Introduction

Throughout our lives, all of us will experience ups and downs – such is the reality of the human condition. However, in an age of ever-increasing connectedness, we are also made constantly aware of the whirlwinds of emotions that are to be found all around us on the internet and other media.

Today, we are not only contending with our own joys and sorrows and those of our close friends and family, but also with those of the wider world. It certainly adds up.

We live in a world where the contrast between rich and poor as well as developed and undeveloped is immensely palpable and is magnified by further developments in technology.

It’s only too easy to fall victim to the pessimism that is bound to possess us if we spend too much time focussing on all the tragedy and injustice around us. And since a large part of our life is made up by habits, it’s best to keep negativity at an arm’s length and approach life with a vigorous outlook instead.

Fortunately, we have plenty of insightful philosophies to fall back on in these times of need. So, in this post I’ll highlight four philosophical concepts that may prove to be the necessary remedy to meaninglessness and negativity.

Amor Fati – Nietzsche

“My formula for human greatness is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not in the future, not in the past, not for all eternity. Not only to endure what is necessary, still less to conceal it — all idealism is falseness in the face of necessity…”

Nietzsche is known for his ‘philosophising with a hammer’ and this once again rings true when we take a closer look at his no-nonsense concept of amor fati (translation: love of fate).

The fundamental principle of this concept relies on our ability to accept our life as it comes to us. Indeed, this concept has a Stoic flavour to it, which is interesting considering that Nietzsche was fond of criticising the Stoics (read more about the principles of the Stoics here).

Nietzsche was an ardent believer that suffering served as the necessary medicine for psychological growth and self-mastery, as echoed in the following passage:

“Amor fati: this is the very core of my being—And as to my prolonged illness, do I not owe much more to it than I owe to my health? To it I owe a higher kind of health, a sort of health which grows stronger under everything that does not actually kill it!—To it, I owe even my philosophy.… Only great suffering is the ultimate emancipator of spirit…’’

The concept of amor fati, one which was explicitly expressed in The Gay Science, served Nietzsche as an effective and undiluted worldview that does without the excesses of idealism and intends to approach life soberly and with a graceful pride.

It’s easy to confuse Nietzsche’s concept of amor fati with a hard-headed stubbornness that seeks to prevail over any adversity encountered in life. This is only half of the story, as Nietzsche insists that we must live our life in a way that is satisfactory to us – we must really love our life if we were to wish it to recur eternally.

So, rather than simply gritting our teeth and getting on with life, Nietzsche implores us to learn to love the numerous challenges that life throws at us, and to see them as opportunities to better ourselves. We are implored to reconsider the way we approach our struggles in life and to find a way to embrace them. After all, they are as medicine for those seek to master themselves.

Why this concept is useful

The Stoic-esque pragmatism that embodies amor fati cuts right through the belaboured ideals that most people hold dear. Whereas most rely on concepts of eternal reward and punishment to strive toward or abstain from certain actions, Nietzsche urges us to make the most of the now. To live and love our life in a way that would drive us to do so eternally. How many of us would be comfortable with that? As always, Nietzsche forces us to confront our current reality and our approach to it.

The Knight of Faith – Soren Kierkegaard

He drains in infinite resignation the deep sorrow of existence, he knows the bliss of infinity, he has felt the pain of renouncing everything, whatever is most precious in the world, and yet to him finitude tastes just as good as to one who has never known anything higher, for his remaining in the finite bore no trace of a stunted, anxious training, and still he has this sense of being secure to take pleasure in it, as though it were the most certain thing of all. […] He resigned everything infinitely, and then took everything back on the strength of the absurd.

Soren Kierkegaard is generally considered to be the father of existentialism. It’s in his work Fear and Trembling, where he elaborates upon the concept of the Knight of faith, using the biblical Abraham as an example.

In Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard describes three realms of ascending individual existence: the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious. Each individual realm of existence has a corresponding archetype associated with it.

Those pursuing the aesthetic life are self-concerned and continually seek fleeting sensory experiences and pleasures to maintain fulfilment in life. In contrast, those who operate within the ethical realm are altruistic and seek virtue through acts of self-sacrifice. An example being the tragic hero who willingly sacrifices his life for a significant cause.

Shifting our focus to the highest realm, we now come to meet two interesting characters who Kierkegaard describes as: ‘having made the upward movements’, these are the knight of infinite resignation and the knight of faith.

The knight of infinite resignation is one that willingly sacrifices that which is of the greatest importance to them, without the expectation that they are able to claim what they’ve lost back. Unlike the tragic hero, however, this sacrifice is absurd and is not understood by those around him. Thus he gains no recognition or commendations for it. The knight of infinite resignation benefits from his act solely by the perpetuation of a pure and spiritual love for the thing which he has sacrificed. Indeed, the knight of infinite resignation and the ascetic have much in common (read more about the principles of asceticism here).

Even more elevated than the knight of infinite resignation stands the knight of faith. This knight, too, commits the act of infinite resignation. But, unlike the knight of infinite resignation, he thoroughly believes that he will be able to claim his sacrifice back by virtue of his faith.

Kierkegaard describes Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac as the exemplary model of the principles of the knight of faith. It’s important to mention that the knight of faith’s actions seem absurd and irrational in the physical world – the act of sacrificing one’s son in order to please God would seem entirely absurd. And yet, Abraham, by his faith, was ready to sacrifice his own son in order to obtain favour with God. But, by the virtue of the absurd, was able to claim his son’s life back and also attain favour with God.

The knight of faith is one that gives up that which is dearest to him in this world for that which is higher. And yet, by virtue of the absurd – by virtue of unspoiled faith – is able to claim it back in this world, thereby winning both in the material and metaphysical domains.

Why it’s helpful

The principles of the knights of infinite resignation and faith rest on tragedy and absurdity. In that same vein, there is a certain tragic wisdom and beauty to be found in the act of infinitely resigning from something that one is incapable of achieving. The mature intellectual mind can still derive pleasure from letting his beloved live their life happily. This non-possessive love is one that simply lets be and wishes the best for those whom its directed at. It is a universal kind of love that wishes the best for all. All is not lost, however, as according to Kierkegaard, if one is able to make the final upward movement and gains a pure faith, one is able to reclaim their beloved in this world by virtue of the absurd.

Logotherapy – Viktor Frankl

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Viktor Frankl was a psychotherapist and holocaust survivor and known for creating logotherapy: a psychiatric modality and wider philosophy that is based on the premise that humans’ primary drive is the will to meaning.

Logotherapy is a pragmatic framework that can be used to find meaning in tough conditions. Frankl invented the premise of the concept whilst he was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp – undoubtedly one of the most dehumanising and restricting environments an individual could possibly find himself in. However, Frankl proved that even in the most dire circumstances, man can muster up the necessary spirit to survive. That is, by creating his own meaning and purpose.

Logotherapy helps people rethink the way they see their life. It’s not a quick fix that will solve all issues, but rather a long-term philosophy that needs to be learned and employed consistently to see positive results. Logotherapy is a vigorous way of thinking and aids us in our approach to life so that we can become the best versions of ourselves.

Why it’s helpful

Logotherapy is an effective technique that helps us to find meaning in suffering by reclaiming our agency in situations that seem out of our control. Even if the situation seems dire, there is always something we can do to stay in control of our situation. By attaching meaning to suffering, it ceases to be unbearable, for we are given a why to bear the how.

Eventually, all of us will experience some form of suffering, be it physical or psychological. In moments like these, logotherapy helps us to reclaim our agency and approach the situation in a constructive way – so that we might find meaning and purpose even when there seems to be none.

The Myth of Sisyphus – Albert Camus

“Man stands face to face with the irrational. He feels within him his longing for happiness and for reason. The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world.”

“The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

Albert Camus was a French-Algerian philosopher and author known for his existentialist writings. His work The Myth of Sisyphus, has gained significant popularity over the years, and includes the titular protagonist, king Sisyphus, who was condemned by Hades to push a boulder up a hill for eternity as a punishment for cheating death.

Camus uses the myth of Sisyphus as metaphor to highlight and overcome the meaninglessness of drudgery in our lives. Indeed, the style of French existentialism that Camus heralded was one that magnified feelings of alienation and dissociation with one’s external reality. Rather than focussing on the surroundings, we take dive into the character’s mind, and get to know their motivations and misgivings.

Existentialism predicates free will, and it is the conscious choices we make that provide us with meaning. So, whether we are being forced to push a boulder uphill for eternity, or work a tedious job day-in-day-out, choosing to do something with intent is what matters and repels meaninglessness.

We are not told to remain happy in drudgery, but rather change our mindset about the way we approach matters.

Camus’ existentialist approach helps us focus our attention away from the drudgery of routine, and instead focus on that which is greater. That which is synthesised by choosing to act with conscious intent.

By harnessing the power of our consciousness, we can turn drudgery into a meaningful action that is unique to us and belongs only to us.

As for king Sisyphus, rather than simply pushing a boulder up a hill, his labour represents a unique engagement with his external environment and himself. Sisyphus pushes the boulder, and the boulder pushes back. It is only him that is pushing the boulder in that moment, his act is his own, intentional, and concerns no one but himself. It is only by virtue of this applied grace that we can imagine Sisyphus happy.

Conclusion

Though existentialism is a recent addition to the wider discipline of philosophy, it appears to be ever-more relevant in the modern day. The complexity and growth of modern society has provided us with more options than we can confidently work with (more on that here). It’s no wonder that we often find ourselves at crossroads nowadays – life is moving fast, and we’re in the thick of it.

Fortunately, existentialism provides us with answers: as free agents in life, we can fashion ourselves in ways that we see fit. Indeed, Sartre is famous for proclaiming: ‘’Existentialism precedes essence.’’ We’re both the sculpture and the sculptor, and we’re duty-bound to see it through.

Man the sculptor, is both awake and in command. Yet, he cannot escape the black veil that will meet him at the end of his life. It’s this paradox between conscious life and unconscious death that manifests the absurd. Faced with this absurdity, we must transform it into something greater; something meaningful, for it is only meaning that stirs our very essence.