We can't make any choice knowing if it will or won't be what's best for us, and so we should not look for or expect any ultimate answers that will.This doesn't mean that we should not engage in, consume, consider, or share ideas, research, and philosophies about life, but we should be skeptical in our considerations, and mitigate our expectations accordingly. In many ways, ideas for how to live are just as much art and entertainment. No matter how wise a piece of advice may seem, there is nothing to suggest that anyone else can form a better idea for how to live than one's own self.

The Solution

Jean-Paul Sartre was born in 1905 in Paris, France and is considered to be one of the main popularizers of existential thinking. For Existentialists, life has no fundamental meaning or truth beyond what is created by our decisions and actions within it. The core of Existential thought is the the notion that as humans, we have no predetermined purpose, and consequently, there is no specific way to live. Rather, both purpose and a way to live comes only from living life and making choices within it. And we are free to choose what we do.

Jean-Paul Sartre and Existentialism 

Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.

For Sartre, there are endless ways to live and all are equally absurd, all equally meaningless, and all equally worthy. We have freedom to mold life any way we wish, coupled with a deep desire for wanting to mold it as best we possibly can. But we lack any ability to know if our choices are good or bad or right or wrong. And hence, we can never know if what we choose is what's best for us. This access to endless information and potential solutions to dealing with life has given rise to increasing anxieties, depressions and confusions.

The Root Of Anxiety 

Man can will nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth.

The Internet has made it so we can consume and share a seemingly unending amount of content on the topic of living most effectively. However, this access to information has made us realize how conflicting most ideas are. It has revealed that the world is basically without any discernible truth, and most ideas about how to live are inconclusive and unreliable. This could perhaps be a major contributing factor to the modern world's increasing levels of anxiety.

Overconsumption of Information 

When one realizes and accepts that there are no fundamental rules or truths in the world of human existence, the individual becomes self-aware of their freedom and realizes that they don't have to do anything specific in life. The pressure and anxiousness of constantly searching for the right way to live can be alleviated, and instead, we can look inwards, consider how we wish to experience life, and work to mould ourselves and choices accordingly. We can use our uniquely assembled self to fulfill a uniquely assembled life, realizing our full potential, accepting the uncertainties, and making the endurance of existence personally worth it.

So How Do We Live? 

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

communication

Communication

It is not as if the internet and age of information is bad, but it's not as if it's good.

In this video, we explore why during an era where there is more information than ever about how to live and be happy, we are more confused and less happy than ever, in recent history. We refer to the ever popular Jean-Paul Sartre and existentialist movement to try to find meaning in this increasingly chaotic world.

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Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre: https://amzn.to/33iywdC

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Wonder is the feeling of curiosity and/or appreciation inspired by something that is beautiful or unfamiliar.  At Pursuit of Wonder, we produce content with the goal of creating that feeling. 

We cover a wide range of topics related to philosophy, science, literature, emotional and social well-being, and more using a variety of formats like video essays, short stories, guided experiences, and much more. 

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