Finite nature of human control and the Existential Givens

In one of the earlier posts we looked at the four existential givens and linked them to the ABCD model. I also related them to personality and emotions here.  To recap, the four existential givens,  are:

Life (vs death): We all live, yet we also all know that one day we will die.
Freedom (vs determinism): We are in charge of (some of) our actions, and yet we are also driven by outside forces.
Community (vs isolation): Man is a social animal and yet one is alone in one’s personal private experiences.
Meaning (vs absurdity): Life seems to be endowed with meaning (and worth living), yet the universe seems incomprehensible, apathetic and absurd.

Towel with the words “Don’t Panic” on Towel day (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Not navigating the contradictions inherent in these existential givens successfully, leads to conflicts and gives rise to anxiety, depression, guilt and even rage. And yet we know that we can not transcend/overcome these ultimate concerns, but have to learn to live with them.
At root these problems are problems of control, especially the desire for control, while being limited by human capabilities and potentialities. At the one hand we are seriously limited and on the other hand we do have a great potential; and yet our control over these conditions of our life are not infinite, but very much finite and limited.
Let me explain. At core, these problems are respectively problems of control over our bodies, over self, over others and over o...

Source: The Mouse Trap - October 24, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: sandygautam Tags: Philosophy Albert Camus Douglas Adams existentialism Source Type: podcasts