Either/Or: a primer on existentialism

Soren Kierkegaard’s view of “do it or do not do it –you will regret both,” makes sense since most people are fearful to make choices in their lives. For example: when choosing to marry the love of your life, because they might have that doubt if the person they are marrying is the right one. Another example could be if the person or couple is ready to have and raise children. Some people are so afraid to get something wrong they do nothing because of the fear to fail. This brings us back to “do it,” and you will see the challenge that it can be and regret the time and expense that taking a chance has cost.  Not doing it will likewise bring the regret of ‘what if…’. By being too afraid to step out and attempting to do something, anything, for the rest of their lives that person can live in regret never knowing what the possibilities could have been in their lives. Lastly, when deciding to do something or not one should weigh the pros against the cons. Then determine if it is worth taking the risk of taking the next step.

J.P.S. view of “Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you.” Now, can we interpret that we do in return with what has happened to us in life? We all make choices in life, but how much does what has happened to us in the past influence our choices now? I’m sure we make our choices in life with the knowledge of our past life experience, but do we always pay back what’s been done to us and in what way? We can go either way, paying back with the wrong our past has wronged us or we can turn the wrongs that have been done to us as experience of how not to do to others. I prefer to do the later of the two.