More than a word you use to sound smart in conversation...

I doubt that I'm the only one out there who's repeatedly heard (or even used) the word Existentialism without actually knowing what it really means. But tonight I spent an hour reading about it and was shocked to discover that it sounded frighteningly similar to thoughts I've had myself (during darker moments of course).

I'm not going to start wearing a t-shirt that reads "I'm an Existentialist, and You could be too!"; in fact I was a little bummed out by the fact that I couldn't find a(n) "How to eradicate existential thoughts" article. It was, however, interesting to stumble upon a definition for something close to home, so to speak. I thought I'd post portions of what I read:


Existentialism is a philosophical movement that posits that individuals create the meaning and essence of their lives, as opposed to deities or authorities creating it for them.
Existentialism tends to focus on the question of human existence — the feeling that there is no purpose, indeed nothing, at the core of existence. Finding a way to counter this nothingness, by embracing existence, is the fundamental theme of existentialism, and the root of the philosophy's name. Someone who believes fundamentally only in existence, and seeks to find meaning in his or her life solely by embracing existence, is an existentialist.
Emphasizing action, freedom, and decision as fundamental, existentialists look at where people find meaning. Existentialism asserts that people actually make decisions based on what has meaning to them rather than what is rational.
In 1670, Blaise Pascal described many fundamental themes common to what would be known as existentialism two and three centuries later. Pascal argued that without a God, life would be meaningless and miserable. People would only be able to create obstacles and overcome them in an attempt to escape boredom. These token-victories would ultimately become meaningless, since people would eventually die. This was good enough reason not to choose to become an atheist, according to Pascal.
Kierkegaard's and Nietzsche's focus was on human experience. Like Pascal, they were interested in people's concealment of the meaninglessness of life and the use of diversion to escape from boredom.
Camus used the analogy of the Greek myth to demonstrate the futility of existence. In the myth, Sisyphus is condemned for eternity to roll a rock up a hill, but when he reaches the summit, the rock will roll to the bottom again. Camus believes that this existence is pointless but that Sisyphus ultimately finds meaning and purpose in his task, simply by continually applying himself to it.
Kafka created often surreal and alienated characters who struggle with hopelessness and absurdity, notably in his most famous novella, "The Metamorphosis". Dostoyevsky's "Notes from Underground" details the story of a man who is unable to fit into society and unhappy with the identities he creates for himself.