Looking For A Reason

[Wasted Sapience]

Please give me several examples of people creating meaning in their lives as defined by existentialism. Something which could be used as a template. Thank you.

[premjan]

Religions are probably historical examples - where specific authorities attempted to define meaning for the masses. But really it could be anything - charity, or self-improvement, or world peace or environmentalism, that a person happens to find meaningful. The important thing is that the meaning is not originally derived from an authority but from the individual him/herself.

[untermensche]

Camus goes over this in "The Myth of Sisyphus".

But the point is that purpose and meaning must be put into life. It is not there already.

So a person is free to give their lives meaning.

And that meaning will always be up to the individual. There are no a priori rules for which direction to take.

And some stand frozen forever trying to decide which is the best path because there is nothing saying a person will find one to their liking.

[JohannGoodflag]

This has got to be a very low-energy example; but for myself, I am absolutely enthralled by mathematics, right down to foundational issues. This makes is practical for me to choose a purpose in life which involves mathematics as an integral part. What I have chosen is a long-term hobby/project in the spirit of Bourbaki; and to make it available to other people on the off chance that other people find it useful or interesting. Chances are that at least someone will; an interested audience which will help motivate me to continue doing so once I actually get underway. In the meantime, there are a number of preliminary stages to my project which I must undertake which I can motivate myself to do.

The key, I think, is to choose a purpose --- or a collection of purposes --- that do not have a well-defined ending. It should not be possible to actually achieve all of the purposes you choose for yourself, if you want to die happily and of a natural death: you don't want to be living aimlessly for a long time after you finish a singular "life's work". (This is the problem that a number of people have after retirement: they wither away because they just don't know what to do with themselves.)

[kennethamy]

Please give me several examples of people creating meaning in their lives as defined by existentialism. Something which could be used as a template. Thank you.

Einstein or Newton deciding to be scientists. A person deciding to marry and become a parent. Someone deciding to go into politics.

[burlo]

as defined by: "Existentialism is a philosophical movement which claims that individual human beings have full responsibility for creating the meanings of their own lives."

From the knowledge of your experience, would you do it again?

[jacheatamobits]

existentialism, according to Sartre, is an optimistic humanism.

i would say that to practice this, one should look at the most vile, undesireable culture one could think of, and then go live with them. live with them until you are accepted by them. live with them until you feel a part of them. then you will see how creating meaning in your life in turn, creates you.

[spark in the dark]

The key, I think, is to choose a purpose --- or a collection of purposes --- that do not have a well-defined ending. It should not be possible to actually achieve all of the purposes you choose for yourself, if you want to die happily and of a natural death: you don't want to be living aimlessly for a long time after you finish a singular "life's work". (This is the problem that a number of people have after retirement: they wither away because they just don't know what to do with themselves.)

exactly.
basically, it's just about expressing yourself and leaving something behind.

[Wasted Sapience]

The key, I think, is to choose a purpose --- or a collection of purposes --- that do not have a well-defined ending. It should not be possible to actually achieve all of the purposes you choose for yourself, if you want to die happily and of a natural death: you don't want to be living aimlessly for a long time after you finish a singular "life's work". (This is the problem that a number of people have after retirement: they wither away because they just don't know what to do with themselves.)

Yes, I've already figured that out. How about some examples? Only kennethamy has actually given me examples. I'll take some good existentialist works, too, to add to the collection.

[No Robots]

If you are cool with Christian existentialism, I recommend a book called Bruchko (http://www.amazon.com/Bruchko-Bruce-Olson/dp/0884191338). In 1961, Bruce Olson, a brilliant 19-year-old linguistics student, tells his parents he wants to be a Christian missionary. In disgust, his dad buys him a one-way ticket to Caracas. Without sponsors, he walks alone into the jungle looking for the Motilone natives. A Motilone arrow pierces his thigh. He is taken back to the village where his fate will be decided. He is eventually accepted into the tribe and begins to evangelize without disrupting the culture. He remains with the Motilone for decades, enduring captivity by rebels, and serving as an advocate for the tribe with government and corporate interests. There is almost no god talk in the book. It is a straightforward adventure story about devoting oneself to an ideal.

Btw, I met this guy. He was speaking at a Church. A good-looking silver-haired guy, he was standing at the front of this conservative mega-church and he said, "You see me standing here in this suit, but 48 hours ago I was running around naked in my village. I haven't been in clothes for two years."

[Blackbeard]

As I was thrust into existence without my consent, I feel justified in being selfish, so my personal purpose in life is to enjoy it to the fullest. Do those things I enjoy and avoid, as much as possible, those things I do not enjoy. Fortunately, I do enjoy helping others, giving, making people smile ... basically helping others enjoy their own existence. To an outside observer, that mitigates my pure selfishness. Many is the time when someone thanks me for doing something for them or giving something to them and asks if there is anything they can do in return and I say "no need for thanks or reciprocation, I assure you my motives were purely selfish". Often they ask "How so?". Reply: "Because I enjoyed doing it". This usually results in a smile ..... which I really enjoy seeing. :)

So, enjoy life and respect other's rights to enjoy their's. That's a more general "meaning" to life and the one which I have adopted. However, it seems you were looking for more specifics like "becoming a parent", "becoming a scientist" or "going into politics" based on your citing those as the only qualified examples thus far. However, those to me can not be used as a template, as you requested. Not everyone would find meaning in and/or enjoy life doing those things. I personally am currently on my third career, and I have enjoyed all three of them, though the previous two did eventually become tedious and unenjoyable after about 10 years each. I think I may finally have found one that may last the rest of my life, but I am only on year 2 .... we'll see in 8 years. :)