Frankly Existential

Not the sigma male bastardization of stoicism. I’m talking about the stoicism of Ancient Greece that made its way to some of the most powerful influences of the Roman Empire. The most well known of the stoics is none other than Marcus Aurelius, whose Meditations provides practical philosophical guidance easily implementable by anyone. The main tenants of stoicism are simple: do not put too much energy into the things you cannot control; you are in control of your thoughts and actions. The ancient stoics placed an emphasis on doing what you can to better yourself without distraction from the events of the outside world that do not affect you. Today, we clearly see the ramifications of not heeding this advice. Everyone feels the need to join a movement that has nothing to do with them and to become invested in issues that are not theirs. To call this behavior admirable is a lie. It is crucial to face your own issues before anyone else’s. Who are you to think you can restructure society when looking internally is too much to handle? Put your energy into developing yourself. Put your energy into being good. Do not become distracted with the world.

The existentialists can be a scary collection of thinkers. Often associated with the doomsday nihilists, it doesn’t seem useful to look into existentialism. This is a misinterpretation of existential philosophy. First it is important to understand that existentialism does not exactly consist of core principles. The idea around all of them is the same insofar as they are concerned with understanding our personal existence and the meaning revolving around it. Many existentialists agree that while there is no inherent meaning to life, it is our duty to create that meaning and to give ourselves that purpose to continue. Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist and holocaust survivor, created a whole form of therapy around this idea called logotherapy, the root of the name being logos which translates to “meaning”. Existentialism is often a popular philosophy for those feeling hopeless and see no meaning in the world. The thought of being capable to create meaning is empowering on its own and is often enough of a motivator to continue pushing forward.

Meaning itself is a big idea, but it does not need to be. Take it day by day. Write out a plan or a schedule, give yourself some structure to adhere to and obligations to be fulfilled. Those provide meaning, you have things to be responsible for so you must stick around to fulfill them.

Absurdism, while being a branch of existentialism, is different enough to deserve its own section. Created by Albert Camus, absurdist philosophy poses the idea that life’s struggles are what provide meaning. Camus himself says, “The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart.” The push to achieve greatness is meaningful whether it is achieved or not. Embrace the struggles of life since they make you who you are and push you to grow and become better. Small daily struggles are included in this as well. We learn lessons from everything we do, no act is pointless (though this does not mean every act is good).

Kantianism is a moral philosophy based on natural law. Moral philosophy is full of huge ideas, but Kantian philosophy can be simplified into two criteria that guide our actions. These criteria can be stated as either statements or questions. First, if everyone did this, would it be self-defeating? A popular example is murder. If everyone murdered, everyone would die and nobody would be able murder anymore. Murder, as an act, is self-defeating because it ends up removing itself. The second question, is my action using someone else solely as a means to get what I want, or will they be given a benefit as well? If you are only using someone as a means to get what you want then your act is immoral. Kant argues that no action can violate only one rule and not the other, both rules are either fulfilled or broken.

Kantianism is often associated with the golden rule (treat others the way you wish to be treated). While not identical, they are similar in premise and the golden rule even on its own is a valid rule to live and act by.