Irene Anderson's Archive

There have been many contributors to existentialism, but in this blog post I want to focus on Heidegger and Frankl contributions to this psycho-philosophy. First, I want to briefly mention what existentialism is. It is basically focusing on how we exist and the meaning of our existence. According to Heidegger there are tow ways to live your life: authentically or not authentically. Living an authentic life is being aware and really accepting that one day you will day.  When one realizes this he or she will be motivated to really live life and make it meaningful; he or she will truly become. (Becoming means to personally grow.) An an inauthentic life is refusing to acknowledge that fact of life. Therefore they have hinder truly understanding themselves. In addition to that, most existentialist believe that their is a meaning for everything in life. That was the main thing that helped Victor Frankl get through his time in the Concentration Camp. One thing he said was, ” Suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning”. In order to truly live life one must know their purpose and why they are living. In his book Man’s Search for Meaning he describes if the prisoners have a purpose to live like a children or wife to care for or a book to finish writing that only they can write then they would not commit suicide. The key to surviving and flourishing is living out that purpose.

However there is thrownness which can make it hard to exercise the freedom one has to becoming. However most existentialist believe

“What does not kill me, makes me stronger”

which was an original thought from Nietzsche. Frankl also quotes that in his book. The purpose of suffering is to make us stronger and to help others through their struggles. Christ even says that in this world we will have trouble in John 16, but there is hope. He overcame it and so can we! Being persecuted for your faith and suffering for it, is considered an honor in the New Testament.. Existentialist view on life is very sad to some people, but when one digs deeper it can be a fire that lights us up to start truly living. I like to put this under the category of New creation or Redemption.  I think mainly because the view looks at death right in the eye with no fear. I feel like once the New Heaven and Earth comes we will be the same way. We won’t fear death, because it will not exist anymore. Or it could be redemptive since death is more of what motivates one to live. It usually has a negative connotation, but it doesn’t have to.

PS Kelly Clarkson also has a song with this same theme.

Jung studied the formation of personality as well as how a person interacts with their environment whether it be mental, emotional, or physical. In reaction to these different situations we ave some archetypes that manifest. Their are four main ones according to Jung. They are persona, anima, animus, and shadow. Persona is the only part of their personality presented to the public. Anima is the female component of male personality and animus is the opposite. Shadow is one that we inherit from our ancestors. Another development was the attitudes; introversion and extroversion. Introverts are quiet and more interested in ideas than interacting with people and extraverts are outgoing and love being around people more than alone. I like the idea of having these categories to put people in, because it can increase understanding between each other. This is the main reason why I would put Jung in the Redemption category.

He believed to truly understand each other we must understand and be aware of what we have been through and to also know the person’s future goals as well. That reminds me of why we share testimonies. In church groups we share them to show the strength of God and how he used our weaknesses. Also this just helps us to understand what other people have been through and it bonds and connects us in an intimate way. For Jung, “people are pushed by the past and pulled by the future”. I really love that analogy. Many times we do dwell on the past yet Christ is our future (the hope of glory). It is this constant tug between past and present that often causes emotional distress. however, when he said that I think of it as being pushed forward by the past because the struggles one goes through can become motivation and could be used as preparation to obtain the brighter future. I also believe that is the story of redemption. Christ says no matter how bad your past is, I can make your future better. He said he came to give life and give it to the fullest.  For exampled, He changed the heart of Saul to Paul. He persecuted Christians and then he became one. The Lord redeemed him and his past and He can do it now.

William James reversed the belief people had about emotions. Instead of saying we do things based on how we feel about them we do things then we feel a certain emotion based on what our actions tell us. For example, if we see a bear we run first and then feel the fear. This theory makes sense because it takes less time to just automatically react. In order to feel emotion it takes more energy. Therefore, you react automatically because you need that energy to keep running or swimming,etc. Act the way you want to feel is the advice he would give (344). There was a study that I read about in Social Psych that was conducted about how if people smile more than they are more likely to feel happy. Also there was a ted talk we watched about how body language does trick your brain into feeling certain things. The example Amy Cuddy gives is standing in a confident “power” pose will make you feel more power. I believe it is possible to feel a certain way without the body doing anything and visa versa. I know I feel more sad or hurt when I am physically crying that I do when I am not. However, I can be angry but  don’t cross my arms or drop my head down to make myself feel that way.

Can your body trick your mind into feeling other feelings that are more complex like loved or wanted? I like this theory because it seems that feelings like depression could be solved by smiling in a mirror more, but emotions are more complicated than that. I categorized emotions with the fall, because we base many decisions on how we feel. We say follow your heart or listen to your heart when in the bible it says that the heart is deceitful. It is irrational and selfish. Many times we sin because we want to feel good. When you have to lay down yourself and sacrifice the things you want for the good of others it is not always something you want to do. Or even something you feel the need to do. Emotions can cause us to do crazy things if we don’t have self-control which is why I categorized this with the fall. Also you body being able to trick your brain is not exactly what the Lord may have wanted for us; our bodies and hearts in constant struggle. However, I like that sometimes you can physically make yourself feel confident or happy because that can be helpful.

Here is the Ted Talk I mentioned. It’s long, but very interesting as most ted talks are! http://youtu.be/Ks-_Mh1QhMc

The human mind is different from any other creature or mammal that is on earth. We have all heard that quote, but has anyone every asked why? Because it can process things in milliseconds, because it can store an immense amount of information, or because it can comprehend things like God and the universe. Obviously animals can not do what we do with our minds like talk to Christ. Animals don’t think about their actions or have deeper intention for them.

Franz Clemens Brentano was very interested in the processes of the mind not the content. For example judging, recalling, doubting, and hoping are unique processes of the mind. I believe we take these abilities for granted daily.  I appreciate how he wanted to study them. I liked that he thought oral communication was the best way. Even though these things are hard to measure of completely capture, he was on to something. The way you process things and what you process makes a big impact on your mood and how you go through life. For example, if you believe no one likes you all the things you experience or remember may line up with that. Your low self-esteem makes you a target for bullies and it reaffirms your belief.

I think this view of the mind could be categorized in the fall or redemption. God created our minds and knew how they would work or form beliefs. Based on the truth that we grasp it could either hinder us or free us. Bad news: we get to choose what we believe. Good news: We get to choose what we believe. Great news: We know who the Truth is. I believe that God programming our brains the way he did showed us how important and special the mind is, especially the human one since it does things only animals could dream of. lol (Get it?)  Don’t waste those minds of yours. They are capable of such great things!

Ps Sorry if this sounded like my last post.

This clip is from I,robot. It touches on the differences between humans and machines and animals.

http://youtu.be/05bGPiyM4jg

Julien de La Mettrie is known for, L’Homme Machine, which calls man a machine. He sees man as mechanical because if we were not educated and did nothave our own language then we would resemble other animals. Especially due to a primate’s brain being about the size as ours. He also drew three conclusions. The first is the fiercer the animal the less brain they have. The second is the brain increases in size in proportion to the gentleness of the animal. Lastly the miore one gains in intelligence the more they lose instinct. Animals have made losts of advancements themselves like being able to learn tricks and memorize tunes. In the clip it was even said that dogs could dream, and we know that they can feel emotion. So yes I admit we are similar, but we are different. We have reflexes and process our brain goes through in order to regulate our emotions whereas dogs don’t. Ever pass by a yard and a dog wouldn’t stop barking at you?

In the clip Will’s Character says that robots don’t feel emotions, yet Sonny (the robot) gets very angry. They can turn music into a symphony or paint into a masterpiece. I believe that is what sets humans and robots as well as animals. We have these deep longings that we can’t even figure most of the time.  We have purposes and callings and we have this innate motivation to want to help others, but also are selfish like animals sometimes.  (However we feel more happiness usually when we help someone thanks to dopamine.) Anyways our talents and the way we communicate with each other sets us apart than just animals or machines. Our imagination sets us apart!

I  honestly think this could go under fall or redemption because I think the difference between humans and machines or animals shows how we were created much differently. It also shows how barbaric we can be sometimes. Another thing Mettrie said was that he noticed when men ate raw meat they were more barbaric. So if I had focused more on the barabaric nature of men like in the prehistoric history it could have went under fall. Since man’s main purpose was to hunt and marry, and have the strongest offspring. There are lots of tribes in Africa among other nations that we would find barbaric, but we don’t see them as less human.

Hello Again!!
Jean-Jacques Rousseau once said, ” Man is born free yet we see him everywhere in chains”. I don’t know about you, but I find that so true even today. He believed that humans by nature wanted to live in harmony. If they had been given the freedom to developed they would do what was best for themselves and other. Unfortunately, I don’t think that is true. Rousseau knew man were fallen and not acting in their true nature. I like Jean-Jacques Rousseau belief that man is not inherently wicked. God said let us make man in our image and God is good. We were meant to reflect the goodness of God and to be intimate with him. Even intimacy itself is good. The plan was for intimacy for goodness and freedom. For example we produce good things like inventions, ideas, and innovative medicines or medical practices that save lives. I believe without any motivation to be good man only looks out for himself. Man is mainly motivated by money, fame, having a purpose, or religion. Sometimes all those things can’t keep a man motivated. However, if men are motivated by pure love that changes things immensely. Rousseau knew that man was fallen and bound up in chains not able to live up to their potential goodness. Rousseau believed that humans did not need to be governed and that’s understandable because in Eden Adam and Eve weren’t governed. It seemed as though God just came and went as He wanted to. Once the fall happened we were brought the law or the government. The government kept us from attacking ourselves, even Jesus came to fulfill the law (and its purpose) not destroy it. Law showed us our brokenness and that we needed structure and order. However, after Christ it becomes a hindrance because in our immense brokenness even the thing they looked to correct them could not provide the perfection they needed. Rousseau did not like the government and that is understandable because it is not the way we were meant to be. Law, as much as we wanted  it to, could not give us freedom.

“Whatever can be thought or spoken of must exist at all times. Consequently there can be no change, since change consists in things coming into existence or ceasing to be.” Parmenides believed that there was only one reality. That is was stable and unchanging. He proved this because he thought that humans could not think of  something that is not already in existence. Our minds are not capable of creating new things. To me this view of life and creation can make sense for a few reasons.

The first one is that when people die they do cease to exist in the physical world. Animals have become extinct also. We can know them, but not in the true capacity since we could not experience them for ourselves. However, because they cease to exist doesn’t mean they never existed. How about the soul? If one believes in a soul then they do not really die. Memories are said to kee  However I don’t completely think he was talking about human specifically. He would argue that in general humans have existed from the beginning and so have animals. Genesis 1 God has made them both. they exist in many forms and shapes and sizes with different languages and patterns. Bottom line they still exist, yet we are still discovering new species today.

Secondly, Ecclesiastes 1:9 states

That which has been is what will be,

That which is done is what will be done,

And there is nothing new under the sun.”

This supports that what was there in the beginning will always be there  in the end. We can say that with nature and emotions and maybe even problems such as poverty and world hunger. I believe the verse was also talking about the behavior of people. We experience the same emotions and the same tragedies whether it’s the death of a loved one or the joy of falling in love or even getting your heart broken. Also we make the same mistakes too. We have all lied to someone we loved or been scared of the dark or bugs or clowns! Maybe this is where he was getting at. Our reaction to life is always the same. We are born, we work, fall in love, and die. Many different things happen in between, but there is someone somewhere who has experienced maybe something similar to you.  For example, if you are a believer then the most of the people at your church have arrived that they need Jesus and that He is real. How y’all arrived at that may be different, but nonetheless you claim to have a relationship with Christ or want one.

Nothing is new, but we are made aware of new things all the time. We realize new truths to help us deal with the unpredictability of life. Humans are predictable most of the time. We handle life pretty similarly. What was in the beginning will also be in the end, depending on who or what you believe. This view is opposite of what Heraclitus believed. that the world was always changing and moving. I believe the world is always moving and sometimes we pick up on the way and the direction they are going on what it is, but sometimes it takes a few sways of the universe.