Adair Rader- Reflections on Existentialism

    We discussed in class the idea of existentialism, which we defined as one's essence or being coming from the choices that you make. Initially, this can seem like a freeing idea. If your being comes from the choices you make, then no one can impost anything on you, and you're free. It seems like this belief systems values authenticity. However, the more I reflected on this, the less appealing this ideology becomes. If we are defined by our choices, then our mistakes define us. The wrong choices we make as we learn about ourselves and life, define us. We are free to be authentic, but how do we know who we are? If our choices are dependent on the moment and the circumstances, then who we are is also fleeting. We have no steadfast identity. It is impossible to be authentic to an identity that is continuously changing. 





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