How Does Existentialism: Crash Course Philosophy #16 Work?

Existentialism is like being given a blank canvas and told, “You can paint anything you want, but you have to choose what it is.”

Imagine you're in a toy store with endless choices: blocks, cars, dolls, crayons, everything. No one tells you what to pick. That’s kind of how existentialism works, it says we’re all like that kid in the toy store, free to decide who we are and what we want.

Existentialism loves freedom. It believes we get to choose our own paths, but with that freedom comes responsibility. Like when you pick a red block instead of a blue one, you might not know what it will turn into, but you made the choice. That’s exciting! But also a little scary.

In existentialism, life feels like playing a game where there are no rules written down. You just start playing and figure out the rules as you go. Sometimes that can feel confusing, like when you're trying to build a tower but someone keeps moving your blocks. But that’s okay! It means you get to make up the rules yourself.

So, existentialism is about choosing who we are, even when life feels messy or uncertain, just like picking your favorite toy from a big, colorful pile.