If Everything Is Determined, Why Should You Strive?

The Existential List #78

As many of you know, my work involves talking to people from around the world and helping them overcome existential crises.

Over the 7 years I’ve been doing this work, one theme has emerged more than others as a major blocker of existential vitality.

Its a fairly niche philosophical issue, and I was initially surprised it had become such a common point of everyday concern for people. But now, I hear it all the time, especially from young people.

And I am particularly alarmed at the number of young people who are thrown into despair by this issue, and the way it robs them of willingness to engage with life.

I can’t say I didn’t see it coming though. It is the issue that I had the biggest disagreement with one of my academic heroes. Yet I was caught unaware by just how deeply it had seeped into the culture, and just how often it gets brought up.

The issue is determinism.

We’ll talk about what it is, why so many people find it psychologically destabilizing, and why I ultimately believe many of its the nihilistic conclusions that people draw from it are based on a category error.

Along the way, we’ll explore free will, responsibility, meaning, human agency and the question that haunts so many people today:

“If all my thoughts and actions are the product of forces beyond my control, why make an effort at all??”

Ready?

Let’s dive in.