When Life Can Open Up

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I often romanticize the 1940’s Paris Café scene—dressed in black clothing, listening to jazz, and discussing existential matters. Rather, I am now at the Capital One Café with a copy of Sara Bakewell’s “At the Existentialist Café” reflecting on the ideas of Camus, Sartre, and De Beauvoir.

Existentialists, as humanists, argue that human beings are unique as we have the choice of our actions. In other words, in daily life one continues to develop or create oneself depending on the choices actions, thoughts, or activities. Sartre argued that “he (man) must constantly invent his own path.” The actions we take are important as they lead us to making choices about living. These actions, however, should also include making sure other groups have the choice of free living as well by addressing social challenges and promoting social justice.

Existentialists see anxiety and despair as part of the human condition and reflective of how we are situated in the world. Life is not meant to be lived in avoidance of these human conditions, but rather in awareness that they are part of our experience. As a mental health practitioner, I like the idea that people understand that we do experience ups and downs in life and downs are not by themselves pathological. However, when the downs are harmful to oneself (or others) and disrupt the quality of life, it may be a disorder in need of treatment.

Most of all, the existentialists recognized that no matter what one does in life we are all faced with our own mortality. Hence, the best way to live life is to embrace it with depth and honesty. This means defining one’s values, commitments, attitudes, beliefs and taking responsibility for the world in which we live in. Instead, Sartre argued, we often engage in distractions—for which the 21st century provides a plentiful amount. While these distractions may make life less painful at times, it also may take us away from the “authenticity” of life. Sartre acknowledges that this way of living is “terrifying, but exhilarating way of being.”