BTW… I’m that whistling, dog-walking guy in the middle. Never had an existential crisis myself but I’m super intrigued by them. Would love to do some sort of qualitative study of people who have and haven’t had them.

I can wrap my head around them intellectually, but for me, there’s just no emotional weight to the possibility that life is utterly meaningless. IMO, simply existing is extra-credit, a bonus. Insisting that it have meaning or purpose to it is like demanding that the cookies some baked you have chocolate chips in them instead of just sugar, flour and butter (which are delicious on their own!)

Maybe this goes back to the values vs meaning distinction. I feel like my life is full of passionate values. I love my wife and value her and our relationships, for example. But whether or not it ultimately means anything or has some kind of existential purpose… I just don’t give a shit. Does that sound weird?

Strangely, the older I get, the more I think that the governing philosophical tradition of my life is Epicurianism 😆