What It Means to Be Human: Existentialism in Simple Words

Existentialism became one of the most influential philosophical movements of the twentieth century, though it is almost impossible to define strictly. Thinkers associated with it often disagreed with each other. Some emphasized the connection to the existential tradition, while others rejected it, despite obvious influences. What united them all was attention to human existence, questions of freedom, responsibility, the meaning of life, choice, and personal experience.

From these ideas grew existential psychology, which focuses not on symptoms or specific mental traits, but on human life itself. It sees life as a unique phenomenon that cannot be reduced to general schemes or universal models.

The existential tradition includes philosophical works, literature, and psychological texts. Kierkegaard, one of the precursors, explored inner choice and the nature of faith through the story of Abraham. Heidegger, in Being and Time, asked anew about human presence in the world. Jaspers examined philosophical faith and freedom of thought. Tillich analyzed anxiety and ways to overcome it. Berdyaev connected personal freedom with Christian philosophy and creative purpose.

Some authors studied existential questions through human experience. P. Haidenko explored the human desire to go beyond the everyday. Merleau-Ponty rethought perception and the body, showing that people experience the world through sensation and action.

Literature provided expressive examples as well. Sartre, in Nausea, examined the weight of freedom. Camus, in The Stranger, showed the absurdity of existence and the independence of personal choice from external norms.

In psychology, existential ideas were developed by Yalom, Frankl, and May. They showed that humans constantly face fear, crises, and the search for meaning. Accepting these challenges becomes the basis for inner growth. Frankl wrote about the drive for meaning. Yalom explored inevitable questions of being. May analyzed anxiety as a fundamental part of human experience. Later, E. Becker explained how fear of death influences behavior, values, and conflicts.

Despite differences in style and approach, all these authors share the goal of understanding what it means to be human and how to live when universal answers no longer serve as a reliable foundation.