Have you ever thought about picking up a few books on evolutionary psychology, such as the Moral Animal by Robert Wright? One of the interesting notions of evolutionary psychology (though not a central tenant) is that we have created societies that are in many respects unhumanisitc. In other words, society reflects how we want to be and not how we are. Those who are aware of this fact, like a professor I had in law school who lashed out against the reasoanble man theory (that man is basically good and all defendants are judged against what such a reasonably good man would do in a similar situation) are considered pariahs, but are often correct. It has always been individuals who have carried the colors of our species, who have made the breakthroughs, who have lived most authentically.

If you’re an authentic person living in an absurd, inauthentic world (consider the ideal of “inalienable rights” and the reality of them, or the fact that we didn’t evolve to sit for so many hours during the day, or that we are 30 times more likely to laugh in the presence of those with higher social rank, or that we are the same animal that we were 50,000 years ago despite that we live in cities and think ourselves tame, or that we are inherently violent, or that we cannot change our nature through new political ideologies or different ways of raising our young), you are going to have a hard time making sense of things. Remember, though, that things rarely make sense. We want them to. We construct reasons to convince ourselves that they do.

Study evolutionary psychology. Learn what we are, what our nature is. Rather than asking why you don’t fit society’s definition of healthy, consider that society is sick. Reality is little more than what a majority of people in a given place agree that it is. But that doesn’t mean they are correct.

It is an experience of truth so profound that our minds cannot grasp it properly and we fall into depression which, to my mind, is a totally normal and healthy reaction given the circumstances.

ps: ignorance is bliss

I’ve come up with some ways of making it manageable though- my first bout was when I was 6 or 7, I remember being so upset with not knowing what was going to happen after I died and if I was going to die why have even lived especially if there was no afterlife and this is all we have… needless to say that got met with a few trips to the shrink. I also used to get overwhelmed looking at parking lots- I knew how big my life seemed, and to think that each person that drove a car there had just as much life, and there had to be at least one life per car if not more, and then figure in all those people that don’t drive and… it’s dizzying.

Flash forward and now I’m a shrink in training. The things that have really helped me include Buddhism, rediscovering the good things my Catholic upbringing gave me, humor, wit, art, being creative, trying to do meaningful work, being mindful, trying to do the maximum I can do to bring about the changes in the world that I would like to see, appreciating what I have and taking stock, realizing that I should only feel guilty about my gifts if I take them for granted, Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, etc etc

I’ve gotten to the point where I see life as both serious and silly, reasonable and chaotic. While exploring life I notice little artifacts in what people create that they have maybe felt the same way too, like a message in a bottle from someone else stranded on the sea of existence. This would be one of them. It really sucks that we can never truly share ourselves with others, but it is a problem that all people have, and it’s a kind of bitter beauty that in our shortcomings we are all united.

Yes, I have come to realize now that what was thought to be “depression” for me is actually an “existential depression and chronic anxiety disorder. I noted a link atop this site and blog of for “meaning of Life” and it links to some religious stuff. I myself am very much an atheist and philosophically and politically, religion of any sort turns me off strongly. This site has a similare name: You might like to check it out……..
http://users.aristotle.net/~diogenes/meaning1.htm

I just wanted to say that I relate to your words. I’ve never written a post to a blog before. But, when I was seven years old, I was fascinated with astronomy, too. I was in third grade, and we saw a video with some really cool (for the time) graphics. And it was about what will happen when our sun goes supernova. That’s the first time I remember having these thoughts. The other kids in my class went out to play for recess, having a great time on the swingset. I was paralyzed thinking about the idea that my descendants would one day be incinerated by the very thing that kept me alive. I couldn’t understand why we should bother with anything if it’s all going to end someday anyway. I still don’t understand. I wish I could stop trying to understand, but I don’t know how.

Just wanted to reiterate that you’re not alone, even though we all feel alone so much.

I often feel so alone, and lately I”ve been feeling very sad about it. I have lots of friends and there are lots of people (and animals) that I love…but I’ve yet to find someone who can identify with the way I tend to think so deeply about things. How I would love to find others who also think this way and can understand–just making a connection on that level with another human being would help so much. My husband seems to think I’m just a nut, saying that I “think too much,” or “analyze everything too much,” etc, like there’s something wrong with me. But I am who I am, and that’s a big part of me! I’m tired of friends/family telling me that I shouldn’t think/feel the way I do–it’s very invalidating!!!–seems to me that the ones who react by freaking out or invalidating me simply just do not understand…they aren’t capable of thinking in such deep, abstract concepts, so maybe they feel threatened by what they don’t understand. Sometimes it just gets so lonely to be this way…

It’s funny, regarding “existence,” as far as I’m concerned I already know the meaning of my life, in a general sense. I’m a Christian, and I know deep in my soul that I’m here as sort-of a “practice” session to learn how to love God, and prepare to spend all eternity with Him when it’s time for me to go. So I know why I’m here; I just often feel that I’d like to just go to Heaven now and be DONE with this place. I’m not suicidal by any means, but I would not have a problem with dying any time now. Ah, well, here’s my depression coming into play…

I just wrote this last night on a “survivors of emotional abuse” forum, and it is pretty descriptive of how I’ve been feeling lately:

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“I have been feeling devastatingly SAD lately, very depressed, and I definitely notice the difference in my current self-dialogue vs. my normal self-talk. Lately, I’m starting to wonder if anyone else will ever really understand me, and I’m starting to think to myself that maybe I’m just clueless about how to relate to other people. I’m absolutely terrible with knowing who I can and can’t trust, as far as opening my heart up to others. I’m tired of being too trusting of others and the heartache that often comes with it. I’m so sick and tired of being misunderstood, as well!!!!

I didn’t choose this for my temperment–but I’m deep thinker, very inquisitive and curious, and I really seek knowledge and insight on any matter that interests me. As a “highly sensitive person,” I feel what I’m feeling and thinking very deeply…some feelings are great, of course, though many feelings are sad and painful. It’s often a good thing do be highly sensitive, but can be a challenge to be higly sensitive in a non-sensitive world. It’s just who I am, and lately I’ve been trying to understand this characteristic and also find others who can relate.

Sensing and noticing many things that most people around me aren’t aware of is something that often makes me feel isolated and alone–sometimes I feel really sad about that unwanted solitude. Sometimes we all just long for a human connection with other people who genuinely understand us, and when we don’t find it…it can get devastatingly lonely. Nowadays I’m in the pit of a devastating human loneliness! I hate it.

I like myself, and if I was someone else who knew me, I’d also like me. But I’ve recognized lately that it is, in many ways, difficult and often lonely to BE me. Make sense? Does anyone else feel that way?

My parents started migrating to Florida for the winters a few years ago, and this year I have not seen them since before Christmas 2007; they are to come back to CT in the next week or two. Never before have I been missing my mom so much…sometimes I think she’s the only person on this earth who understands me, really KNOWS me. She probably IS, actually, since my best friend went to Heaven 6 years ago…(boy do I miss her, too) Anyway, I guess I’m just rambling here, I just needed to type and get some things out of my head tonight. I hope tommorow will be a better day. Maybe I’ll go get some chocolate somewhere in the morning. I’d rather get fatter than be feeling so sad.”

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So, I’m feeling very encouraged to see there are others here who understand the kinds of things I’ve been going through and struggling with!!!!!