Bits and Paradoxes #26
Existentialism, Sartre, Camus and Naval
Hi,
I wanted to skip writing for this week because I didn’t feel like writing. But then… I am writing… (Okay! This sentence doesn’t sound “right”. :/ )
Right now, it’s evening and I am on the roof drifting with my thoughts. So, to curb my vague anxieties, I am pouring out some thoughts here.
I wasn’t in the mood to write about anything, partly because of the Idea Attenuation (without any top idea in my mind), and partly because I invested the whole week reading books and research papers….and…mindlessly strolled around the interwebs… …And that I have nothing interesting to share except these fragmented streams of thoughts.
With no one to talk to about all the knowns and the unknowns, I have always found “serenity” in words and writing. A therapy for an anxious mind.
I)
One book I am about to complete is “Existentialism Is a Humanism” by Sartre which touches upon, of course, Existentialism. Having consumed a lot of Absurdist philosophy, the concept of “having free choices to do anything that impacts not only your life but also the world subtly” makes me ponder a many things:
How much of the decisions you make, for your own selfishness, impact the world?
How much anguish is there because of that inherent freedom?
How much of your choices are pre-determined by nature, not nurture?
While Camus talks about THE ABSURD (the inherent meaninglessness of life) with which we can reconcile with: (a) suicide (b) The Leap of Faith (c) Embracing the absurd as it is, Sartrian existentialism tries to embrace the absurd with personal meanings.
Of course, suicide (a) is not feasible as it leads to absurd being more absurd. The leap of faith (b) is a belief about superior power (such as God), which most people have an inclination towards. Embracing (c) is the only way to accept the reality as it is.
“World intrinsically have no objective meanings. But through a combination of choices, self-awareness, and personal responsibilities, we can create our own subjective meanings. We can act. We can decide. We can create impacts.” That’s an existentialist view of the world.
On that note
I frequently have a hodgepodge of identity crises ranging from love, career, life goals, family, skills, and what not… It seems I don't have “strong” stances on anything: politics, problem-solving, and philosophy. I accept everything at face value. Right now, I have a guilt about many things…which might be contemplation for another time… Same goes for my stance on philosophical ideas. Sometimes I feel like a stoic. Other times I am a brutal nihilist without any emotions. And there are times….where….I am drenched in emotions…
Also, I didn't know Camus and Sartre were friends in some ways.
II)
The “Anguish of Freedom” is an [[Existential Crisis]] of being utterly free to make any decisions. But do you have any right to impact the world by your decisions?
Who, then, can prove that I am the proper person to impose, by my own choice, my conception of man upon mankind?
If I regard a certain course of action as good, it is only I who choose to say that it is good and not bad.
“Am I really a man who has the right to act in such a manner that humanity regulates itself by what I do.”
III)
Existence precedes essence. That’s the core philosophy of existentialists.
Before Existentialism came to be the way it is, there was a [[Belief Template]] that every human has a role to play, a pre-determined purpose (essence) they have to fill in. So, the idea that essence comes only after when someone is in existence was radical at that time. You define yourself through your conscious decisions and actions.
Again “nature vs nurture” narration might also be there? Of course, everything we do might be related to [[Fear of death]] itself; how we are simply trying to move away from that fear with quotidian works we are engaged in.
IV)
The second book I am reading is “The Almanack of Naval Ravikant” which is an aggregation of Naval Ravikant’s philosophy and wisdom towards life.
The book is free. There’s no particular sequence to follow. You can randomly choose a page and get deeply influenced by Naval’s thoughts on life. :)
Before reading the book, I recommend watching/listening to Naval's conversation in several podcast:
Joe Rogan Experience 1309 - Naval Ravikant
I have listened to this many times. And every time I listen to it, I find something interesting to think about.
The Knowledge Project 18 — Naval Ravikant
The Tim Ferriss Show | Naval Ravikant on Happiness, Reducing Anxiety, Crypto Stablecoins, and More
Of course, whatever I "try to say" here will be superficial. And probably whatever nuggets I find in the book and the podcasts are contextual and might not be relevant to everyone. It's not “do-this-and-it-will-work”, but "okay-that's-an-interesting-take" type.
A good book is like a fractal that keeps you engaged at different levels.
One common element I find in Naval’s conversation is “Falsifialibity of beliefs”. You don't need to have strong beliefs, especially when it’s falsifiable. This also puts you into [[Knowing vs Understanding]] narrative in some ways too.
V)
This tweet by Tim Urban is thought-provoking.
“learning = curiosity + knowing who to trust”
I watched this presentation about Shopify: Shopify - How we Get Shit Done
Highly recommended.
Ending Thoughts
Yesterday, the moon was so beautiful, almost from a fantasy. Van Halen’s Eruption guitar solo made it feel like a dream. I am sure I was high on thoughts.
(Figure: Evening hours. Me on the roof sky-watching. Reading. Listening. Thinking. Drifting.)
Before I drift into the unknown, let me share with you one of my favorite quotes by Lawrence Yeo from moretothat.
Life as a human is a weird experience, but one that I’m very grateful to be a part of. And when you have a sense of gratitude for the peculiar, you get a little something called curiosity.
Have an open mind. Be eager and curious to learn more.
Love,
Nish
PS
If you like any iteration of Bits and Paradoxes, please do share. If not the least, it might add "meanings" to both of our lives? Sharing is caring I guess. :)
I am sure most of my absurd words don't add much value to you. But then, it doesn’t matter. Do let me know your experience of reading the letters. It might help me to figure out if I suck at writing or not. I really wanted to skip this week. But couldn’t resist since you might be used to these letters, almost like a routine. Haha. (It might also be an excuse for “therapy through writing”. :/ )
Broken Thought
What’ll happen if I suddenly stop sending these letters, and don’t respond to anything? Classic "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" thought.
References
Existentialism vs Absurdism (video)
PHILOSOPHY - Sartre (video)
Meaning of life (The School of life) (longread, recommended)
Meaning of life is absurd (read)
The search for happiness (read)
The arts of everyday life (video)
The Mind, Life & Work of Sheldon Solomon (documentary, recommended)