Paul answers “Did depressing, existential works like...”

Erica Miles asked this question about Nausea:

Did depressing, existential works like this contribute to other readers' confusion about life with no meaning?

Paul Existentialism was intended as the philosophical answer to the question of "what if there is no God" or "what is life without meaning". It didn't cont…moreExistentialism was intended as the philosophical answer to the question of "what if there is no God" or "what is life without meaning". It didn't contribute to my confusion. Quite the opposite. It helped me to accept what I already thought was probable. That there is nothing out there other than what we make of it.

But - and I think this is what some people miss - it doesn't have to be a negative or pessimistic outlook on things. There are no limits to what you can make of your life. You simply are what you do - whether you like it or not. You are not an idealistic version of yourself - the you that you might like to be. You are the one that actually does things and is a culmination of all your actions - not ideas, but actions - up to that point. By existing - by interacting with the world - you become something. And what you become is entirely of your own making - there's no blaming anyone else! You can be a good person, without the reward of a Heaven or the threat of a Hell, or be a bad person without eternal repercussions. It's completely up to you and what you do with your choices and actions. Having said that, our world and our politics - our security and our ethics - are shaped by what we do, so there are Earthly repercussions of sorts.

Existentialism has some surprisingly comparable ideas with Zen Buddhism. Life without predetermined meaning is not a life without meaning - it's entirely up to you to describe and create your story - to ascribe your meaning on it. It offers you agency. The question is whether you choose to accept that responsibility. And that's no mean feat. As Sartre said, "man is condemned to be free".

If you find Sartre too depressing or negative in his outlook, but you want to explore the ideas further, then I'd recommend checking out books by his spiritual soulmate and sometime partner Simone De Beauvoir. She had a much more humanistic and empathetic take on the same theory.(less)

flag

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more