Name: What is Existential Dread? Meaning , Definition & How to Cope
Uploaded: 2024-04-19T21:26:26.000Z
Duration: 1 min

Existential dread refers to a  deep, often overwhelming sense of  

unease or anxiety about the meaning,  choice, and freedom in one's life.

It emerges from existential philosophy,  where thinkers like Søren Kierkegaard,  

Jean-Paul Sartre, and Friedrich Nietzsche explored  themes of isolation, freedom, and meaninglessness.

This feeling can occur when an individual  confronts aspects of existence that are inherently  

complex or absurd, particularly the inevitability  of death, the freedom to make life choices,  

and the seeming insignificance of individual  actions in the larger scope of the universe.

People experiencing existential dread might  question the purpose of their actions,  

doubt the value of their choices, or feel  disconnected from the world around them.

where one's foundations of identity  and meaning are profoundly shaken.

Coping with such feelings often involves  seeking personal meaning through philosophy,  

religion, personal relationships, or  therapy. The goal is not to eliminate  

such concerns but to find ways  to live with them constructively.