Is Existentialism Practical?

Hello and welcome to the Existential Den. The first post I have prepared for you
tackles a few basic concepts of existentialism that are central to foresee the
practicality of this approach in everyday living. No day of human existence comes
without its fair share of difficulties, satisfactions and everything in between and so
that's why the Den exists: to encourage you to face the challenges of living in a
constructive and meaningful manner. Let's begin by clarifying language nuances so
we can all roar in the same direction.
Before setting out to explore the practical aspects of existentialism, I think it is
appropriate to define it in everyday language, bypassing the historical contradictions
presented by existential philosophers and academic writers, focusing instead on those
key concepts where there is a more clear-cut agreement on what existentialism is and
isn't. First and foremost, existentialism is a philosophical movementabout the human
condition, or what I sometimes call this business of being human, in order to bring
home its serious and practical character. Connected with the focus on the human
condition, is the subjective, individual focus in the existential way of philosophizing.
In other words, existentialism covers your intimate experience and human
uniqueness as a central theme, contrasting with other schools of thoughts and
disciplines that focus more on abstractions and universal principles at best or see
human beings as merely biological "things" at worst. Last but not least, existentialism
highlights individual's responsibility for his or her existence. More bluntly put, there
is no "the devil made me do it" or "I'm just a victim of circumstances." Here you

take responsibility for your responses and take corrective steps

despite circumstances.
Knowing now that existentialism takes into account the human condition, the
uniqueness of each individual, and the role of personal responsibility, one can advance
the inquiry on the practicality of the existential perspective. Some of the most
compelling evidence is indicated by the influence of existentialism on psychological
therapies including, but not limited to, Gestalt therapy, humanistic psychoanalysis,
reality therapy and logotherapy. Such influence hints to the value of existentialism in
helping people cope with a wide scope of mental health issues ranging from the
pathological to the so called "normal" problems such as work-stress or relational
difficulties.
The practicality of existentialism does not stop at therapeutic applications. Yes, it
is definitely of value when facing mental or emotional distress. However, one of the

less explored areas where the existential approach is highly effective is in the
development of human potentialities. How such development from potentiality to
actuality take place will become clear in upcoming posts on existential topics--topics
like self-awareness, meaningful living, self-efficacy, values clarification and
personality integration among others.
Thanks for your visit and I look forward to you prowling this way