Monday, August 1, 2011

Martin Heidegger - Freedom/Anxiety

In theory we have the possibility of doing anything (of course there are some physical restrictions). The only wrong thing you can do is not to exert your freedom.
But this freedom generates anxiety. Martin Heidegger stated that humans are nothing: we are just possibilities waiting to be materialized through our actions and decisions. The problem comes when we realize there's nothing to guide us. "Is this decision the right one? Where will this take me? What would have happened if I had taken another path?" These thoughts often appear. Also, we will die someday, thus "becoming nothing" is another possibility. Our lives are just different ways of reaching our deaths.

Heidegger also said that when we approach the world, we always have a certain state of mind or mood. We are not apathetic. This affects our perception of the world and how we interact with it.
[This is all I'm summarizing from Heidegger. What comes next are my own thoughts. Please bear in mind this short summary was just intended to support my following point.]
The world is how we perceive it. It's up to us to make the most out of it. We are rationally aware of this. Then why can't we put this into practice all the time? Because of our irrationality. Our fears and insecurities get in the way. This issue will be discussed on my following posts.

20 comments:

  1. I completely agree. It seems like we sometimes stop ourselves even when we know what we need to do.

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  2. Irrationality is what makes us awesome though, if everyone where rational, there would be no "individuals" and everything would be boring.

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  3. Please more of this, you have no idea how much i enjoy reading things like that. Thanks a lot for writing about it.

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  4. can't be afraid to do anything though. just go out do something and then if it doesn't work try something else

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  5. The sorry of my life. Im trapped in "i'm not going to make it" thinking and then do nothing:]

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  6. I'm agree.

    I like this post! I want more

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  7. Interesting ideas. Not very surprising, but interesting.

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  8. I guess that's true, many people feel lost when there is no guidance.

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  9. Sounds like a thought provoking man

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  10. Hm... Some very wise words, there.

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  11. Some deep thoughts there, looking forwards to your next post!

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  12. i love these kind of topics, make me meditate about what im doing right now and what i was planning on doing next, but still i do believe that there's no wrong path to choose, just tons and tons of paths

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  13. "And I shall finish the game..."

    Ancient Korean proverb

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  14. Martin Heidegger was a really interesting guy.

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  15. Wow thanks for such a philosophical post! keep it up!!!

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