Sartrean imposed the idea that we are fully responsible for creating our own future. If we fail to take control of our fate we are acting in bad faith. Bad faith is the idea of accepting someone else's way of living and taking it as ours. As children we are raised to think, talk, and behave a certain way. We are taught many thinks and as we grow up some of those beliefs or ideas stay with us. We are also expected to achieve certain goals set by our parents or society as a whole. What if we didn't have those ideas implied on us? What if we could choose to be anything or do anything we wanted to? What if money, time, and how society views things did matter? What of we could actually be free to choose...to create our own future?
On Tuesday in class we talked about existential heroes and how they make their future even when odds are against them. If i was a hero in the making I honestly feel that I wouldn't be where I am today. I would not be working at my current job, probably studying for something else, or simply I wouldn't be me. I feel like I'm the type of person that looks for people's approval in all aspects of my life. I was raised with certain values and principles which have shaped who I am as a person. I was always taught to be well mannered and treat everyone as if they were superior. An existential hero doesn't really care how people view them they do whatever it takes to fight against what they believe is wrong. I honestly don't know who I would be.
It is interesting to think that we are all raised from birth, taught our values and beliefs. You bring up a good point on the pursuit and direction of life. I don’t think that most people operate under the condition of others, rather I believe that people are made aware of options and paths and choose what they want. I think an existential hero is more of a person who disregards external input and places focus on only what they believe.
ReplyDeleteHello Liz,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog post titled “existential hero” to be very interesting. The idea of existential heroism is kind of an abstract concept but I really like and agree with you take on it. I agree with you that as children we are brought up and taught beliefs and ideas that stay with us well into adulthood and that these idea also help shape us into who we are. I would have to say much like you I wouldn’t consider myself an existential hero due to the values and beliefs that my family taught me and because I also have trouble distinguishing whether their beliefs are truly my own.