I hear people say they’re having an “existential crisis”, but can never fully grasp what that means. Or, that Jean-Paul Satre was an “existential writer.” What makes him so?
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In a nutshell, existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes individual existence, freedom and choice. It is the view that humans define their own meaning in life, and try to make rational decisions despite existing in an irrational universe. Basically, it says that all there is is the human experience, and doesn’t put stock in ‘mystical’ answers to philosophical questions.
To that end, an existential crisis is when a human actor realizes the above statement to be true – that there is no “overseer” of the universe and that one day, they will die and all of their achievements will become dust. That is a tough pill to swallow for many, hence the “crisis” part.
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