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Existentialism

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babybird
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20 Jun 2025, 12:13 pm

What is this


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Edna3362
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20 Jun 2025, 7:57 pm

You question everything.

:lol: :lol: :lol:


Your questions of the trajectory of your life.
Your preferences and how it lead to that.
Your beliefs and if you're even aware of that.
Your relationships and it's not just people.
Your purpose and what you make of it.
Your thoughts of possibilities and what it could've been or shouldn't.

And everyone else's.

You can go psychotic by digging further by endless loops of questions.
Or you can open a gateway in your head where one can be both either and neither at the same time -- which can potentially break someone.


And when you're done? :lol:
You question when you're done.
You question if you're done.

You question if everyone is.
You question if the world is.

You question if your head is reliable at all.
You question if it's not just yours and anyone else's head, maybe someone's gut, someone's heart, someone's something or yours.

You question if there's more.
You question if that's it.

You question everything.


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babybird
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21 Jun 2025, 3:01 am

I think I'm an existentialist


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Lost_dragon
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21 Jun 2025, 5:23 am

Aren't we all?


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babybird
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21 Jun 2025, 7:09 am

Good question


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Mona Pereth
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21 Jun 2025, 8:27 am

Edna3362 wrote:
You question everything.

:lol: :lol: :lol:


Your questions of the trajectory of your life.
Your preferences and how it lead to that.
Your beliefs and if you're even aware of that.
Your relationships and it's not just people.
Your purpose and what you make of it.
Your thoughts of possibilities and what it could've been or shouldn't.

And everyone else's.

You can go psychotic by digging further by endless loops of questions.
Or you can open a gateway in your head where one can be both either and neither at the same time -- which can potentially break someone.


And when you're done? :lol:
You question when you're done.
You question if you're done.

You question if everyone is.
You question if the world is.

You question if your head is reliable at all.
You question if it's not just yours and anyone else's head, maybe someone's gut, someone's heart, someone's something or yours.

You question if there's more.
You question if that's it.

You question everything.

Hmm, this sounds to me like a definition of philosophy in general (or at least Western philosophy, starting with Socrates), not any one school of philosophical thought (such as existentialism) in particular.

I'm not entirely sure what existentialism is, myself, but I guess I would start with the following online encyclopedia articles on existentialism:

- Wikipedia
- Encyclopedia Britannica
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Not the easiest reading. So far, I've encountered at least two words whose meanings, as technical terms in academic philosophy, are different from their more popular meanings:

- Metaphysics (Wikipedia)
- Ontology (Wikipedia)

Is there anyone here who has had more than a few courses in academic philosophy?


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babybird
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21 Jun 2025, 10:59 am

Sounds like a rallying call

Beware the straw men


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aghogday
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21 Jun 2025, 12:20 pm

Show Spoiler

"Existentialism;"

"What is This?"

Dear Lord Dear
Baby Bird You've
Described It in Just 3 Words;

And Then Edna Elaborated a bit;

True i Tend to Get into the Weeds
Yet Usually End Up With More Colorful

Wildflowers by the beginning of the end again...

The Google Search Engine Provides an AI Tool

That Surely Will Be Able to Provide A Concise
Yet Detailed Overview of What Existentialism Is

And OBTW Along with gaining 3 Degrees at Once
in Social Sciences Interdisciplinary, Health Science,
And Anthropology; Another one of my SPECIAL INTERESTS

That i 'Wasted' Vast Amounts of Government Grant Money on (Thank God my
Mother Was So Poor) Never Worrying Then About a Job or Making Money Next
(Even though i Did Work 3 Part Time Jobs to Get Through 3 Degrees all at Once;
True, i Lived With Relatives Mostly till almost 30) Was Yes! Philosophy! True i've
Had More than Two Courses Including An Introduction to Philosophy, Comparative
Religions in Philosophy, and A Philosophy Class on the Challenges Then of Living in a

Technological Society; True, Even in the Sports, Leisure, and Health Curriculum, i had
A Philosophy of Sports Class and Before Anyone Pooh Poohs the Relevance of that Just

Remember There
isn't a Whole Lot
of Difference Tween
Followers of a Sports Team
And Religion, Hehe, except Their Favorite Quarter Back;

Hehe, See what i mean about the Weeds i Bring, even leaving
The Beauty of Wild Flowers Out More Colorful than ever Before;

Yet

Let's Get to the
Cold Hard Facts
From the 'Google
Search AI Machine;'

It's True, the New 'Siri AI Tool' Will
Bring Reams of Words of Poetry on the
Subject of Love Yet Task it to put it in the

Shape of a Tree and See How Miserably it Performs;

For You See, i Do it All Intuitively, Without Even Planning in Advance;

Of Course,
AI Fails;
What Would
You Expect Hehe

When it has No Plans...

Okay, HeaR to the answer to the Question of the Day;

i Still Believe Baby Bird's Definition and Edna's Definition

Are Among the Best As They Don't Rely on Traditional Academics;

Existentially,

They Fly

Free as

A Baby Bird
Will too Hehe okay
Getting too close to Wild Flower colors,

So Here We Go to Just the Facts Ma'am And Or Sir;



From the Google Search Engine AI Tool:

"Existentialism is a philosophical movement that emphasizes
individual existence, freedom, and responsibility. It suggests
that humans define their own meaning and essence through
choices and actions, rather than being predetermined by

external forces or a pre-defined nature.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Core Ideas:
Existence Precedes Essence:

Humans are born into existence
without a pre-ordained purpose or nature.
We create our own essence through our choices and actions.

Freedom and Responsibility:

Existentialists believe individuals are fundamentally free and
have the responsibility to create their own values and meaning
in a world that lacks inherent purpose.

Subjectivity:

Human experience is inherently subjective, and our understanding
of the world is shaped by our individual perspectives and choices.

Authenticity:
Existentialists value living authentically, which means acknowledging
our freedom, taking responsibility for our choices, and aligning our
actions with our values.

Absurdity:
The universe, from an existentialist perspective, is often seen as absurd,
lacking inherent meaning or purpose. This realization can lead to anxiety,
but also to the freedom to create our own meaning.

The Problem of Being:
Existentialism explores the fundamental questions of human existence,
including the nature of being, the meaning of life, and the experience of
freedom and responsibility."


Show Spoiler

Characters By Story 'Armchaired to Have Significant Aspects of Existentialism
In How they Conduct Their Lives Include Jesus and Neo, Just for Two, Probably

Buddha, Lao Tzu, And Yes Many Many Others, too Many to Count as Free;

me too, Yet i Surely Don't See Nature as Absurd; Yet the Number of
"Matrixes"/Religions/Politics/Philosophies Humans Imagine and
Create Surely Do Range From Hell to Purgatory to Real Hell on

Earth too; Yep, Both Nightmares and Dreams We Humans Are
Capable of Bringing to Fruition, Which of Course, in a Way, Also

Fulfills the Philosophy of Existentialism in the Fact, In Part, We Do

Create Living Nightmares and Dreams For Real in Fruition on Earth;

(Can Human Nature Be Absurd; Just Turn on the 'Orange News' Day or Night,

24/7)

That Also Impacts
the Rest of Nature
that Tends to Balance
Itself Out Without Any

Human Harm at Best too;

Yet True As Always Nightmares
And Dreams too; As We Also May Come
to Be Mighty Protectors of the Rest of Nature too;

Nature Is Not 'Fair' Yet Life on Earth is Miracle Enough for me,

at
Least;

As Always, 'Mileage'
Varies Based on 'Vessel And
Vehicle;' Yes, Nature And Nurture

of The Current Human Condition,
Per each and every Part of Existence Unique

Yet Integral
All to the Whole

in my View of
Existence at Least

With
SMiLes..:)


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DoniiMann
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21 Jun 2025, 5:28 pm

I think there are different flavors of existentialism. The basic idea is that there's no divine plan or big boss setting morals and ethics. We're on our own.

But the question is, what do you do with that?

I think there are three main types, but off the top of my head I only remember two. Basic Existentialism (Life has no 'meaning' or 'ethics'... so create your own.), and Nihilism (Life has no 'meaning' or 'ethics'... so why bother? Anything you create would be a lie, so don't do it).


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babybird
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Yesterday, 10:37 am

I don't think there is any meaning in the grand scheme of things


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Edna3362
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Yesterday, 12:21 pm

babybird wrote:
I think I'm an existentialist

Technically, everyone is at any point in time.
That is, in a non-academic sense.


I'm more interested at something more applicable in daily living than just theoricals.
Something more transformative. Something consequential.

Something that can be explored beyond thought. The thought is just the beginning.

Tho, too many would just stay at that phase, a bit less of them a step forward, way less even further that just thoughts and interests.

Doesn't matter on whoever's personal level or preference is.
There's no right or wrong about it.



But sure. :lol:
One can choose to try and be the master of their own fate... Some die trying. There might be countless ways to go about it and figuring it out.

Or not.
Maybe they're just that too content with whatever hyperreality one is subject to. Too many had been this way involuntarily tho.


Again, it doesn't matter in a personal level.

All I know is that I had concluded on my own was that I was not put into this Earth to save souls. :lol:
Only occasional breadcrumbs here and there... And no one's telling anyone to take it all in or stop and ignore it.


Technically, anyone can just do just that -- to declare themselves that way.


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babybird
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Yesterday, 12:50 pm

Yeah that's what I'm saying mate; like what even is reality

What even is truth

I just don't think it exists


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