Understanding existentialism

I think the operative word in a discussion of existentialism is 'absurd'.

There is no meaning. That's why they call it existentialism.

I don't really care about the state of existence . My acts are necessary and beyond my person. The best thing I can do is not care actually, thus existential at all times.

What does existentialism DO exactly, apart from giving us a headache trying to spell it right?
And didn't poor Freddy Nietzsche go nutty, so it doesn't seem to have done him much good..

     Yes, there is and even how. The theories of the Big Bang and the Evolution are a glaring example that not only Life can be absurd, meaningless and a cartoon of positive thinking, but virtually everything. What is the meaning to make and to elaborate laws of physics and maths and math logic, when anything presenting itself as a theory, any Big Bang and any Evolution can come out of any fake or missing assumptions, and can neglect whatever they find appropriate ... without any problems?
     If you want more specific answer - I don't know and I don't care whether some philosophers from the mid 1890s have found the meaning of life or not. To me the meaning of life exists, but this is just my opinion - who am I to argue the great philosophers. In any case scenario their inferences are invalid, for the knowledge of mankind has expanded several peta-times since their time and the world has changed dramatically. We have to find our contemporary philosophers, who have to reconsider the old and outdated thinking with the new knowledge and the new realities and to answer the current questions from contemporary point of view.
     An Earth with a population of 650 million (19 c.) might have seemed absurd and meaningless, but the very same Earth with stepping on deserts, continuous floods, CO2 emissions out of control and a population of 7.2 BN growing on exponent may not seem so meaningless. It can be meaningless only to the fans of the self-destruction ... and to those who cannot even see what they are doing.

Thanks herald for writing.
I think Camus was also on the negative side, though he saw both meaning and meaningless, his basic argument was that there is no meaning.
But positive existentialism tells there is meaning.

We should be able to take comfort ithat the true God has explained the meaning of existence in terms understood by even the least sophisticated of us. Instead, we wallow in polysyllalbic philosophy as if by a preponderance of words we might become 'enlightened'

When people reject God, they turn to the only "gods" they know,- philosophy and science, it's all they've got..

I'd say they turn to their common sense Romeo. Which in my mind has meaning because the God that most people worship has no meaning.

     I haven't read such positive existentialists, but to me Life (notwithstanding whether believing in God or in science and philosophy) has meaning and this meaning is to achieve eternal life ... of the human species. How are we going to solve the equation when we haven't even defined it? What is the best strategy for survival? What is the best case scenario that we can rely on?
      We all know that the dinosaurs have been retards, but have they been really? They have managed to survive on this very planet for 160 Mya, and we don't even have 0.5 Mya and are already on schedule for self-destruction and extinction.
     If the survival of the human species and its ethernal life is not enough meaningful, I would be very curious to know what have been their theories about the meaning of Life (if you have them at hand somewhere).

Agree. Also shows how evolution is "showing" mankind that life has a meaning. Unlike the dinosaurs we can actually attempted to save our species from certain annihilation and from becoming fossils for another lifeform in the future to study and squabble about. Then again maybe evolution would've accomplished "it's" goals by then. Hard to say, except that life has some sort of meaning even if it happens not to be supernatural or happens to be truly nihilistic.

The Bible comprises 66 separate books detailing human close encounters with offworld beings, so my common sense tells me such reports can't be dismissed out of hand..

This is a joke, right? Too bad your book isn't equivalent to me walking out of my front door and experiencing nature as it is. Maybe then I'd take the bible seriously. Until then, it'll always be a collection of words with no set meaning to anyone who didn't write it. Kinda like God: which you, Neo, Catholics, Lutheran's, Jews, Sunnis, Shiite's etc., etc., etc., keep proving by disagreeing with one another about God and God's intentions.

Jesus said "I'm not from this world, I'll tell you secrets hidden since the world began"
That may bore philosophers but it sure makes me wanna listen to him..
How about you Spock?

"Affirmative, I'm all ears"..

Funny that you use Spock, another fictional character, to affirm your own question to yourself about another fictional character. Like I said before...no meaning to all of us bore talking, God rejecting "philosophers". Though the humor makes up for the lack of logic and meaning of God when it's defended, to "unbore" us "philosophers" so I will give you that Romeo. Cuz most of your posts are brilliantly hilarious, with the pictures and all. Kudos

Most people worship the god of this world, not the true God.

Kind of diminishes his credibility, eh?

Thanks mate, I've been learning how to be funny from Neologist, he's a Jehovah's Witness and they've been making people laugh for years..

Incidentally, Jesus had a lot in common with Klaatu who said- "I'm from another world, let me tell you a few secrets", and got a slug from a .45 for his trouble-

I managed to turn off my vomit reflex long enough to peruse several existential writers. Take Kierkegaard, for one. He used a ream of otherwise useful paper ruminating over the faith of Abraham, feeling inclined to invent the term 'infinite resignation' to describe a lesser state of mind. As counterpoint, Paul was able to identify faith in a single paragraph, and give instructive examples in a single chapter.

Oh Soren, you are so boren. I'm tired of waiting for Godot. Please flush Tape's last Krapp so we can go home.