<p>I'm asking the parents this because in the pre-college forum this turned into a debate on elementary philosophy.</p>
<p>So, I'm very big into existentialism.. I consider it to be part of my religion. Anyway, I believe that we're all adrift in this meaningless universe, subconsciously haunted by our lack of confirmation in anything we know (no definitive truth), and so we resort to distract ourselves with quotidian, "safe" lifestyle aspirations (college --> career --> money --> family), sensationalistic distractions (all entertainment), and we apply meaning to everything (life, our ideals, keepsakes, etc.) to distract ourselves from the ominous, subconscious prospect that our choices, our lives, ourselves, our world... don't mean anything at all. We go on because there is simply nothing else to do but do what we [think we] know -- how to live, day to day.</p>
<p>SO... How does this relate to school, college? Well after my readings, I can't help but find the rat race to college futile and naive. Studying out of obligation seems so pointless. So I would study what I wanted to at the time (often times existentialism, absurdism, other philosophy, sociology, psychology, evolutionary psych, etc.)... stuff I wasn't getting credit for, and disregarded, say, physics, which to me seemed like a self-fulfilling prophesy established to find some sort of a pattern in a universe which may be a chaotic, purposeless phenomenon with no pattern or purpose.</p>
<p>So.. Have any of you had similar thoughts? If so, how do you get them to coexist with your responsibilities (my schoolwork)?</p>
<p>beti - Things will become very clear once you have your first child. Yeah, no help I know. Well how 'bout this? How would you like your children to view you and your place in the world? Contributor? Facilitator? Leech?</p>
<p>Existentialism is very popular with teenagers because Angst is very common among teenagers. Here's a more helpful though though: </p>
<p>Meaninglessness is meaningless. What does it matter if there's no point to anything- find satisfaction where you can, live your life. The alternative isn't much more appealing.</p>
<p>I suggest you read some Kant, and perhaps some more recent responses to Existentialism- or alternatively, try reading Dostoevsky- you'll find he's a forefather of the Existentialist movement, but perhaps a bit more life affirming.</p>
<p>The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami also has some interesting responses to Existentialism.</p>
<p>I suppose I would like my children to acknowledge and respect that I have done what I have done soley because I wanted to/that I have led a full life and I am as free as I can be as a human, and I would like for them to find their own beliefs and follow them as I have done.</p>
<p>BTW, none of my aspirations are inherently negative. I want to study yoga and philosophy and travel and try new things and do things that scare me as often as possible. Right now, that's all I know about what I want to do. </p>
<p>I'm not going to be a leech. I will hold a neutral or positive stance, but not negative. I'm not going to be a criminal or welfare queen or grifter or anything... those aren't true and honest lifestyles, which is also congruent with my existential beliefs.. finding any ultimate truth, and so on. Or maybe my own personal philosophy, but nevertheless. I'm not going to hold a negative stance.</p>
<p>arbiter123 -- I'm not really a nihilist. I don't find existentialism depressing, or anti-life. I find it to be very for life -- for a full, true life, wherein you utilize your volition as often as possible. I find it liberating, not depressing. I'm not like, "Oh life has no purpose, so I will commit suicide." It's more like, "Life has no inherent purpose, so I'm not tied down to anything -- I can take this opportunity, this volition, and do as I please."</p>
<p>perhaps instead of wallowing in the self-prescribed meaningless of every one of your actions, why don't you go out there and create your own meaning? </p>
<p>there is no ultimate truth, only subjective truths. create your own truth.</p>
<p>Yoga is not really compatible with existentialism. If you actually study it (not just take a class to get in shape), you may be surprised and intrigued.</p>
<p>I think that as you age, you will see that life teaches YOU -- that is, you will have experiences that you will have to adapt to. You may even find yourself confronting experiences that lead you to believe there IS meaning and pattern in the universe. However it turns out, your beliefs will be more organic and less an attempt to intellectualize it ahead of time and impose it on life. </p>
<p>In the meantime, remain present-centered, greet each day with open eyes and an open heart, and let life surprise you.</p>
<p>First of all, betl, ignore references to "teen angst" and "wallowing". We adults love to label and dismiss the thoughts and questions of those younger than us.</p>
<p>So, you sound like a thoughtful, curious person. Here's my take, and what I have said to my own kids about things like schoolwork--think about where you might like to go, and try not to close doors too soon. There are colleges where you will find folks asking the same questions as you are. If the ones that look like they will most match your aspirations, questions, quandaries, are difficult to get into, then do that schoolwork that will get you there. If not, well, you'll find soulmates anywhere. Do what works for you, but do ask yourself if stepping back at a young age might constrain an older you later on.</p>
<p>Not that you can't change directions midstream at any age. It just gets a little more difficult as life obligations accrue.</p>
<p>There are other students out there not looking for the way to get-ahead, but rather the way to make the world more livable for those sharing our lifeboat.</p>
<p>That, to me, is the central meaning--reaching out to the guy next to you, helping him negotiate the waves. And I think existentialism is not at all incompatible with that.</p>
<p>I do study yoga.. Do you mean Hinduism isn't compatible with existentialism? Because yoga itself is more concerned with harnessing the power within your physiological self, as in the unification of mind and body (yoga means "union" or "merger"). Putting the body in certain poses stimulates the mind and the body in a very specific way. I don't see chakras or prana or anything else yoga-related as theistic or supernatural. I believe that they can appear supernatural because their power is immense and the technique is non-conventional, but I don't find them to be. Yoga helps me to more consistently appreciate every second, to savor every moment, which is what I get from existentialism as well. I don't see them as opposing forces. A book I'm reading right now addresses existentialism and Indian philosophy in chapter 1: Yoga</a> and Indian Philosophy: Karel ... - Google Book Search</p>
<p>Anyway, I'm really just looking for ways to motivate myself within an existential frame of mind.</p>
<p>Well, betl, I'm sorry if I assumed you didn't understand yoga. We could swap book titles all day, I think. Here is a translation and discussion of Patanjali's sutras titled "How to Know God": Amazon.com:</a> How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali: Swami Prabhavananda, Christopher Isherwood, Patanjali: Books
Yoga does posit an ultimate Reality that underlies all our false, ego-centered filters of reality. Whether you call that God or the Universal Self or something else, it does not seem compatible with a meaningless universe. What are meaningless are the various projections of the ego.</p>
<p>"What are meaningless are the various projections of the ego."</p>
<p>Darn, dbwes beat me to it (and stated it better than I'd planned too)! What's missing is a frame of reference. To a person born deaf sound has little meaning. Existence is defined differently for him/her than it would be to an individual born totally blind. Children provide a frame of reference for many, many people (good thing too).</p>
<p>On another point, Existence itself is not meaningless to the people starving in Darfur -- existence is life itself (without which your entire quest is well, moot.)</p>
<p>Personally, I think your quest has merit. But since you cannot know how the quest will end, do try to avoid irreversible error.</p>
<p>Well my belief stands that yoga and existentialism are not opposing forces in my life.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, I came here seeking some sort of a solution to my dilemma. I've come to the conclusion that my problem arises from both the inherent nature of work at my school (hard, and lots of it) and a lack of motivation to conform to the ideals of spreading yourself thin for the sake of getting the hard work done and being efficient, for the sake of success. I just see this as at least a bit narrow-minded and futile, and anti-intellectual (spreading yourself thin to balance.. handing in a lot of mediocre work and not anything extraordinary). SO the dilemma arises at the crossroads between my existentialism and perfectionism.</p>
<p>I should also note that motivation wasn't a problem when I did distance learning/independent study for 2 years in high school -- I went above and beyond, and was about to graduate at age 16, motivated I guess to just achieve and be my best.</p>
<p>Um, IMHO any attempt at perfectionism would he highly contra-productive at this early stage of your life, because it presumes you have already learned everything necessary to be "perfect" and are simply honing your application in order to meet that standard. P-L-E-A-S-E don't try to be perfect.</p>
<p>It's very interesting that your "conflict" only became a problem when you went back into HS classrooms. Could it be possible that boring, repetitive, mind-numbing tasks may be contributing to this?</p>
<p>How do most existentialists end up? Bitter and alone. The founding father of it came to it out of being jilted by the one person he loved. He spent the rest of his life trying to convince himself that the loss had no meaning. As Dr Phil might say "And how's that working for you?"</p>