Freedom

Existentialism says you exist first, then you decide what you are. Most philosophies work backward. They start with human nature, then tell you how to live. “Humans are rational, so be rational.” “Humans have souls, so save your soul.” Existentialists flip this. You’re born without a preset nature or purpose. No cosmic plan. No essential self to discover. Just raw existence. This sounds terrifying. It’s meant to. Sartre called it “being condemned to be free....

Most people find the idea that life has no purpose terrifying. I think they have it backwards. If life came with a purpose pre-installed, you’d be stuck with it. Like being born into a job you never applied for and can never quit. Think about it. What if the cosmic purpose of human life was to suffer beautifully? Or to maximize the number of paperclips in the universe? Or to worship a deity you found morally repugnant?...