Being new to philosophy, I am not sure what category I would fall into based on my beliefs. When it comes to living life, nothing really matters to me. I always act impulsively because I recognize human beings as nothing more than animals, and our society is no different than an ant farm. So I get a sense of freedom from this thought. It also makes me look down upon people who are so blind to this fact that they are engulfed by this life, enslaved by ethics and standards of living. At the same time, though I do not believe in a god of any sort, I do believe in a continuation of consciousness through death. I don’t feel our earthly actions have any effect on this continuation, nor do I have any idea as to what specifically happens to our consciousness. Am I an existentialist? The point of this thread isn’t to provoke any arguments I am just curious as to how I would be labeled, and what philosopher you might recommend I look into.
What if my answer is no, but I wish it was yes?
Are those tards who are happy all the time the ultimate existentialists?
Then yes I suppose I would consider myself to be an existentialist.
The way I remember it is that existentialism and nihilism are different conclusions drawn from the same premise: that life is inherently meaningless.
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I guess I was focusing mainly on the “enjoy life” part you mentioned. That is different from being content with values, morals and purpose in life as being subjective. I could be that, but I’m not necessarily happy with it.
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I see those tards as happy, walking around smiling all the time and seemingly happy. But then I read pxc, above, and see there may be more to existentialism than contentment, happiness, or whatever.
I’ll go read some more.
Eclipse - if nothing really matters to you, I would say that, at this point, you are unphilosophical. Philosophy entails questioning all values and then choosing some.
The word ‘absurd’ pops up in their camp.
They looked around and try to put 2 and 2 together- which is very dangerous as was discovered. You could call them somewhat located in a nightmare universe.
“European Emotionalists”. That’s what I call them. What is absurd is to panic like that, like the Existentialists did. Not my idea of a masculine philosophy.
Thanks for the laugh, Dio.
What the Existentialists did was to get it about as wrong as they could. What philosophy didn’t need was to plumb the depths of the verd “to be” to ridiculous and absurd depths. Which is about all the E-Girls ever did. What philosophy did need, and got from the Russell and the Logical Positivists, was a more commonsense rendering of this sometimes nasty verb.
I think the exception was Camus, who actually did some philosophy - he was concerned more with “being” in society than in constantly indulging in existential terror. His work was not entirely given over to fear.
I think existentialism is just my underlying belief. I naturally think about everything too much especially when i smoke 
, that’s what got me started in philosophy to begin with. Give me some examples of these values you are talking about.
Well, any values that guide your life would probably do. You tell me. You are the one who claims that nothing really matters.
The only reason I could see an Existentialist as choosing to be so, is if they thought Absurdism was just an obscure art form from the fifties.
As for Nihilists, I can’t understand what one of them is doing alive.
EDIT: Eclipse, read Camus or at least Kierkegard, but definately Camus, because from the head post, you seem to be closer to Absurdism than Existentialism, although you might want to craft your own variation.
Welcome the club, bro.
Also, existentialism in no way requires you to be content and/or happy–look at all the existential angst, grief, and anxiety associated with it.
That’s why I want be an existential psychologist–while most psychologists and therapists help people with the small finite aspects of life (i.e. family issues, depression, etc.), I simply want to help people explore meaning within and around their lives.
Mind you, any self-proclaimed existentialist will tell you that existential angst is an incurable disease; once you’ve rid yourself of belief in ontology, you can never go back. This angst isn’t necessarily bad because it usually expresses itself through art and ambition and passion.
By the way, I too enjoy the Mary Jane. 
I guess I should expand on what I meant. Both nihilists and existentialists believe that the outside world, at least, is meaningless or has no purpose of its own. Nihilists take this to a further extreme and say that not only does the world have no value, but there is no value in searching for or creating one.
Existentialists, would instead say that while the external world is meaningless and irrelevant, you can build meaning by dealing with what is accessible: yourself. Because existentialism asserts that you can (only) find meaning (and happiness) within yourself, you can see existentialists as “tards” who manage to remain happy in seemingly ridiculous situations.
I would say most values are important to me because they are needed to live a happier life in my opinion. I see everything on earth as meaningless, but as long as I am here I am going to make the best of it. I just laugh when I think of this life and how serious some people are about going above and beyond etc. I get this feeling of being above that state of mind accompanied by a great sense of limitless freedom.
Okay - so something does matter to you. I will agree - everything is meaningless - in itself. Meaning is what humans decide it is.
Read Nietzsche, and report back to us as to your findings.
Reminds me of “I Heart Huckabees” although I believe they were Existential Detectives rather than Psychologists.
I wouldn’t think you would be the kind of person who would worry too much about categorizing himself. 
Albert Camus and Existentialism is the very thing that struck a cord with me and was my springboard into philosophy.
Read The Myth of Sisyphus. If you identify with Sisyphus or feel that you understand his predicament (the absurd human condition)… then I think it is ok to consider yourself existential.
The Teaching Company’s lectures by Robert Solomon on Existentialism are an excellent intro to the so called existentialist philosophers.
That was a great flick!