bolded statement.

I recommend reading Nietzche, Kierkegaard, Sartre and Camus. Not necessarily directed at you, OP, but just regarding the subject "Existentialism" in general.

I find the thought of a person making their own decisions in life, much like Kierkegaard thought, thus ultimately defining their own existence to be true. I am an existentialist in that regard.

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Anyone here adopt any existential qualities?

The reason I don't say "who here is an existentialist" is because no one can truly be an existentialist, not even Camu (that is why he created absurdism)

I truly believe that you are all you have in life and that your relationships with others are based upon what you can gain from each other. I also believe that all answers lie within and external affirmation of your actions can only lead to suffering. Generally, you can't care what others think of you.

But that is can never be totally the case, so that is why I say I adopt only certain notions of this philosophy.

Anyone else care to share?

I'd like you to clarify the bolded statement.

I recommend reading Nietzche, Kierkegaard, Sartre and Camus. Not necessarily directed at you, OP, but just regarding the subject "Existentialism" in general.

I find the thought of a person making their own decisions in life, much like Kierkegaard thought, thus ultimately defining their own existence to be true. I am an existentialism in that regard.

I do read Satre and Camu (I mentioned Camu in my OP actually), and Camu created absurdism because no one can be a true existentialist. All truths may come from within, but existentialism requires you to live your life with no external influences.

Just as Kurt Vonnegut explained in Cat's Cradle, to be identify yourself with something you must be able to practice all aspects of it, he was talking about religion, but it applies to philosophy as well.

I mean that I believe people can have existentialist qualities (even a lot of them like Satre and Camu), but no one can follow all aspects of Existentialism in this day an age, no human being is solid enough to deny all outside forms of contact and no one is self-actualized enough to ignore all external influence.

I mean c'mon, Satre is the closest thing to a a "full" existentialist, and i doubt even he sits in a coffee shop all day pontificating.

 

[Kpt._Rob]

Why do you keep calling him "Camu"? It's "Camus," it just sounds like "Camu" because it's a french name... the "s" is silent.

As for me, I shall paraphrase Christopher Hitchens in saying that if the universe were found either to be infinite or finite, either discovery would be equally mindblowing to me.

 

[s0denone]

Anyone here adopt any existential qualities?

The reason I don't say "who here is an existentialist" is because no one can truly be an existentialist, not even Camu (that is why he created absurdism)

I truly believe that you are all you have in life and that your relationships with others are based upon what you can gain from each other. I also believe that all answers lie within and external affirmation of your actions can only lead to suffering. Generally, you can't care what others think of you.

But that is can never be totally the case, so that is why I say I adopt only certain notions of this philosophy.

Anyone else care to share?

I'd like you to clarify the bolded statement.

I recommend reading Nietzche, Kierkegaard, Sartre and Camus. Not necessarily directed at you, OP, but just regarding the subject "Existentialism" in general.

I find the thought of a person making their own decisions in life, much like Kierkegaard thought, thus ultimately defining their own existence to be true. I am an existentialism in that regard.

I do read Satre and Camu (I mentioned Camu in my OP actually), and Camu created absurdism because no one can be a true existentialist. All truths may come from within, but existentialism requires you to live your life with no external influences.

Just as Kurt Vonnegut explained in Cat's Cradle, to be identify yourself with something you must be able to practice all aspects of it, he was talking about religion, but it applies to philosophy as well.

I mean that I believe people can have existentialist qualities (even a lot of them like Satre and Camu), but no one can follow all aspects of Existentialism in this day an age, no human being is solid enough to deny all outside forms of contact and no one is self-actualized enough to ignore all external influence.

I mean c'mon, Satre is the closest thing to a a "full" existentialist, and i doubt even he sits in a coffee shop all day pontificating.

I agree. I would argue, however, that everyone has existentialist qualities in this day and age, given the focus on individualism and choice. Everyone, ultimately, defines who they are by themselves, one way or another.

I can't really argue that much with you, since I find that our viewpoints are very alike.

A note, though, is that your mispelling of Sartre and Camus is rather annoying

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Why do you keep calling him "Camu"? It's "Camus," it just sounds like "Camu" because it's a french name... the "s" is silent.

As for me, I shall paraphrase Christopher Hitchens in saying that if the universe were found either to be infinite or finite, either discovery would be equally mindblowing to me.

Sorry simple mistake. Doesnt mean anything.

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Anyone here adopt any existential qualities?

The reason I don't say "who here is an existentialist" is because no one can truly be an existentialist, not even Camu (that is why he created absurdism)

I truly believe that you are all you have in life and that your relationships with others are based upon what you can gain from each other. I also believe that all answers lie within and external affirmation of your actions can only lead to suffering. Generally, you can't care what others think of you.

But that is can never be totally the case, so that is why I say I adopt only certain notions of this philosophy.

Anyone else care to share?

I'd like you to clarify the bolded statement.

I recommend reading Nietzche, Kierkegaard, Sartre and Camus. Not necessarily directed at you, OP, but just regarding the subject "Existentialism" in general.

I find the thought of a person making their own decisions in life, much like Kierkegaard thought, thus ultimately defining their own existence to be true. I am an existentialism in that regard.

I do read Satre and Camu (I mentioned Camu in my OP actually), and Camu created absurdism because no one can be a true existentialist. All truths may come from within, but existentialism requires you to live your life with no external influences.

Just as Kurt Vonnegut explained in Cat's Cradle, to be identify yourself with something you must be able to practice all aspects of it, he was talking about religion, but it applies to philosophy as well.

I mean that I believe people can have existentialist qualities (even a lot of them like Satre and Camu), but no one can follow all aspects of Existentialism in this day an age, no human being is solid enough to deny all outside forms of contact and no one is self-actualized enough to ignore all external influence.

I mean c'mon, Satre is the closest thing to a a "full" existentialist, and i doubt even he sits in a coffee shop all day pontificating.

I agree. I would argue, however, that everyone has existentialist qualities in this day and age, given the focus on individualism and choice. Everyone, ultimately, defines who they are by themselves, one way or another.

I can't really argue that much with you, since I find that our viewpoints are very alike.

A note, though, is that your mispelling of Sartre and Camus is rather annoying

I am glad we are in agreement...sorta

And intelligence has no correlation with spelling so it doesnt bother me XD

 

[octafish]

I get my existentialism through Sartre. Everyone is an existentialist, they just choose to act in bad faith. Man is free.