Ultimate Concerns of the Human Condition
Existentialists did not believe that life had any inherent meaning and is filled with challenges. People must meet these challenges with openness, awareness, and courage or else their development will be delayed. There are four concerns of the human condition that existentialists consider the root of all emotional difficulties:
- Inevitability of Death
- Isolation
- Meaninglessness
- Freedom and Responsibility
Existential and Neurotic Anxiety
Existential anxiety - viewed as an inevitable part of the human condition. It is "a deep feeling of unease that arises from our awareness of the givens: our existence is finite, we are mortal, and there is no purpose but the ones we create for ourselves." (Seligman & Reichenberg, p. 182). Neurotic anxiety is simply anxiety about one's career or health. It indicates that people recognize the need to accept responsibility for their lives and are engaged in efforts to create a worthwhile and meaningful existence (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
Human Development and the Development of Emotional Difficulties
Existential therapists believe that there is an importance in the early development of children and the relationship between the child and the parent, however, they do not link them to existential concerns. These therapists also think that the unconscious reflects the tenets of existentialism. They pay attention to the development of the individual through the life span and not just in childhood. Existentialists view life as a process of making our own histories, with each experience contributing to the next. Existence in never static. People are constantly changing and striving to become something better and making their lives worthwhile (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
Dasein
Translated from German to mean present, being-in-the-world. The term acknowledges that human beings exist, have consciousness, are are responsible for their own existence (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014). Existentialists define four ways of being-in-the-world that are subjective, personal, and necessary to a complete understanding of the self and its experiences within the world.
This is a complex concept, but reflects people's ability to simultaneously live in the present, be conscious, and take responsibility for making their lives meaningful, while realizing fully that death with inevitably end their efforts (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
- Umwelt - the natural world around us
- Mitwelt - refers to being-in-the-world with other people, to relationships, interactions, and concepts we introject about society, race, gender, and religion.
- Eigenwelt - is our own subjective world; our thoughts, feelings, and desires.
- Uberwelt - the spiritual or metaphysical dimension
This is a complex concept, but reflects people's ability to simultaneously live in the present, be conscious, and take responsibility for making their lives meaningful, while realizing fully that death with inevitably end their efforts (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
Concepts of Mental Health
Mental health exists when all four concepts of dasein are in harmony. Existential therapists place an importance on experiencing the unity of the self and the world. People who become the architects of their own lives are in good emotional health (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
Potentials of the Human Condition
1. Awareness - people have the capacity for awareness of both themselves and the world. The greater our awareness, the more possibilities that are open to us and the more successfully we can address our fears and anxieties.
2. Authenticity - 1) people are aware of themselves and their relationship with the world; 2) they make choices, knowing that decisions are the inevitable consequences of responsibility; 3) They take responsibility for their choices, recognizing that awareness is imperfect, and sometimes leads to unanticipated results.
3. Freedom and Responsibility - freedom has four aspects: awareness, choice, action, and change. Once an individual accepts their freedom, they have the responsibility to
5. Making meaning - life has the potential of being meaningful if people use their capacities to bring purpose and worth into their lives. Meaning is the purpose and logic of our lives and often is reflected in the choices people make. Meaning can be drawn from making goals such as breaking records or writing a novel, or from daily tasks like raising children or tending to the garden (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).
2. Authenticity - 1) people are aware of themselves and their relationship with the world; 2) they make choices, knowing that decisions are the inevitable consequences of responsibility; 3) They take responsibility for their choices, recognizing that awareness is imperfect, and sometimes leads to unanticipated results.
3. Freedom and Responsibility - freedom has four aspects: awareness, choice, action, and change. Once an individual accepts their freedom, they have the responsibility to
- be aware of their past history, their current options, and their future potential
- make choices that give meaning to their lives
- exercise courage and thought in taking action toward life-enhancing change.
5. Making meaning - life has the potential of being meaningful if people use their capacities to bring purpose and worth into their lives. Meaning is the purpose and logic of our lives and often is reflected in the choices people make. Meaning can be drawn from making goals such as breaking records or writing a novel, or from daily tasks like raising children or tending to the garden (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014).