<p>Who else finds themself preoccupied with the prospect of nonexistence? It's like a tornado and I find myself sucked in to a cyclical thought process in which I don't understand how we are or why and become immensely terrified of death. My friends tell me they don't think much of it?</p>
<p>Welcome to Existentialism. I often find myself completely baffled by my own existence: why am I here, and not someone else? Why am I now rather than 100,000 years ago? They are terrifying questions; they shift the focus of reality completely away from us. I empathize with your fear of death; sometimes it strikes me in the middle of the night and I feel utterly helpless.</p>
<p>I recommend reading Existentialist fiction and philosophy to see how some of the great minds of the last two centuries viewed these issues.</p>
<p>"sometimes it strikes me in the middle of the night and I feel utterly helpless."</p>
<p>Yeah.</p>
<p>I've explored some existentialist works but find that sometimes (like Sarte) they can be over-explanatory and leave me feeling blanker...</p>
<p>I think about it on occassion, and have readon some Existentialist fiction, but I guess I tend to emphasize life over nonexistence. If I'm dead then I'm dead.. and can't do much about that. It might be a phase for you in terms of interest, but it could also just be a reccuring theme. I think it's healthy to think about.. well, not overexcessively, but just to realize ones mortality..</p>
<p>Sartre's philosophy is quite difficult to read; I've never tried his fiction. I like the Existential writings of Camus. It's hard to come to terms with a fundamentally incromprehensible existence where we have perhaps more freedom than we would like. Logically speaking, it doesn't make sense to obsess about death while I am alive, but the basis of this is emotional.</p>
<p>I think that human tend to be scare of the unknown so that's why we are scare of the dark and death. By the way, do you guys think there is life after death?</p>
<p>Camus's works are good and brief intros to Existentialism; and i thought No Exit's a very interesting play.</p>
<p>O.O! OMG! reading<em>is</em>sexy, I have the exact same dilemma. :( It's quite frightening to think about it, and distracting myself with other things doesn't seem to work all the time. Or maybe I'm just not busy enough...</p>
<p>I believe in reincarnation so, yes.</p>
<p>Camus- I have a lot of trouble with a belief in the afterlife. I'm Jewish, and I haven't found that there is much emphasis on life-after-death, but rather on life, but in general I find it impossible to believe that there is anything left of me when my heart ceases to beat. I want to believe in reincarnation or something, or that I will reappear in another form and therefore my spirit does not cease to exist, but I can't. Like, belief itself seems so trivial. </p>
<p>Crash-- I'm busy too. Sometimes when I'm driving I feel like I'm not there because I'm thinking and it is like my mind is in two places at once. </p>
<p>I completely believe in living and in embracing life but at the same time I am so confused by every facet of society, all the semiotic creations that compose our communications...I wish I could turn my brain off but hell, that isn't really a choice.</p>
<p>"It is a tree of life for those who hold fast to it, its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace"</p>
<p>Haha, welcome to my life. I think about this at some point every day. It's not a wonder that I share some of the same beliefs of various existentialists. Sartre's philosophy can be a little difficult, but it's amazing to think about once you understand it more. Same for pretty much any of the other famous existentialists in the past.</p>
<p>Zella- what religion do you affiliate yourself with, if any? And what is your reincarnation rationale-- I'm interested.</p>
<p>I'll go with Socrates on this one and say that nonexistence is probably like being in a dreamless sleep. I like to sleep, so it's not really scary anymore... I'm also of the opinion that not existing is a lot easier than existing, so that's a big reason I don't worry about it. Too busy trying to survive being alive. : )</p>
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<p>Camus was not an existentialist, rather, he was an absurdist.
Lots of positivists have lots of problems with existentialism, so stray away from that lest you wish to enter a controversy, which will probably be more annoying than the current situation.
Try reading Plato's Phaedo, it helps a bit, at least during the daytime.</p>
<p>sade, Socrates was an idiot. :)</p>
<p>I have the same problem. It goes along with some of my other thoughts, like where is the end of the universe? And, if there is an end to the universe, are there other universes out there or is there just empty space? Does the empty space go on forever and ever? How can it do that. I always come to the same conclusion. . . that everything is infinite in the long run, but it may change forms. Also, I can't help but believe that there must be some purpose to life. Otherwise, why would it have developed and why would life fight so hard to continue existing? Nothing can just "end." Whether or not there is a God, I am not positive. I would like to believe that there is. I do know, however, that there must be something out there that we don't understand. Something that makes it all make sense.</p>
<p>i have consigned myself to the fact that these questions have been around ever since we learned to think and that they will never be fully answered.</p>
<p>warblersrule86, I obviously disagree with your assessment, but you're welcome to your opinion.</p>
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<p>Read *The Clouds<a href="by%20Aristophanes">/i</a>. That's the real Socrates. ;)</p>
<p>Lol. The Clouds is hilarious. : )</p>
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