An existential crisis can be defined as a dreadful feeling of one’s questioning themselves about the reason for their existence in this world. However, the existential crisis definition is a combination of many factors that are mentioned in this article.
This anguished feeling may be caused due to psychological trauma, separation, divorce, major loss, the death of a loved one, a life-threatening experience, psychoactive drug use, etc. You could have heard about this term from movies & memes as a joke and might not contemplate about that. However, it should be given attention to make people aware of this.
You can witness people say that “I’m depressed and caught in existential crisis after watching this movie/series” with a smirk on their faces as they are being proud of it. It isn’t simple as that. People who have gone through an existential crisis wouldn’t belittle this feeling and make fun of the definition “Existential Crisis“. They might have suffered and processed through it.
Some people grasp the term existential crisis without a slight knowledge or experience of how it would feel like. Certain people expose themselves as someone who is experiencing an existential crisis for trivial reasons.
On contrary, it’s a bit serious issue that we should talk about, share, and bring awareness about it. One cannot state the existential crisis definition without considering its effects and causes.
Effects and Cause
This is a crucial thing that we should bring to notice. An existential crisis could affect one’s mental health and state of being a good person. The major factor that causes you to experience an Existential crisis is
- Loneliness
- Lack of acknowledgment
- Trauma/ abuse
- Losing Hope
Loneliness
Existential crisis mostly grows in you when you are alone. Being lonely makes you overthink things and cause you to feel down heartened as things in this world doesn’t go along as you thought it would be. This may look like the world does not want you.
Lack of Acknowledgement
An existential crisis could happen when people inconsiderately avoid acknowledging us and value our presence. This gives us a stressful vibe that can’t be held for long. You may look high at others and lower yourself. In other words, your self-esteem and self-confidence become low. You feel disorientated and despised of yourself.
Trauma or Abuse
In this society, finding personas who are disheartening, liars, cowards, narcissists, and non-empathetic have become common. You may feel useless and completely lost when people you love won’t value your opinion, disrespects you, leave you, hurt and try to manipulate you.
The persons maybe your loved ones, friends, and even your parents that hurt you. Some could also have suffered from domestic violence. These cause traumatic experiences which then breeds trust issues within us. Then it will lead you to fall into the feeling of existential crisis.
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Losing Hope
The main cause of experiencing the existential crisis is that you start losing what kept you going healthy and energetic throughout your life. You can lose feelings, confidence, self-love, energy, etc, but the main reason for one to catch an existential crisis is when one starts losing hope in others.
As from the existential crisis definition, you will start to question your presence in this world once you lose hope.
Hope is an inevitable thing that keeps our spirit up to have a social link with others. Hope gives you confidence, it is what makes us expect kind, care, and empathetic behaviors from others. Once we lose hope, we start to give up on people around us as they never show any kind of gratitude, love & care to us for what we have done for them.
Rise and Shine
Each and Everyone here faces an existential crisis at some point in their lifetime. Some get lost in that and some come out with absolute clarity of what they went through in the past and the way the future is going to be.
Certain people lose hope in their life, love, and everything. But we shouldn’t be like that, this life is a beautiful thing that is uncontrollable and filled with uncertainties, and people around you are a mixture of good, bad, and innocents.
You can’t change people, they change if they wanted to. Not everyone can rid of toxic people but can resist them not interfere in your life by having boundaries around them. One must thoroughly understand the existential crisis definition to process it.
Ways to avoid an existential crisis
If you are experiencing an existential crisis, it must be a hard time for you. You can dazzle through these dark times by following certain things.
- Self-love
- Empathizing good people
- Socializing
Self-love
Firstly, you can find self-love i.e., you should acknowledge yourself for your actions and be proud of what good deeds you had done. Once you attained self-love, you will be filled up with self-confidence and self-worth. You won’t seek attention, starve for acknowledgment or depend on others.
Kindness
Secondly, Be kind to people. Yes, you have always been kind and ended up being here, but that doesn’t make being kind is wrong. This time, be kind to people only who are kind to others as well. That doesn’t mean you should be rude to toxic people. If you are being rude, It will be easy to gaslight you even if you’re reacting to their venomous behavior.
So, ignoring and having boundaries around toxic people is the best way. Be kind to innocents like kids and other living beings. Have a pet or adopt one, it grows your empathy for others. Help people without any expectations.
Carrying hatred and revenge against someone destroys your sanity, so forgive people who have done you wrong. But never forget what they have done to you. Ghost them if possible and never give them another chance to hurt you again.
Socializing
Understanding the Existential crisis definition, you must seek good, disciplined, kind, and enthusiastic people and build a circle. The circle may be smaller or vast, even if it’s a single person who’s passionate about his/her life and you find that you can grow with them. Never settle for someone who chooses not to grow.
Socialising can help you find some good friends and you will feel secure and safe around them. Also, never forget people who help you and care for you during your hard times.
Butterfly from its cocoon:
Once you got self-awareness, filtering people by their traits is easier. You can have your boundaries strong and filled with self-love. You may make some mistakes as nobody is perfect in this world. Subsequently, you should realize, feel guilt and apologize for your mistakes.
You should leave toxic people behind and let karma handle them and choose to rise further to achieve your goals and dreams. You should find happiness in helping others. So, love people, have faith in them, and never lose hope in our life.
If you start losing hope in people, try to be the one who gives hope to others. Giving others hope may assure them that “good people do exist”. In other words, “Be the one who you are looking for”.
As now you are a heartful and empathetic person who is passionate about your dreams and goals after all the hardships you have gone through, like a butterfly out of its cocoon, you are thriving to fly and explore this world facing different types of people.
To conclude
After a brief understanding of existential crisis definition, you can now handle situations easier in the calm way possible. Never drop your self-respect and love for others. Prioritize yourself first by any means to attain inner happiness.
As a matter of fact, if you start living in this way, you are going to be valued, acknowledged, and loved by other good people. In the meantime, they will join you in your life journey supporting you.
So, choose rise over fall, happiness over confusion or dramas, and good over evil. This will lead you to the dreams and goals you have waited for. Now, go for it!
FAQs
Q1. How to define an Existential Crisis?
- An existential crisis definition explains it as a dreadful feeling of one’s questioning themselves about the reason for their existence in this world
Q2. Is there are any ways to avoid an existential crisis?
- Yes, you can avoid an existential crisis in specific ways. Read this article to know the ways to avoid it.
Q3. How it will feel with existential crisis?
- It is a dreadful feeling that brings you stress, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. If you feel to vent your experiences to someone, register here.
