Do you ever wrestle with life’s biggest questions, like “What is my purpose?” or “How can I live a truly meaningful life?” These uncertainties are not just passing thoughts; they are central to the human experience. Existentialism, often misunderstood as a bleak philosophy, is a practical way to confront these challenges. It does not offer easy answers, but it does provide a framework for you to build your own, empowering you to find meaning in a world that offers none on its own.
The core tenet of this philosophy is the idea that “existence precedes essence,” a concept most famously championed by Jean-Paul Sartre. This means you are not born with a fixed nature or a predetermined purpose; you are, above all, a conscious, free being. It is only through your choices, actions, and commitments that you create your own “essence” or identity over time. This profound freedom is the source of both your power and your responsibility, as every decision you make contributes to the person you are becoming.
This process of self-creation is what existentialists call the path to an authentic life. Instead of conforming to external pressures or societal expectations, you are encouraged to forge a path true to your own values and choices. These ideas can help you handle uncertainty, embrace your freedom, and take complete ownership of your story. Existentialism offers a guide not to a life without anxiety, but to a life of profound, self-made meaning.
Key Takeaways
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The core principle of existentialism is ‘existence precedes essence,’ which means you are born without a predetermined purpose and must create your own meaning and identity through your choices.
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You possess ‘radical freedom’ to define your own being, which comes with the immense responsibility of being accountable for who you become, without blaming external factors.
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The goal is to live an ‘authentic life’ by making choices that reflect your self-created values, rather than living in ‘bad faith’ by pretending you are not free and conforming to external pressures.
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Existentialism confronts ‘the Absurd’—the conflict between our desire for meaning and the universe’s indifference—by encouraging a rebellion of living passionately despite the lack of inherent purpose.
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Meaning is not something you find, but something you actively create through your commitments, actions, and the values you choose to live by.
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Instead of being a bleak philosophy, existentialism is empowering because it views the absence of inherent meaning as a liberating opportunity to take full ownership of your life.
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Existentialism offers a practical framework for modern challenges like career anxiety by empowering you to build a path that is authentically yours, rather than searching for a single ‘correct’ one.
The Core Idea: Existence Precedes Essence
At the heart of existentialism is the idea that your existence precedes your essence. To understand this, think about a manufactured object like a paperknife, an example famously used by Jean-Paul Sartre. An artisan conceives of the paperknife’s purpose and design, its essence, before a single piece of metal is forged. For the paperknife, its pre-defined function comes before its physical creation. It is made specifically to be what it is.
You, however, are not a paperknife. Existentialism proposes that you are first thrown into the world, existing without any pre-written script or inherent purpose. You are not born with a fixed human nature or a destiny to fulfill. Unlike the knife, there was no blueprint for “you” before you arrived. This means your essence, which includes your values, character, and meaning, is not something you discover but something you must actively create throughout your life.
This reversal places an immense, and sometimes daunting, freedom directly on your shoulders. Because there is no pre-ordained path, every choice you make and every action you take actively defines who you are. You are the author of your own nature, building your essence moment by moment. In this view, you are entirely responsible for the person you become, tasked with the personal project of creating meaning in a world that offers none on its own.
The Burden of Freedom and Radical Responsibility
Since you have no pre-written script for your life, you are handed what existentialists call radical freedom. This is not just the freedom to choose your career; it is the absolute, unconditional freedom to define your very being. Every choice you make and every action you take is an act of self-creation, shaping the person you are becoming. Jean-Paul Sartre famously declared that you are “condemned to be free,” highlighting the inescapable nature of this liberty. You are the sole author of your character, writing your own essence into existence moment by moment.
This immense freedom comes with an equally immense and often uncomfortable weight: total responsibility. Because you are the one making the choices, you alone are accountable for the person you become and the meaning your life holds. You cannot legitimately blame your circumstances, society, or a divine plan for your shortcomings or failures. This realization can be terrifying, leading to what existentialists call “anguish,” the deep anxiety of knowing your choices matter absolutely. However, this also means you get to take full credit for your triumphs and the authentic life you build for yourself.
The Challenge of Authenticity
The central challenge of existentialism is the call to live an authentic life. This means making choices that genuinely reflect the values you have created for yourself, not just following a script handed to you by society or tradition. Because you are “thrown into existence” without a predetermined purpose, your task is to define your own essence through your actions. Authenticity is the ultimate expression of your freedom and the responsibility that comes with it. It is the courageous act of choosing who you are, again and again, in a world without inherent meaning.
In contrast, existentialists warn against living in “bad faith,” a form of profound self-deception. You fall into bad faith whenever you pretend you are not free, blaming your circumstances, your role in life, or “human nature” for your decisions. This allows you to avoid the anxiety of total freedom by acting as if your path is already set and you are not the author of your life. This prompts a critical question: are your choices a true expression of your authentic self, or a performance designed to meet external expectations?
Confronting the Absurd
You have likely felt a profound disconnect at some point, a moment where your deep-seated need for answers and purpose runs headfirst into the cold, silent indifference of the universe. This fundamental conflict is what existentialist philosopher Albert Camus called “the Absurd.” It is not that the world itself is absurd or that your desire for meaning is absurd; rather, the absurdity arises from the tension between these two opposing forces. You are a rational being seeking logic and significance in an irrational, meaningless world. This clash is the essential human condition, a constant negotiation between your consciousness and the vast, unresponsive cosmos.
To illustrate this idea, Camus famously turned to the ancient Greek myth of Sisyphus. Condemned by the gods for eternity, Sisyphus must push a massive boulder up a mountain, only to watch it roll back down just before he reaches the summit. His labor is futile, repetitive, and utterly devoid of any grander purpose, perfectly mirroring the experience of an absurd existence. You can see your own daily struggles in his endless task, which includes the routines and challenges that often feel meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Sisyphus becomes the ultimate absurd hero, trapped in a pointless cycle yet fully conscious of his fate.
Acknowledging this absurdity is not a call to despair but the first step toward authentic freedom. Camus argues that you have three choices when facing the absurd: denial, suicide, or rebellion. He champions rebellion, which involves living fully and passionately in spite of the universe’s meaninglessness. This rebellion is not about changing the world, but about changing your relationship to it. By embracing your freedom and choosing to find your own value, whether in love, creation, or the simple joy of the struggle itself, you defy your fate. Camus concludes that you must “imagine Sisyphus happy,” as he finds meaning not in the task, but in his conscious and defiant struggle against it.
Meet the Key Thinkers
To understand this movement, you can start with Jean-Paul Sartre, who famously declared that “existence precedes essence.” This means you are not born with a pre-defined purpose; instead, you are free to create your own meaning through your choices and actions. His contemporary, Simone de Beauvoir, powerfully applied this framework to the female experience, arguing that societal constructs, not biology, define “woman.” Another key figure, Albert Camus, focused on what he called the Absurd: the tension between your human desire for meaning and the silent, indifferent universe. He suggested you respond with passionate rebellion.
Long before these thinkers, the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard laid much of the groundwork for existentialist thought. He championed the subjective, passionate individual against the detached, objective truths of abstract systems and societal norms. For Kierkegaard, the highest form of existence involved a “leap of faith,” a deeply personal, non-rational commitment you must make in the face of profound uncertainty. This act is the ultimate expression of individual freedom, where you create your own truth rather than inheriting it from the crowd.
Why Existentialism Still Matters Today
With constant career advice and social pressure, existentialism provides a useful framework for your personal and professional path. The core idea that “existence precedes essence” means you are not born with a predetermined purpose; you create it through your actions and choices. This perspective can be a liberating antidote to career anxiety, reframing the freedom to choose as an opportunity to define what success means to you. Instead of searching for a single “right” path, you are empowered to build one that is authentically yours, placing the responsibility and power squarely in your hands.
The search for an authentic self is another modern challenge where existential thought is particularly helpful, especially with the noise of social media and information overload. It is easy to lose sight of who you are when constantly bombarded with curated identities and external expectations. Existentialism calls on you to live authentically by making conscious decisions that align with your internal compass, not fleeting trends. By embracing this personal responsibility, you can build a resilient sense of self that finds its own purpose in a secular, often chaotic world. This philosophy equips you to live deliberately, turning the burden of freedom into your greatest tool for creating a meaningful life.
Conclusion
Existentialism ultimately presents you with a profound truth: you are thrown into existence without a pre-written script or inherent purpose. This core tenet, “existence precedes essence,” means you are not defined by a predetermined nature, but by the sum of your actions. Consequently, you are handed a profound, almost terrifying, freedom to choose who you will become. With this freedom comes total responsibility for every choice you make, shaping the very essence of your being.
Accepting this challenge means choosing to live authentically, aligning your actions with your own self-created values. Instead of looking outward for meaning, you are invited to look inward and find it in the commitments you make and the passions you pursue. Every decision, from the monumental to the mundane, becomes an opportunity to define yourself and assert your unique existence. This path requires courage, as it means accepting the weight of your own freedom without excuses. Ultimately, existentialism prompts you to see your life not as a problem to be solved, but as a work of art to be created.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the core idea of existentialism in simple terms?
Existentialism is a philosophy centered on your freedom, responsibility, and the search for meaning in a world without inherent purpose. It provides a framework for you to build your own meaning through the choices you make and the actions you take.
2. What does ‘existence precedes essence’ really mean for me?
This principle means you are not born with a fixed purpose or identity, which is your ‘essence.’ You first exist as a conscious, free being, and only then do you create who you are through your life choices and commitments.
3. Is existentialism a depressing or negative philosophy?
Far from being bleak, existentialism is an empowering philosophy that confronts life’s challenges directly. It acknowledges that the world has no inherent meaning but sees this as a liberating opportunity for you to create your own.
4. How can existentialism help me find my purpose?
Existentialism does not offer a pre-made purpose, but it provides the framework for you to build one yourself. Your purpose is not something you find, but something you actively create through your commitments and the values you choose to live by.
5. What is an ‘authentic life’ in the existentialist view?
Living authentically means forging a path based on your own freely chosen values, rather than conforming to societal expectations. It is the process of taking complete ownership of your story and becoming the person you choose to be.
6. Will existentialism get rid of my anxiety about life?
No, the goal is not to eliminate anxiety, as uncertainty is a natural part of the human condition. Existentialism gives you the means to manage that anxiety by embracing your freedom and focusing on creating a life of profound, self-made meaning.
