How did you handle it?
Ask HN: Have you ever had an existential crisis?
1–10 of 69 posts
Re: Ask HN: Have you ever had an existential crisis?
#2What is the definition of ‘existential crisis’ in this context?
Re: Ask HN: Have you ever had an existential crisis?
#3Everyday
Re: Ask HN: Have you ever had an existential crisis?
#4 Only if I haven’t had my coffee yet.
Re: Ask HN: Have you ever had an existential crisis?
#5What is the definition of ‘existential crisis’ in this context?
I imagine it's the overwhelming feeling of "why am i here/why do i exists/what is my purpose in life/what is the meaning of it all?"
For me personally, it's usually a passing feeling, but once every few years it grows into a multi-day/week long feeling that borders on depression.
Why do I have to work? What am I toiling for? When I die, who cares? Everyone who's died before me - who cares? Those who lived a good, lucky life vs had a terrible one under oppression/torture, why did I get this one? What does it matter?
At these points, I tend to take a hard look at life and ask myself "What do I want?" and "What is making me feel this way?"
Sometimes I come up with an answer for the 2nd, mostly it's just empty noise (it's existential, so that's kind of expected). So the driving question for me becomes, what do I want?
Re: Ask HN: Have you ever had an existential crisis?
#6Only if I haven’t had my coffee yet.
For a while when I was younger I didn't experience hunger very often, I had existential crises instead. It was a bit ridiculous, the world would start crashing down around me, everything about my life would become terrible, unbearable burden... and then I would get to wondering about how long it had been since my last meal. A few bites into the subsequent sandwich and everything was back to normal.
Now I just get foggy and easily irritated.
Re: Ask HN: Have you ever had an existential crisis?
#7Had one a few years ago and I became a nihilist because I couldn't really find a purpose for my existence. I'm not as ambitious when it comes to work. Switched to contacting as a 9 to 5 job and don't touch programming outside of that. I spend more time with family and friends, going to the gym and doing sports, traveling more.
Re: Ask HN: Have you ever had an existential crisis?
#8Yes I had one when I was 20 (if you may even call it that), I handled it by thinking logically.
Re: Ask HN: Have you ever had an existential crisis?
#9Yes.
If by definition "Why am I here? What is purpose?", then yes.
I've spent a lot of time "soul searching" by asking myself questions, and also similarly asked people the same questions as well to try to learn from them.
I tried to by systematic and log all my efforts too.
I put together https://www.deepthoughtapp.com/ as a means to better understand myself and why I do what I do. Being able to look at past answers has been super helpful in understanding my behavior
Maybe some of these keywords may help you. Take the time to answer some of the questions yourself (on paper, in your own notebook/journal)
https://www.deepthoughtapp.com/en/keywords/purpose/
https://www.deepthoughtapp.com/en/keywords/existential/
Re: Ask HN: Have you ever had an existential crisis?
#10Always, But for me I settle down with my religious preaching in mind. Such as the sole purpose of life is to worhship God. Do good deeds, provide comfort to needy and wait for my time to die. Every step towards good deeds provide satisfaction and every bad act brings mysery.