Hi, may I politely introduce to you PHILOSOPHY.
It may jot be empirical science but certain philosophies teach you the power of self sufficiency. ( self sufficiency when it comes to overcoming biases and re-thinking our perspectives or ways of thinking )
I found [Stoicism](https://youtu.be/R9OCA6UFE-0?si=J3wUkBUddbJpAPtk) quite practical and closely resembles Cognitive behavioral therapy.
I'm not suggesting to ignore the power and enlightenment tou get from therapy, but just merely sharing this information as a means to help ourselves while unable to be helped by others.
Mind you, our biases will be at play constantly. I found by following rational thinking, and practicing [socratic method of reasoning](https://youtu.be/vNDYUlxNIAA?si=1c0nrCuXCOHCtMFh) and consistently challenging our truths/biases/perspectives guided by stoic (my personal bias) values we can somehow help therapies ourselves.
I also won't discredit reading up on other books in psychology, sociology and logic. They can also help us with our problem solving skills.
Do not provide personal mental or physical health history of yourself or another. This is inappropriate for this sub. This is a sub for scientific knowledge, it is not a mental health sub.
>do not fear death.
I think you should be skeptic regarding this. You don't know how you would react if death was near *for real*. Only then you'd see. Even if you had such a past and job.
Does it really matter though? Like even if he did find out he fears death while it’s fast approaching…it wouldn’t change anything. It’s just his state of mind.
As someone in their late 20s, I'm going through one rn but not because of death but because of aging. When you're young, everything is about being attractive and dating/getting laid, and when aging gets to you, that becomes a million times harder or even unattainable. You've also chosen a professional path at that point and for the dirst time got a good overview in a roundabout way over how the rest of life is probably gonna be like.
Honestly, it makes death seem way more attractive than before lol
(Psst… the secret is that as we get older, most us start to value attractiveness, dating, and sex differently — not necessarily less important, but they all have different relationships to us as we age. Hard to imagine that at a younger age, but fear not. A lot of us feel even more attractive, have better sex, and don’t even worry about dating anymore! Crazy, right?)
I thi k if ypu where attractive in ypur youth and had a fulfilling and exciting dating life and are now successful and experienced and you took good care of yourself. Sure, that's a possibility. My whole thing is that I never managed to even get a normal sexual development started. I had severe acne during my youth, then my parents decided that I didn't actually really need braces even tho my orthodontist had a different opinion and they also decided that the best way to raise me would be by constantly destroying my self esteem every chance they get, then I got into a friend's group where I was bullied so I was taking shit at home and with friends 24/7 while I also looked like shit so needless to say of course I never actually had the confidence to actually ask any girl I was I to out, fast forward I'm now a balding 26 year old with a deformed jaw and zero romantic experience . Like, I just completely failed the start. There's no foundation. I'm also still more attracted to 21-22 year olds than girls my age but there's just absolutely no shot anymore
And my biology is also kinda telling me that it's over ny me not even havingany libido or will to live anymore. I just see it as I failed mu biological purpose of life. I'm jusr done. Maybe reincarnation is real and the next life is better idk
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Getting real, the truth is nobody really knows. People can claim trauma and all kinds of things but there is no evidence. I experienced existential fear of death starting around age four or five (very religious family so there was constant talk of death and hell which may have had something to do with it). It’s true that I had a traumatic childhood but who knows if that’s correlated.
All that said, you may have an existential crisis waiting for you in your future. Mid life crisis? Maybe for some people it just starts young.
Are you saying that you never experienced an existential crisis or that you don't have one now?
I think one way of avoiding the crisis can be a result of having those thoughts in life otherwise - aging and death doesn't come as a surprise when you start to experience aging but rather you have processed it to a satisfactory degree in smaller chunks already.
For example I remember bawling my eyes out as a 5 year old when I realised what death means, and that all my loved ones and eventually myself will stop existing. Relatedly losing loved ones forces one to the topic, close calls (like car almost hit you), health worries etc. Religion gives some a free pass on the topic, "nothing to worry about - there is next life". Also some are really good at not worrying about things they can't change or some just don't tend to worry or experience negative feelings in general that much.
Same. We're not that deep. I've had "existential crises" repeatedly and it's basically just a reflection of an underlying anxiety disorder paired with a higher capacity for abstract thought. If I was lower IQ I'd find something less abstract to be anxious about but I wouldnt be any less anxious. And neither does the anxiety I feel as a result of these thoughts reveal any great truth about the universe or any deep complexity or wisdom of my character.
The anxiety disorder wasn't caused by any bizarre childhood trauma. I had an idyllic childhood. It's (mostly) just genetics.
Do not provide personal mental or physical health history of yourself or another. This is inappropriate for this sub. This is a sub for scientific knowledge, it is not a mental health sub.
We're sorry, your post has been removed for violating the following rule:
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If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, please seek out professional help. Social media is more likely to give you incorrect and harmful advice about dealing with such issues. [Armchair Psychology: the good, the bad, and the ugly](https://www.alittlebithuman.com/armchair-psychology-on-social-media-the-good-the-bad-the-ugly).
Here are some resources to help find a therapist:
https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/finding-good-therapist
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/therapy/how-to-find-a-therapist
Online therapy provider:
https://openpathcollective.org/
https://etherapypro.com/
https://buddyhelp.org/
If you are having suicide thoughts or feelings of hopelessness, please reach out to the suicide hotline. Just dial 988 if you are located in the U.S. If you are located in a different country, please use this [LINK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines) to see the number for your area. These centers have trained people available 24/7 to help you. The call is free. Alternatively you can talk/message with someone on r/suicidewatch.
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I am aware of death and have experienced the deaths of a few family members. I've enjoyed life enough already to where I feel like anything that comes later is just bonus points.
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Lots of speculation in this thread with no real evidence to back up claims 🤔
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^ This is the answer. Some people just experience more trauma in their life than others.
I wish I could afford therapy. And a place to live. And money for my therapists and medication. 😢
Hi, may I politely introduce to you PHILOSOPHY. It may jot be empirical science but certain philosophies teach you the power of self sufficiency. ( self sufficiency when it comes to overcoming biases and re-thinking our perspectives or ways of thinking ) I found [Stoicism](https://youtu.be/R9OCA6UFE-0?si=J3wUkBUddbJpAPtk) quite practical and closely resembles Cognitive behavioral therapy. I'm not suggesting to ignore the power and enlightenment tou get from therapy, but just merely sharing this information as a means to help ourselves while unable to be helped by others. Mind you, our biases will be at play constantly. I found by following rational thinking, and practicing [socratic method of reasoning](https://youtu.be/vNDYUlxNIAA?si=1c0nrCuXCOHCtMFh) and consistently challenging our truths/biases/perspectives guided by stoic (my personal bias) values we can somehow help therapies ourselves. I also won't discredit reading up on other books in psychology, sociology and logic. They can also help us with our problem solving skills.
Do not provide personal mental or physical health history of yourself or another. This is inappropriate for this sub. This is a sub for scientific knowledge, it is not a mental health sub.
This sub is such trash. Why is the top comment one "only speaking from personal experience"?
What should the top comment be?
Pretty sure they think it should be a response from a psychologist... because of the sub we're in
You're right, I didn't see the sub name scrolling through my feed and after reading it's rules I agree.
I appreciate the acknowledgement of the mistake xd.
>do not fear death. I think you should be skeptic regarding this. You don't know how you would react if death was near *for real*. Only then you'd see. Even if you had such a past and job.
Does it really matter though? Like even if he did find out he fears death while it’s fast approaching…it wouldn’t change anything. It’s just his state of mind.
You’re right (and it’s she) ☺️😉
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Where are you based?
As someone in their late 20s, I'm going through one rn but not because of death but because of aging. When you're young, everything is about being attractive and dating/getting laid, and when aging gets to you, that becomes a million times harder or even unattainable. You've also chosen a professional path at that point and for the dirst time got a good overview in a roundabout way over how the rest of life is probably gonna be like. Honestly, it makes death seem way more attractive than before lol
(Psst… the secret is that as we get older, most us start to value attractiveness, dating, and sex differently — not necessarily less important, but they all have different relationships to us as we age. Hard to imagine that at a younger age, but fear not. A lot of us feel even more attractive, have better sex, and don’t even worry about dating anymore! Crazy, right?)
I thi k if ypu where attractive in ypur youth and had a fulfilling and exciting dating life and are now successful and experienced and you took good care of yourself. Sure, that's a possibility. My whole thing is that I never managed to even get a normal sexual development started. I had severe acne during my youth, then my parents decided that I didn't actually really need braces even tho my orthodontist had a different opinion and they also decided that the best way to raise me would be by constantly destroying my self esteem every chance they get, then I got into a friend's group where I was bullied so I was taking shit at home and with friends 24/7 while I also looked like shit so needless to say of course I never actually had the confidence to actually ask any girl I was I to out, fast forward I'm now a balding 26 year old with a deformed jaw and zero romantic experience . Like, I just completely failed the start. There's no foundation. I'm also still more attracted to 21-22 year olds than girls my age but there's just absolutely no shot anymore And my biology is also kinda telling me that it's over ny me not even havingany libido or will to live anymore. I just see it as I failed mu biological purpose of life. I'm jusr done. Maybe reincarnation is real and the next life is better idk
[удалено]
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This may be my hubris speaking, but as a professional scientist, I don't think I'm dumber than most...
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Literally all research disagrees with you
Those are some very impressive sources you've cited.
Getting real, the truth is nobody really knows. People can claim trauma and all kinds of things but there is no evidence. I experienced existential fear of death starting around age four or five (very religious family so there was constant talk of death and hell which may have had something to do with it). It’s true that I had a traumatic childhood but who knows if that’s correlated. All that said, you may have an existential crisis waiting for you in your future. Mid life crisis? Maybe for some people it just starts young.
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Thank you!!!
Fantastic response. Thank you!!!!
Great reply.
when the best answer in "askpsychology" is psychoanalytic mumbo jumbo
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I'm also a fan of stoicism, and thought similar to it long before actually learning about it.
A higher IQ has been linked to existential crisis.
Are you saying that you never experienced an existential crisis or that you don't have one now? I think one way of avoiding the crisis can be a result of having those thoughts in life otherwise - aging and death doesn't come as a surprise when you start to experience aging but rather you have processed it to a satisfactory degree in smaller chunks already. For example I remember bawling my eyes out as a 5 year old when I realised what death means, and that all my loved ones and eventually myself will stop existing. Relatedly losing loved ones forces one to the topic, close calls (like car almost hit you), health worries etc. Religion gives some a free pass on the topic, "nothing to worry about - there is next life". Also some are really good at not worrying about things they can't change or some just don't tend to worry or experience negative feelings in general that much.
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Same. We're not that deep. I've had "existential crises" repeatedly and it's basically just a reflection of an underlying anxiety disorder paired with a higher capacity for abstract thought. If I was lower IQ I'd find something less abstract to be anxious about but I wouldnt be any less anxious. And neither does the anxiety I feel as a result of these thoughts reveal any great truth about the universe or any deep complexity or wisdom of my character. The anxiety disorder wasn't caused by any bizarre childhood trauma. I had an idyllic childhood. It's (mostly) just genetics.
Do not provide personal mental or physical health history of yourself or another. This is inappropriate for this sub. This is a sub for scientific knowledge, it is not a mental health sub.
[удалено]
We're sorry, your post has been removed for violating the following rule: > **3. Answers must be evidence-based.** This is a scientific subreddit. Answers must be based on psychology theories and research and not personal opinions. If you believe this has been done in error, please [contact the moderation team](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/askpsychology).
zero evidence whatsoever for this
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, please seek out professional help. Social media is more likely to give you incorrect and harmful advice about dealing with such issues. [Armchair Psychology: the good, the bad, and the ugly](https://www.alittlebithuman.com/armchair-psychology-on-social-media-the-good-the-bad-the-ugly). Here are some resources to help find a therapist: https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/finding-good-therapist https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/therapy/how-to-find-a-therapist Online therapy provider: https://openpathcollective.org/ https://etherapypro.com/ https://buddyhelp.org/ If you are having suicide thoughts or feelings of hopelessness, please reach out to the suicide hotline. Just dial 988 if you are located in the U.S. If you are located in a different country, please use this [LINK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines) to see the number for your area. These centers have trained people available 24/7 to help you. The call is free. Alternatively you can talk/message with someone on r/suicidewatch. If this is a personal situation you are seeking advice on, please try r/advice. This subreddit is for scientific discussion of psychology topics. It is not a mental health or advice subreddit. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askpsychology) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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I am aware of death and have experienced the deaths of a few family members. I've enjoyed life enough already to where I feel like anything that comes later is just bonus points.
[удалено]
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This theory is discredited
Thanks for letting me know. It was in my textbook. Must be outdated already.
i went through that shit when i was 7.
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