Existentialism: A Guide to Create Your Own Living

“Life itself is neither a good nor an evil: life is where good or evil find a place, depending on how you make it for them”

– Michel de Montaigne

Life rarely comes with a clear purpose attached. We are not part of a game where the quests and levels are easily accessible. Sowhat we do is spend our lives searching for “meaning”, like a treasure buried deep in the outside world. Yet what if the meaning isn’t hidden at all? What if it is something we build, simply by our choices, shaped by not where we come from but where we decide to go?

Existentialism begins here: It presents the concept that meaning can be constructed rather than found, that individuals are not confined by their circumstances. We are not born with a predefined purpose, identity, or meaning. We create them through choices and actions. So, in the absence of any inherent meaning, it encourages us to become the author of our own lives, taking responsibility for writing the story as we live it.

The popularity of such a radical concept is what makes its history fascinating.

Why would human beings begin to question theirfundamentals? Why in a world where people believed in God, did a movement emerge that focused on humans creating their own fate? Existentialism gained popularity between the two world wars which was a time shaken by casualties, wherepeople stopped believing old religiouscertainities. When people could no longer rely on God or tradition to define meaning, they were presented with the possibility that life had none. This created a void for Existentialism to bloom.

Does this mean the movement is no longer relevant? Absolutely not.

Even today the world is as dynamic as it was then. Although there may not be an event of such a mass scale happening around us,numerous micro movements are emerging. In an era where people are supposed to be moreconnected than ever, we often feel isolated. This isolation has the same effect,where people begin to question their fundamentals. Existentialism comes here with its core concept to guide you through this revolt.

Existentialism is a deep ocean of thoughts containing many theories but some of its core concepts might help you get a better idea of how to become an existentialist.

One of the key concepts it has is “Existence over Essence”. We are not born with a fixed identity or purpose. We become who we are through our actions. The meaning we have been talking about is not provided to you, but it is an end that man must achieve by himself, to craft it into his own.

To begin crafting this meaning an individual must realize his Radical Freedom, which states that we are fundamentally free. Every decision, every action, or refusal to act is also a choice, and that Freedom is ultimately in our hands.

Radical Freedom also gives rise to “Anguish,” or the anxiety one feels knowing that they are solely responsible for every choice they make. This Anguish might also lead one to act in a manner that Jean Paul Sartre mentions at “Bad Faith” where a person denies this freedom by pretending that it is not their choice that drives meaning. Such individuals are known to adopt external social roles and values rather than being a free agent.

Being Aware of these concepts and their effects, there are ways to bring all this theory in your daily life. Firstly, you should remember that you don’t need to follow a predefined path for your life. You are also allowed to change who you are, as Emerson said.

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency, a great soul has simply nothing to do.”

It should help you realise that peace doesn’t come from certainty, but from choices you make, and that your life is to fashion your world the way you want to, through these choices and conscious efforts. This is what Existentialism promises you: a chance to build meaning rather than inheriting it. A reason to live boldly, courageously, and unapologetically as yourself.

-Jaskaran

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