Pronunciation and meaning of the word "existential"
For the Russian language, the word existentialism is an unpronounceable tongue twister. Many people pronounce it incorrectly, adding an extra syllable - “existentialism”. To correctly use all forms of this word, you need to understand its origin.
Existentialism is derived from the Latin word existence (existentia) - existence.
The difficulty is that there is no synonym for it in the Russian language, so in the simplest words, existentialism is a philosophy of existence, and existential is related to existence.
Existentialism is...
Existentialism is a direction in which the subject of study is the existence of a person with his ordinary problems, tragedies, and emotions.
The bias towards the tragedy of human existence makes existentialism a “ philosophy of despair .” This is one of the most popular movements in Western philosophy of the 20th century.
The polyphony of existentialists is extremely heterogeneous and diverse, but all are united by an interest in the main themes - human existence, freedom, choice, death, the meaning of life.
“A man died, in front of the gates of heaven he sees the Apostle Peter and said to him: “Excuse me, Apostle, I have one question for you.” I lived for a long time, but I still didn’t understand what was the meaning of my life? - Do you really want to know this? - Very! — Do you remember in 1975 you were traveling on the Vorkuta-Moscow train? - Well... I think I remember. — You and your fellow traveler were still talking. - There was something like that... - And then you and he went to celebrate your acquaintance in the dining car. “Perhaps...” There was a red-haired woman sitting at the next table. - Yes, yes, there was something like that... - She asked you to pass her the salt. - Exactly! I remembered, I asked him to pass the salt shaker! “And you gave her the salt.” - Yes, yes, I did. - Well, here it is...
*Bearded existential Soviet joke
Existentialism formed as a separate philosophical movement before the First World War and existed until the mid-1960s, going through all the disasters of the 20th century.
But the origins of this philosophy must be sought in the 19th century - in the works of F. M. Dostoevsky, the ideas of F. Nietzsche, the teachings of the Danish thinker Søren Kierkegaard, who is called the founder of existentialism.
*Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855)
It was Kierkegaard who derived the concept of existence, which became the central category of existential philosophy.
For the first time in the history of philosophy, the Dane poses the question bluntly - why, in fact, philosophers are concerned with anything - the essence of being, the primacy of matter, God, the knowability of the world, universals, will and other vague concepts - but turn their nose up at the pressing problems of the common man with his experiences, problems, fears?
Kierkegaard turned philosophy towards ordinary people. From now on, it should help a person make an internal choice, feel for his Self, and find an idea worth living for.
It is not surprising that existential questions are often heard in works of fiction. Perhaps this philosophical direction is reflected in literary creativity .
F. M. Dostoevsky, L. N. Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Simone de Beauvoir, Rainer Maria Rilke, Alberto Moravia - this is not a complete list of writers who raise existential themes in their works.
*Albert Camus about life
Most people live in conditions of inauthentic existence; they go with the flow, without thinking why and where. “Be like everyone else” is the motto of such a life.
In contrast, Kierkegaard puts true existence - existence , life, where a person makes a conscious choice, controls his destiny, finds himself and his calling.
Thus, the goal of human life is existence, finding oneself. Existential truth is not something that is known, but something that is experienced by each person individually.
Existential problems
Existential problems or existential crisis is a condition that appears in a person when he cannot understand what the meaning of his life is, what its value is and why he lives. As a rule, such questions are asked by people who live in developed countries. Because their basic needs have already been met and the struggle for survival is over.
For example:
- “What is the point of building relationships if all people die alone?”
- “What is the purpose of my life?”
- “What’s the point of what I do if I’m soon forgotten?”
- “How do I know that what I’m doing is good?”
Goals of existentialism
Existentialism places great emphasis on human education. In particular, education should prepare a child for life. Namely:
- teach him to recognize his true “I”. The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre said that there is an “I” that we are at a certain moment because we exist, and there is a “I” that we become because we work on ourselves;
- help him realize himself. For self-realization it is very important to understand yourself, your emotions;
- prepare him for tragedies in life. Namely, accept the fact of your future death and learn to enjoy life;
- learn to make your own decisions; explain that a person is free in his choice;
- help him adjust socially. Existentialism teaches that, first of all, social adaptation means the ability to value not only one’s freedom, but also the freedom of other people;
- help your child develop unique character traits;
- instill in him a sense of responsibility. Existentialists are confident that a person makes his own choice and is responsible for it.
Existentialism through the eyes of ordinary people
There are many home-grown and certified philosophers on the Internet. It would be interesting to hear their opinions:
- Existentialism is a philosophical concept; it is not so easy to explain in simple words. This is such a personal feeling of a person when he seems to look and evaluate himself from the outside. Understanding the temporary nature of his own existence, he still does not regret his stay on this earth. These sensations can be temporary; some people are able to experience them only in the face of a mortal threat or immediately before death.
- Existentiality is, in simple words, when a person does not blame nature, circumstances or other factors for his actions. Every choice is an act of free will; it is free will and responsibility that have become the subject of consideration in philosophy.
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THE INEVITABILITY OF MEANING
Alas, this is an absolutely inevitable phenomenon along the way. Existential longing, emanating from the very depths of the human being, upon reaching a certain level of development, sooner or later pierces the heart of every serious spiritual student, no matter what tradition he belongs to. Most clearly, from my point of view, this feeling is described in the books of Agni Yoga and by Carlos Castaneda. I will give several paragraphs of the Teaching dedicated to this deep and mysterious feeling:
“The growth of consciousness is accompanied by spasms of melancholy - this is truly inevitable. The discrepancy between Infinity and earthly reality cannot but evoke a feeling of just consciousness. There is no path to Infinity without a sense of the environment. Believe me, the greater the consciousness, the greater the melancholy.
Who can feel the beauty of Space? Anyone who has at least once heard the consonance of the spheres understands the imperfection of the earth caused by the state of humanity.
We need to fight these spasms consciously, understanding their inevitability.”
“Sometimes people say: “I was dreaming so much, my heart even ached!” It is not from evil dreams that the heart aches, but from the tension of bright desires. Heartfelt melancholy, first of all, fills the essence with the substance of strength. Of course, the sculpture of Akasha is not always necessarily associated with longing in the heart, but the aching feeling, in any case, shows tension and cooperation with the Primary Thought Ground. So there is no need to fear that melancholy is an evil sign.”
“Melancholy is a reflection of Armageddon; the force of the collision cannot but oppress the heart. Look around, is there a lot of fun? You can even notice how the smile has diminished. Do not be surprised, for even ignorant minds sense depression, but do not know about the grave reason. Many will deny it with words, but will still feel the burden in their hearts. Refinement of the heart allows many subtle phenomena, for example, touching a hand in the subtle body; also many pain warnings.”
“Where do the attacks of unexpected joy or melancholy come from? They call them causeless, when there are reasons everywhere. I advise you to record waves that are otherwise forgotten. Each person produces significant experience with every movement, but carelessly rejects these sparks of knowledge. Joy and melancholy are not without cause, but records can remind us when earthly messages will bring confirmation of these moods. The fiery mail will be confirmed by earthly news. Of course, many reasons not only earthly, but also the Subtle World will not reach, but you can still discern significant correspondences of events and feelings.”
“Among the fiery struggles, the spirit shows melancholy. The spirit especially knows these struggles at the last stage. Melancholy is a phenomenon of the Subtle World, and dissatisfaction is knowledge of the future. When the spirit is divisible, this feeling is especially powerful.”
“It is not always possible to immediately imagine where the current of psychic energy is directed. It is impossible to immediately decide when currents go in different directions and have the same effect, because psychic energy is spent on creative actions from the same source. The flow of psychic energy is reflected in the heart and the entire body, therefore it is difficult to immediately determine the direction where psychic energy creates its saturations. Melancholy of the heart can be a consequence of many reasons, but melancholy of the heart cannot be attributed only to the cost of the burden of the phenomena of life, because the reason may be the opposite. When a stream of psychic energy is directed into space, a feeling of heartache is inevitable. You need to really understand these miraculous phenomena and not confuse them with premonitions.”
This is what Castaneda wrote about his experience of deep causeless sadness and longing that arose after he, under the guidance of Don Juan, learned to look in the mirror and penetrate with his consciousness into the Invisible World:
“Never in my life have I experienced such attacks of melancholy. It was some kind of groundless sadness, it seemed to me that it was connected with the memory of the depths that I saw through the mirror. Endless nostalgia for these depths was mixed in my sadness with absolute fear of the cold of boundless loneliness that wafted from there and made my blood run cold.
Don Juan noted that it was completely natural for a warrior to experience sadness for no apparent reason. Seers say that the luminous egg, like a field of energy, begins to feel the finality of its destiny as soon as the boundaries of the known are violated. One brief glance at eternity outside the cocoon is enough to destroy that sense of internal well-being that inventory gives us (the usual description of the world. - S.K.). The result is melancholy, so severe that it can even lead to death.
Don Juan explained that the best remedy for getting rid of melancholy is laughter. And he commented in a joking tone on the behavior of my first attention, saying that it was trying with all its might to restore the usual order of things, disrupted by my contact with the ally. Since there is no way to restore order through rational means, the first attention focuses on the feeling of sadness.
I told don Juan that my melancholy was caused by a very real fact. You can follow her lead as much as you like, laugh at her, become despondent, but all this will have nothing to do with the feeling of loneliness that arises when remembering unimaginable depths.
- Finally! “Something is starting to dawn on you,” he responded. You are right. There is no deeper loneliness than the loneliness of eternity. And there is nothing more cozy and comfortable for us than being human beings. Here’s another contradiction for you: how, while remaining human, can you joyfully and purposefully plunge into the loneliness of eternity? When you manage to solve this puzzle, you will be ready for the ultimate journey.
And then the reason for my sadness suddenly became clear to me with complete certainty. It was a feeling that came again and again, disappearing without a trace and not leaving even a memory of itself. I realized that it would always be like this - it would go away, and I would forget about it until I again remembered the insignificance of a person in comparison with the immensity of that thing in myself, the reflection of which I saw in the mirror.
Truly, human beings are insignificant, don Juan,” I said.
“I know exactly what you’re thinking,” he said. - Absolutely right, we are insignificant. However, this is precisely our decisive challenge. We who are nobodies are truly capable of facing the loneliness of eternity.”
As you can see, there are several reasons for the emergence of melancholy, which can manifest itself in different ways: as pain, as a painful feeling of emptiness, as total disappointment in literally everything, including in the chosen path (at least to some extent and to what extent). time) and, of course, in himself. Sometimes it is like a black cloud approaching a person and penetrating his heart, sometimes it resembles a leaden weight that lowers the spirit to the ground. It makes you think that there is no meaning in life and in the efforts you have made, and any successes and successes that come your way are simply meaningless grimaces of fate, which at any moment can be replaced by a cruel grin of failure and adversity. Melancholy arises not so much from the fact that you are afraid of these adversities and the negative emotions that inevitably arise, but from the very game of suffering and joy, which at some point begins to seem absurd to you. The very concept of the absurdity of human existence, recorded by the subtle intuition of Western existentialist philosophers, very well reflects the understanding and feeling of life that arises in everyone who is struck down by existential melancholy. However, Eastern esotericism understood this state much earlier and more deeply. The concept of Maya, the cosmic illusion that envelops the entire manifested Universe, and the suffering that inevitably accompanies any embodied person, explains very well why thinking people are so acutely aware of the absurd nature of existence. Since every person has a particle of the Absolute, and therefore a desire to merge with the Absolute, he will inevitably suffer and feel the meaninglessness of existence. After all, he is locked in the cage of his material body and is deprived of the opportunity to easily and freely return to his source in order to dissolve in the ocean of the Absolute Beginning.
VICTORY OVER WAVES OF MOOD.
The melancholy that arises in the heart is sometimes akin to the feeling of being abandoned by God, which any serious seeker has gone through. But this feeling is necessary for the student to learn to ascend independently, as evidenced by the Hasidic parable called “Near and Far” and brought to us in the retelling of Martin Buber:
“A disciple asked the Baal Shem: “Why does it happen that one who clings to God and knows that he is close to Him sometimes experiences a feeling of being torn and removed?”
The Baal Shem explained: “When a father teaches his little son to walk, he stands in front of him and stretches out his arms on either side of the baby so that he does not fall, and the boy walks towards his father, supported by his hands. But when he comes almost close to him, the father moves away from him and removes his hands, and this happens more than once. This is the only way a child can learn to walk."
Existential melancholy has broken and led many people away from the spiritual path. She crept into their souls when the cheerful, carefree state of the first year of initial apprenticeship faded away. Disappointment set in: it became clear that quick enlightenment would not work. E. I. Roerich noted in her letters that many novice seekers, a few months after an enthusiastic acquaintance with the teachings, abandoned all their attempts at spiritual growth and returned to their usual way of life. I myself have observed several dozen cases of such transformation. You can condemn these people as you like, but you cannot help but admit that, not being ready for a serious ascent, they honestly retreated because they could not cope with the acute experience of the meaninglessness of existence.
Existential melancholy intensifies during periods of so-called crises and is somewhat dulled during periods of successful outcomes. On the one hand, it seems to aggravate the spiritual crisis that almost every serious student periodically goes through. On the other hand, it acts on a suffering person like a medicine that kills pathogenic bacteria and brings recovery closer. It’s all about the strength of the experience and the individual strength of each person. In any case, the student is obliged to go through this difficult test and emerge victorious. There is no point in avoiding melancholy; it will inevitably get in our way: we must learn to meet it halfway, going through inevitable difficulties. An experienced swimmer swimming in a storm will not try to run away from a giant wave, but, on the contrary, will rush towards it. Likewise, a person who claims to achieve perfection should not be afraid of waves of mood and waiting melancholy. It is better to boldly step towards her. Only by passing through oneself the poison of this powerfully intense drug does a person receive a tool for converting the energy of this strong poison into an antidote. He becomes stronger and realizes that another barrier separating him from the divine pinnacle of the spirit has been passed.
TOPIC FOR YOURSELF MEDITATION.
There is no need to artificially awaken this strong emotion living in the depths of the heart. However, if you feel a feeling of causeless melancholy rising from the bottom of your soul, do not suppress it, but give it freedom, but just watch it closely and point-blank. Look at your melancholy as if it were a cloud passing in front of you, and do not completely identify with it. Even if it fills your entire being and surrounds the inner observer with its dense substance, remain stable, remembering that this wave will pass sooner or later. Your conscious, purposeful gaze transforms the energy of longing into the spiritual power of wisdom that helps you ascend. It is useful to breathe, as you inhale, absorbing this energy, during a pause, transforming it into the energy of wisdom, and as you exhale, mentally releasing the substance of light and freedom. If you do this exercise for some time and maintain spiritual firmness, then the feeling of melancholy will decrease and gradually dissolve completely.
Existential human problems
The desire for self-development is a natural survival mechanism, since without it the human race would never have reached the current level of development. The problem is the obstacles that lie in wait on this path; one of the obstacles is often an existential crisis, formed from contradictions within the individual. A neurosis-like state appears when there is no need to worry about the minimal needs of existence.
The desire to argue for their own existence appears in most subjects, but for some, the arguments turn out to be primitive and complex due to deep religiosity or embedded “instructions” of a different order.
Existential problems arise at the moment of disappointment in previously chosen ideals. The individual ceases to feel satisfaction from the growth of status or loses faith in the unprecedented value of his own existence. Another reason for such experiences may be a feeling of the inevitability of death.
Sometimes it may seem as if such thoughts only come to the minds of those with a lot of free time, since hard-working individuals need to solve many pressing problems every day and all their strength goes towards survival.
In part, this view is correct, since subjects of creative professions are more likely to have existential reflections; individuals engaged in physical activity are less predisposed to delving into the “sidelines” of their own personality, however, they are not completely protected from this.
The following prerequisites for the emergence of existential experience can be identified:
– loss of a loved one;
– use of psychedelics;
– a threat to one’s own existence;
– prolonged isolation;
– separation from children, loved ones.
In the course of existential reflection, the individual has to face the confrontation generated by the feeling of the significance of his own existence and the simultaneous understanding of its futility. The inability to find a solution to the current situation is transformed into existential despondency, which is characterized by a loss of interest in one’s own future.
The escalation of a crisis often provokes a desire to end one’s supposedly meaningless existence. Because it doesn't seem to be able to do any good. When an individual is faced with such a contradiction, it is incredibly difficult for him to resolve the problematic situation on his own.
Existential states of man
The existential crisis itself is a natural phenomenon. Existential experiences are an impetus to a more conscious life, reaching a new level. The main thing is not to get stuck for a long time in one of the following states, but to start acting and changing.
Existential loneliness
If a person lives alone for a long time (for example, after the death of his parents) or he has a protracted long-distance love, this can lead to a serious crisis. He begins to doubt his own worth and does not feel the support of loved ones. This can result in depression and other mental disorders, even suicide.
The heroine of the TV series Sharp Objects, Chicago reporter Camille Pricker, is the embodiment of existential loneliness. She doesn't communicate with her parents. Her personal life does not work out and she has no friends. She drinks a lot and cuts herself with sharp objects. Camilla's problems stem from childhood, when she suffered from loneliness in a luxurious family mansion surrounded by a respectable family. Moving to the big city did not change anything - Camilla is lonely, she cannot understand what the meaning of her life is.
Existential fear
Fear is one of the symptoms of an existential crisis. We are afraid for ourselves, for our loved ones, we are afraid of ourselves. Existential fear manifests itself in the form of authoritarian behavior and hysterics (we are afraid of losing control over life) and various phobias (water, confined spaces, insects).
Camille Preaker is afraid of her own mother, but, unlike her sisters, she does not want to submit to her. She rebels as a child - she is rude, cuts her hair short, dresses like a boy, while her mother looks and behaves like a princess - smart, well-groomed and at the same time ready to help others. Camille continues to resist her mother's influence when she returns to her hometown after a long absence. Sometimes the resistance weakens - for example, when Camilla suddenly feels unwell, and she allows her mother to treat her.
Existential guilt
When trouble happens to loved ones, we tend to blame ourselves for it - we didn’t keep track, didn’t support, didn’t do everything possible to save them. Together with guilt, a person is overcome by powerlessness in the face of the injustice of life, a feeling of his own uselessness and insignificance. This condition is dangerous for mental health. For example, Camilla has been blaming herself for the death of her sister Marian for many years, despite the fact that the real culprit of the tragedy is her mother. Camilla cannot forgive herself for her childhood indecision, which prevented her from saving her sister.
Why are we experiencing an existential crisis?
Most often this happens when we begin to reflect on our purpose in life. Due to regular routines and monotonous work environment, we become dissatisfied with our lives and start wondering why we keep working so much? Where is all this going? What do I get out of life after all this work?
This raises many significant and profound questions, such as:
- What is life? – What is my goal? – Why do I exist?
Existential thoughts begin to arise and the person ponders all sorts of personal questions.
What is a sense of life? Why live on? These thoughts can be explained by Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
Abraham Maslow's hierarchy explains that people are driven by five basic needs. These are psychology, safety, love, respect and self-realization. In the last part, self-actualization is the existential crisis part of discovering your purpose.
Signs You're Currently Experiencing an Existential Crisis
Unfortunately, experiencing an existential crisis can bring up unpleasant feelings. This can make you feel lost and depressed. Your general mood becomes melancholic.
People experiencing an existential crisis feel like they no longer know who they are. They feel powerless and struggle to find motivation. It became a global phenomenon involving record numbers of people.
You feel empty
This can often come from feeling unimportant. The universe is so big that it's easy to feel small.
This creates insecurity within us. When we are born and experience the world at a young age, we enjoy the pleasures and adventures that the universe has to offer.
We just love to climb trees and run through fields.
It's only when we get older and take on responsibility that we begin to question everything.
Learning to cope with the experience of an existential crisis will ultimately help us grow, but for now it is very difficult.
We stop having fun and become more objective about how we spend our time and how we fit into the world.
You feel powerless
When we are young, there is a feeling that the Universe is always working for us, and not against us. The Universe is our friend and mentor.
As we get older, we face new challenges and financial responsibilities, and life becomes more complex. There is more pressure from society and from people to do something with our lives.
The playful relationship with the universe has ended and it begins to seem like it is working against us. We begin to feel that something is being imposed on us. Other people now control our time and our lives.
This makes us feel a strong sense of powerlessness. It's no longer about the entertainment, but how we fit into the experience.
Is all this really worth it? Many people going through an existential crisis don’t feel like this is the case.
You feel completely different from others
Some people do not suffer from existential thinking and can easily live their lives. No matter what they are going through, they can easily focus on their tasks.
However, when you are in the midst of an existential crisis, it takes over your entire life. You constantly feel different. You constantly ponder the existence and immensity of everything.
Because it is such a difficult experience, you are left with a constant feeling of emptiness and powerlessness. It becomes part of your daily emotional makeup. You always feel completely different from others.
4. Your past achievements seem meaningless.
Experiencing a real threat tends to put your life in quite a harsh perspective.
In the grand scheme of the Universe, any big things we achieve in our lives tend to become insignificant and small.
We think, “What did I really do that made a difference in the world?” Many people think so. However, those experiencing an existential crisis feel even worse because they see less meaning in everything.
The problem is that we compare our achievements to the greatness of the Universe. How can you compete with something incomprehensible?
Simple answers to complex existential questions
Existential questions arise in thoughts that life has no meaning and everything is meaningless. Such questions make us feel fear and powerlessness.
Is an existential crisis normal?
Yes. Existential crisis is very common. People are suffering from depression and chronic anxiety more than ever before, and one of the reasons for this is existential crisis.
What causes an existential crisis?
In most cases, an existential crisis occurs when a person experiences trauma, loss, a life-changing event, extreme fear, helplessness, or after drug use.
Is there a meaning to life?
I don't know. I spent many years searching for it and now I can safely say that my life has no meaning. If you suddenly find one for yourself, rejoice.
Life is full of real problems and only we can solve them. We can spend our lives solving useless questions that have no answer, or focusing on what we can actually solve. What problems are you solving?
When you fight for what is meaningful, you feel fulfilled. You make the world a better place. You start living.
Embrace the emptiness and have the courage to live. – Dan Hovel
How to Overcome an Existential Crisis?
If you understand that you are overtaken by an existential crisis, how to overcome it is the second thought that visits an intelligent person. There are four ways to get out of an existential crisis:
1. You can close this topic for yourself, ban the thought of the futility of existence, and isolate yourself from disturbing thoughts.
2. Turn off critical thinking by fixing yourself on rules and beliefs (moral, religious, social). You can choose those that suit you.
3. Sometimes distraction works. In this case, people immerse themselves in entertainment, travel, and focus their attention on different tasks. This could be a hobby, gambling, extreme sports.
4. Creative people channel their despair and fear into something constructive.
Overcoming an existential crisis is possible when a person realizes that he can control his life. He no longer wants to do what is prescribed and decided in advance. He gains the freedom he sought and is ready to accept responsibility for it. Setting tasks for himself, relying on intuition, evaluates the results. Such a crisis means growing up and maturing of the individual.
Control your thoughts
Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Do everything to put meaning into your life: do what you love, become a volunteer, or simply show compassion for your neighbor.
Gratitude journal
To overcome negative feelings, a person can write down in a diary all the things for which he is grateful (his talents, achievements, family, etc.)
Know yourself
Self-knowledge can also help a person. If it is difficult for him, he can ask those close to him to identify his positive qualities, what positive impact he has had on their lives, what his strongest, most wonderful qualities are.
Don't try to find all the answers at once
This doesn't mean you shouldn't look for them, but some questions won't have answers. A person can try to break global questions into smaller answers. Then work towards being satisfied with learning the answers to smaller questions. They also make up the picture as a whole.
Practices for getting rid of feelings of meaninglessness
What could be worse than an internal emptiness growing every day? A person has nothing to cling to in order to somehow justify his still ongoing life.
- Allow yourself to completely immerse yourself in a state of helplessness , awareness of the meaninglessness of existence. You are the most unfortunate person. There will be no sympathy.
- Concentrate on the last phrase, let it be the background of all thoughts. Tested: when you realize this 100%, you will want to do something. And some meaning will appear.
- Try to find inspiration in some areas . Creativity, volunteer help, etc.
- Just wait . Some argue that everything passes, and this condition will pass.
- Concentrate on specific actions , skipping global goals.
- Choose your life credo and live by it , without fear or reproach. You can find it with the help of philosophy, religious movements, biographies of the lives of some people you respect (however, you should not copy them completely. These people became famous because they went their own, unique path).
- Seek help from a psychologist or psychotherapist. The advice is of course the most obvious, but sometimes you really need a disinterested third party.
When and why it occurs and how it affects the personality
An existential crisis usually occurs during or on the eve of changes, not necessarily negative ones. A wedding or divorce, the birth of a child, moving to another country or city, graduating from university, a new job, retirement, illness and death of a loved one - all this can give impetus to rethinking your life values, goals and your place in the world.
An existential crisis can overtake a person at any conscious age:
- Teenagers do not want to live like their parents , they dream of more (not so much in the material, but in the spiritual sense) and try to separate themselves.
- School or university graduates are confused by the variety of options and are afraid that they may make the wrong choice.
- Middle-aged people who have established themselves in the profession suddenly begin to doubt the correctness of their chosen path.
- Exemplary spouses are pondering whether it was worth getting married and having children.
- Older people in retirement reflect on the years they have lived and worry about untapped opportunities and the lack of value in what they did.
