Existential crisis?

[kirant]

Originally Posted by Robotic

Ayahuasca in the jungles of Peru is where its at!

Try the Merciless Pepper of Quetzalacatenango.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by peter12

For Aristotle, virtue was only possible when active. The creation of a family, and maintaining its stability were essential parts to a good life. I think this applies to most humans.

Right, but you must acknowledge that for some this is not representative of the good life. Is there really virtue in being inauthentic?

The alternative being nihilism. Fair point, but not much help.

I disagree. I find absurdism to be one of many viable alternatives.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Right, but you must acknowledge that for some this is not representative of the good life. Is there really virtue in being inauthentic?

I disagree. I find absurdism to be one of many viable alternatives.

The real problem is that, for Aristotle, this wasn't a choice.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by peter12

The real problem is that, for Aristotle, this wasn't a choice.

Okay, but the dialectic has shifted considerably since then. This doesn't mean that nothing can be learned from Aristotlean virtue, but not putting it in within its context or advocating a strict adherence to it is dogmatic.

[Hack&Lube]

What is virtue? Why must I ascribe to Aristotelian or Confucian ideals of virtue? Happiness and purpose and meaning are found in different ways for different people. I have no worries about existence or my mortality. I do have worries about maintaining happiness as long as I am alive however.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Trying to be back on topic:

I don't think you'll ever really figure it out. Feeling a little lost and unsure about things is just the way some of us are wired, and quite natural.
Hopefully you get some control and understanding of that, but I wouldn't expect it to just go away at any point.

I was talking about this sort of thing with some friends/clients who recently moved from Finland and they noticed a considerable difference in how we culturally deal with uncertainly, sadness, depression etc.

Our culture likes to treat everything as a problem, where they thought of these things as normal states of mind that individuals go through at times. Not bad or good, just part of being human.
Not something you have to overcome, but something that's always there in certain amounts.

They actually found it quite comfortable to have periods of melancholy, and thought us Canadians were strange for always trying to "figure everything out".

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Trying to be back on topic:

I don't think you'll ever really figure it out. Feeling a little lost and unsure about things is just the way some of us are wired, and quite natural.
Hopefully you get some control and understanding of that, but I wouldn't expect it to just go away at any point.

I was talking about this sort of thing with some friends/clients who recently moved from Finland and they noticed a considerable difference in how we culturally deal with uncertainly, sadness, depression etc.

Our culture likes to treat everything as a problem, where they thought of these things as normal states of mind that individuals go through at times. Not bad or good, just part of being human.
Not something you have to overcome, but something that's always there in certain amounts.

They actually found it quite comfortable to have periods of melancholy, and thought us Canadians were strange for always trying to "figure everything out".

Spiritually enlightened hocus pocus is what that is. They just dont have it all figured out. We're working on it, and when we find it, oooh, they'll be jealous.

[puckluck2]

Wow can't believe peter12 picked this thread to act like a dick after being missing in action for about 2 years.

On topic..Jay I've went through the same phase and it occasionally pops back up from time to time. I've thought and thought about the purpose of life until I couldn't even think any longer. I've dealt with depression as well and I think it's somewhat related. Sometimes I'll be in bed and will even think about every single breath I take and won't be able to sleep because of it. Good on you for starting this thread I'm sure there are a lot of people reading going through the same thing and it's nice knowing you're not the only one.

[puckluck2]

Also, Peter12 your one liner "first world problems" backfired but then you go off for 4 pages? Should have just stopped at your first awful post because you back peddeled faster than Lance Armstrong and still dug yourself a big giant hole.

[Jbo]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I've gone through those introspective times on a few different occasions. It's tough to break out of it. Quite often when things seem to be going my way I get worried about losing it all. It's weird how we're wired, I had a crazy fear of death as a child from about age 5-10. It took me years to get over it, now I think, compared to 99% of people I've had a good run at life, if it ends too soon so be it.

I find that what makes this odd, to your point, is this hitting me at a time I really shouldn't be worried. Many on this board know me and I am happy in my career, healthy, have good friends and family.

In my thoughts,I have thought that it might be due to the fact that there is now more to potentially lose. Would explain why some go through it after children are born.

[calgarywinning]

As mentioned, Victor Frankl's book In Search of Meaning is excellent. It will provide some great insight.

Also, in my insight and limited understanding of the world, as I get older and realize how little I really do comprehend, I can understand that nature is as close to perfect in it's form and function. It's just incredible to observe and see how perfect it is, especially compared to man's/woman's achievements like our concrete jungles, crude housing structures and how everything we make is in a constant state of decay as opposed to nature that is in a constant state of evolving.

To truly understand that the design of nature is to replenish through life and death, like constant waves crashing onto a beach and then returning. That even though we don't fully understand it, there is some purpose. Steve Jobs called "Death" the greatest element of "change".

Even considering what we understand of the cosmos and quantum physics show this natural system which is so deeply interconnected and complicated to the smallest patterns of nature, life and death. So there can be an anxiety from not understanding, but that is part of the design. Not knowing the hour of your death is a gift.

I also agree with meditation, relaxing and just surrounding yourself in nature whenever possible. You exist. The fact that you exist needs to be "felt" not "feared". There is a point where taking an amazing walk or bike ride in nature just totally zeros out your thoughts of "self only". That you start to feel more connected with nature and others helps limit the "isolation" of being with your self. If you have activities that make you feel this way, step them up to take a larger percentage of your life.

I have found most feelings of emptiness, depression are based on constant exposure to negative or false realities. Like working a ####ty job that you hate, being in man-made environments too long, etc.etc. It's amazing how quickly a life can be re-directed and how you feel changes based on what you expose yourself too. Seriously just trying changing your experiences and you will see the difference.

Also, the mind can be a terrible rationing, creative or destructive force. It can take you places. The more you engage the body and experiences as it was more meant from nature, the more this slides away. The fact is modern day society alters the design of how we are supposed to experience our lives. Hopping in a car instead of walking a couple of miles, spending an hour in front of the computer on CP instead of on your deck.

[1stLand]

Surround yourself with love man.

As Troutman said.

Enjoy every day.

Everyone dies. I liked a previous posters comment about what his dad said about what it feels like to be dead. "Probably the same we felt before we were born"

I believe in reincarnation. I won't remember being a member of Calgary puck in 300 years when I am robot mechanic living in Japan

[Clarkey]

I used to struggle with existential dread quite a bit. I even remember being as young as four or five lying in bed fixating on where I came from, why I was on earth, what death meant and being quite confused.

I think it was somewhere after being burnt out at work and having my second kid I just gave up on worrying about the macro level of things and started finding joy in the simple every day things. Instead of fixating on discovering the meaning of life I decided to try to pursue things that gave my life meaning. So what does that mean? To me things that bring meaning to my own and probably most others lives fit in the following categories (with overlap):

-Family
-Social involvement (friends, community)
-Achievement/challenge
-Leisure/doing things you enjoy
-Helping others

I'm not saying I've maximized all those categories but I also don't find myself worrying about things like existentialism, mortality etc. as much.

[Medium Rare]

I don't know how to embed this, but watch this for inspiration if you're ever in doubt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a02v-UFOGNM

RIP Warrior

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Trying to be back on topic:

I don't think you'll ever really figure it out. Feeling a little lost and unsure about things is just the way some of us are wired, and quite natural.
Hopefully you get some control and understanding of that, but I wouldn't expect it to just go away at any point.

I was talking about this sort of thing with some friends/clients who recently moved from Finland and they noticed a considerable difference in how we culturally deal with uncertainly, sadness, depression etc.

Our culture likes to treat everything as a problem, where they thought of these things as normal states of mind that individuals go through at times. Not bad or good, just part of being human.
Not something you have to overcome, but something that's always there in certain amounts.

They actually found it quite comfortable to have periods of melancholy, and thought us Canadians were strange for always trying to "figure everything out".

i agree. happiness ain't a location. Sadness/melancholy is part of the journey.

I think what the OP is going through is common, and questioning things in life is always something that will tend to help make you grow as a person. Ideally it will inspire more reason or a clearer path to what you end up feeling is important in life (ie. be it being more involved in your career path, or being more social/finding someone, getting more connected with your family, etc).

If you're just down, hopefully it will pass. if you're in a spot where it's been a while and you just can't shake it i do think going and seeing someone about it might not be a bad idea. I'm not a big therapy/phsycology supporter, but i think there's a difference between going thru some lulls in life or times of sadness and flat out depression. It is important that if it is the latter that a support system is in place (be it family/friends or professional).

Good luck.

[Thor]

Honestly mushrooms is not a bad idea But holy crap Nyah's post was pretty bang on for me in my life experience.

I found that getting deeper and deeper into science, especially cosmology gave me a profound comfort and appreciation, satisfaction in life.

For me watching the old Carl Sagan's cosmos always filled me with a great sense of fulfillment and joy, as does the new series, maybe that would be just the ticket for you.

[Lanny_McDonald]

To the OP, sounds like you're growing up. Wait until you approach 50 and the people you used to look up to and emulate start to die. Then wait to see what happens when your peer group begins to die. Then wait for the problems of your body wearing out and things you used to tale for granted become a chore. You think you just had an existential crisis? Wait until that point in your life, when you really start to feel the reality of your own mortality. Nothing makes us appreciate something more than when it looks like it is coming to an end. You appreciate life the older you get, even if it does get more and more complicated and ugly.

To me you've hit your first of many walls. You'll hit other walls in your life and make adjustments which cause plateaus and help you find new comfort zones which give you another false sense of meaning. At some point you'll realize that there is no meaning. You're playing out the clock in a game that has no consequence in the big picture. Enjoy the ride as long as you can and try and make the ride more enjoyable for those around you. There's no getting out alive.

[firebug]

http://soyouregoingtodie.com/zoom.html

[Jbo]

Just wanted to say thanks for all the responses. It is great to read that others have the same thoughts and have gone through similar experiences.

[irrevocable]

Hope you are doing well OP.