Brittany Rexroat 
Lacy Hanson While attending another class I realized very quickly that the topics of Nietzsche and Existentialism were overlapping. Frederick Nietzsche struck me as a revolutionary thinker upon hearing this quote: “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how”. This hit me like a brick wall! I had been searching for the reasons as to why I do what I do and to what purpose exists for striving to be extraordinary. By hearing this quote I have the answer to this daunting question. If I have a purpose to live, a why, then no matter what the condition placed upon me, the how, I will be able to overcome it.
Existentialism seeks to address the issue that we are not defined by our choices in the past, but by the path we are walking now determined by the choices we are currently making. We are not slaves to the past, but “architects of our future”. There is not a right or wrong answer to a choice, but simply making a choice and owning your decision is enough to provide you with meaning. If we live by other’s standards we are doing ourselves a disservice by not allowing for our “authentic” self to shine. Nietzsche would agree wholeheartedly with this statement. When we as humans give ourselves a why to live, we can accomplish any how we set our minds to.
Anna Brinkman
10:23 pm, 02.21.11
Jacob-wow! That quote really is awesome. It really does make the whole existence thing a lot easier to grasp for me. It is so hard not to dwell on the past and look forward. It is really freeing that when we give ourselves a why, the how takes care of itself in the process because of obstacles we overcome.
Alison
10:59 pm, 02.21.11
I like the idea of being the architect of my own future, but I guess existentialism scares me because I feel that it can be used to justify anything. If you take this just to mean that we should avoid letting others take control of our lives, I agree. If you take this to mean that there is no right or wrong, only what is “authentic” to you, I feel like it can get dangerous. True, we should not live by others’ standards. However, we do still have God’s standards to keep in mind. That being said, I like the ideas of existentialism to a point–as long as they don’t spiral out of control.
Jodi Bell
11:29 pm, 02.21.11
I really liked what you had to say. It is something I really struggle with is being in control of my future. But from Nietzsche’s perspective its like, if at first you don’t succeed try and try again. All of our failures and experiences lead us to success. We shouldn’t be scared of failure we should embrace what can be learned from it.