Existentialism being the philosophy of freedom is one of the better ways to understand the nature of existence (reality), because it focuses on the person and reality as a whole and not separate... It involves human's subjective feelings, values, perspective, and actions giving it a more human approach. This philosophy is so fucking broad and so interesting that it questions and answers various counter-intuitive and abstract(not really) subjects like dread also known as existential angst, existence, being, human as an individual, will, nothingness (meaninglessness). Existentialism was very popular in Europe because it rejected positivism and rationalism. Rejects positivism because of the term meaninglessness/ nothingness and rationalism because it rejected the idea of looking reality as separate from oneself and thus not giving rise to objectivity as a result stating that existence cannot be explained by science but only philosophy.
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Kierkegaard talks about dread as a response to nothingness experienced by an individual. This nothingness stems from innocence that is when a person doesn't know what is right what is wrong, what is evil what is good, what is punishment, and what is death... This gives rise to uncertainty also known as dread. Dread is, therefore, a possibility of freedom. It's is essential to feel the dread and face it for us to attain potentials. It is the connection to faith and absolutely creativity. Kierkegaard further explained a person shaped by dread is shaped by possibilities and only the one who is shaped by possibility is shaped into infinity......
Various views on existentialism suggest that life is meaningless but the individual has the will to take response-ability to create meaning. It made me think that nihilism is nothing but acceptance of meaninglessness thus creating a meaning (appraisal) that life is meaninglessness...
"When a person can't find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure" - Victor Frankl
Well, come to think of it existentialism consists of ontology and psychology.
It influenced existential psychology (as well as humanistic psychology) which is sometimes termed as 'Third Psychology' which was accelerated by one and only Victor Frankl who concluded that even in the worst imaginable circumstances, life can be assigned a worthwhile meaning after he went through the Nazi concentration camp experience. This statement is in the heart of 'logotherapy' which suggests that every individual has the will to find meaning and failure to do so gives rise to serious mental illness. Existential psychology, as well as logotherapy, also suggests that Meaning in life is so damn important that it helps the individual handle dread, the responsibility of choices (freedom), and the pain of unavoidable suffering by helping them decide to give life a meaning.
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