Jacob’s Reflection: Part 1 

08/30/2019 

Why? Why do we exist? Why are we here? Why do we socialize? Why do we love? Why 

do we hate? Why do we belong? Why? Why? Why?  

What? What is the point of our life? What is my purpose in this universe? What am I 

doing here? What makes me different from other forms of life? What? What? What? 

We all have questions about our role; our purpose. Are we all just pawns in a 

massive game of chess? If so, who is this king we so live to serve? Some people believe this 

person to be a God, others may believe it to be a man amongst us, but is there really such a 

black and white answer? If free will is actually something all humans possess, then are 

we not our own kings? Existentialism attempts to tackle these questions. The knowledge 

obtained from this course encourages the mass to think of life from a different 

perspective. To think outside the norms of the world and focus on what it truly means to 

be present in this Earth; what it truly means to be alive. 

 Every action and every attitude, according to existentialists, , must be considered 

a choice. In life we tend to overlook some of the simple tasks we choose to do on a daily; 

get out of bed, put clothes on, brush our teeth, eat. Even though all these seem to be 

mundane, robotic tasks that are carried out by some auto-pilot mechanism in our brain, 

truth is, we make a conscious decision to do it. I don’t have to do any of those tasks, yet 

I choose to do them. Some may argue that I don’t actually have the choice to do any of 

those things, rather, my life has already been mapped out and that's just another thing I 

was predetermined to do in my span of existence. I am only typing these words at this 

speed because something determined that's what I am supposed to be doing at this 

moment in time. I personally hate the idea that I can’t change my future, that fate 

somehow controls what my life should be. Who I am. What I am.   

Having a background composed mostly of science related knowledge, this kind of 

abstract thinking is not what I am used to. Having always lived life from a first person 

perspective, it is not an easy task to “transcend” to a third person view. I am taking this 
course in order to put myself in a different pair of shoes and see how life is from another 

perspective. I want to leave this class not only with a good grade and a new set of 

knowledge, but also with a new line of thinking. Existentialism forces us to take a step 

back and look at our lives; our choices. To realize the character we play in this stage of 

life. Are we the comedic relief? Are we the love interest? ​Are we even the hero in our own 

“movie?”