Surviving An Existential Crisis

Anyone who cares about truth is likely to experience an existential crisis at some point in their life.  During this period of doubt and agony, a person questions the significance of their existence and the extent of human knowledge.  They perhaps wrestle with whether or not their life is even worth continuing.  As this form of crisis persists for days, and then weeks, and then months, the suffering person inwardly yearns for release from the terrors it brings.  Though there is not always much that a person can do to shorten the length of an existential crisis, there are at least two things they can do to make the time in the crisis more bearable.

Avoiding harsh epistemological and metaphysical truths might seem like it will ease the suffering, but dishonesty can prove far more dissatisfying than intellectual honesty.  The very nature of an existential crisis is derived from a desperate desire for truth.  Attractive deceptions might bring arbitrary comfort, but they so easily fail to satisfy the intense desire for certainty that is at the heart of an existential crisis.  Without a longing for certainty, the scope of an existential crisis would be far smaller, and the psychological impact on one's life would not be as severe.

The difficulty of an existential crisis is amplified by the awareness that, even if other people in general were equally concerned with matters of truth, they are incapable of obtaining any metaphysical knowledge that is inaccessible to you.  Beings with the same epistemological limitations might exercise their intellects to wildly varying degrees, but the boundaries around their capacities for knowledge are identical.  It is correct that even the truths that have been overlooked by almost every philosopher from human history [1] are not beyond the hypothetical grasp of the average person; however, no human can legitimately claim an epistemological advantage over what other humans are capable of.

Do the collective limitations of humanity mean that other people are of no assistance during an existential crisis?  Certainly not!  In addition to intellectual honesty, a close friendship (or relationship with a significant other) can be one of the most refreshing things about existence during an existential crisis, as is true during other periods of great difficulty.  Conversing with a friend in an intellectually sound and emotionally transparent way is one of the healthiest things one can do in the midst of any difficulty.  This will not only provide an avenue for emotional release, but will also grant a strength that might only be found in sociality.

I am not unfamiliar with the anguish of an existential crisis.  I have despised my epistemic limitations to the point of almost wanting to die in order to be rid of them.  I have felt the desperation of ignorance.  Though it was reason itself that brought me to the point of existential terror, I would likely not have survived the pain without the stability of rationalism--and that of my closest friendship.  Thankfully, great personal progress can be made amidst the harshest of trials: my commitment to Christianity was solidified and deepened because of the ordeal.  Because of it, I can relate to a broader range of human experiences, connect with those in the midst of their own crises, and enjoy the benefits of existential resolution.

Potential peace, certainty, and fulfillment wait on the other side of an existential crisis.  The process of surviving one might not be pleasurable, but the aftermath can certainly be one of the greatest times of intellectual and emotional flourishing a person will ever experience.  Surviving one is possible.  Enduring the most difficult plights is at its most achievable when one looks to the future, beyond the pains of the present moment.  What a person expects from the future can determine a significant amount of their resolve, and their worldview inevitably shapes their expectations.  The importance of a rational worldview is only clarified by suffering.


[1].  For a handful of examples, see here:
  A.  https://thechristianrationalist.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-ramifications-of-axioms.html
  B.  https://thechristianrationalist.blogspot.com/2018/11/the-extent-of-absolute-certainty.html
  C.  https://thechristianrationalist.blogspot.com/2017/07/dreams-and-consciousness.html