Hi, I’m Navid Kashi. A 22 year old socially awkward Political Science student who is overly aware of his own ego. This awareness causes me to be self-conscious and subsequently anxious at times but it also can cause me to have feelings of arrogance. One of my many bad habits is judging new people too quickly, people who i later realize are much kinder (and more awesome) than I had previously expected. I am very enthusiastic for this existentialism course, being that I’ve read (and loved) some works by Jean-Paul Sartre and some writings by Herman Hesse (including Steppenwolf). During my time here at ASU I have taken many courses in French language and they have allowed me to stumble upon amazing French writers such as Sartre, Camus and Jean Arthur Rimbaud. The intro to the textbook alone had me hooked because of how relatable it all was to my own personal life. Although it might be selfish, I always see myself as different than other people (though I know i’m pretty much the same) and I rarely have the courage to look them in the eye. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Maybe I can’t bare mine. Okay I'm being overdramatic now.
The world I experience is seen through the view of my ego. I am the main character in this play, while the rest of the humans in this world are secondary characters; antagonists, deuteragonists and tritagonists. This concept made me consider my own thought process as selfish. While discussing this with a friend the night after our first class she explained to me that this should make me feel connected rather than alienated from others because this experienced is one that is shared by all humans. They are the main character to their own plays, which makes me a secondary character to them.
As I mentioned before my only familiarity with existentialism is with Jean-Paul Sartre and Herman Hesse. A friend had given me Steppenwolf as a gift on my 18th birthday. It became an instant favorite and I subsequently read Siddhartha, Rosshalde and Journey to the East. Before the first day of this class, I’d never even considered Hesse to be an existentialist author, but his writings do create a similar attitude as described in Solomon’s intro to the textbook. Hesse puts an emphasis on the human character and their personal struggle to exist against their obstacles while borrowing heavily from eastern religion. With Sartre, i’ve only read a few of his plays, No Exit and the Flies, with the latter being my favorite. Simply reading through an online quotation page of Sartre is enough to get entranced by his writings.
The world I experience is seen through the view of my ego. I am the main character in this play, while the rest of the humans in this world are secondary characters; antagonists, deuteragonists and tritagonists. This concept made me consider my own thought process as selfish. While discussing this with a friend the night after our first class she explained to me that this should make me feel connected rather than alienated from others because this experienced is one that is shared by all humans. They are the main character to their own plays, which makes me a secondary character to them.
As I mentioned before my only familiarity with existentialism is with Jean-Paul Sartre and Herman Hesse. A friend had given me Steppenwolf as a gift on my 18th birthday. It became an instant favorite and I subsequently read Siddhartha, Rosshalde and Journey to the East. Before the first day of this class, I’d never even considered Hesse to be an existentialist author, but his writings do create a similar attitude as described in Solomon’s intro to the textbook. Hesse puts an emphasis on the human character and their personal struggle to exist against their obstacles while borrowing heavily from eastern religion. With Sartre, i’ve only read a few of his plays, No Exit and the Flies, with the latter being my favorite. Simply reading through an online quotation page of Sartre is enough to get entranced by his writings.
One concept that stuck with me from Steppenwolf was the realization that people do not contain just one self, but instead they have multiple pieces that make up their “self,” similar to a puzzle. It is not only Navid the student, but Navid the musician, the lover, the hater, the philosopher, and the skeptic that together make the whole “Navid.”
This is a liberating realization to the main character because he now realizes that his life is not limited, that he can take up other roles in his life, and that he can be more than just a depressed old man.
Anyhow, i’m anticipating reading these authors again and seeing them in a different light, as well learning from these new authors such as Camus, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche who have been recommended to me many times. In the first day of class I had a discussion with another member of my group which lasted about 10 minutes. I enjoyed this conversation and I hope to have many more of them as this class progresses so that I can learn more about them as an individual and what draws them to Existentialist philosophy.
Hopefully my writing did not sound like psychoanalytical babbling. I will become more clear, fluid and organized as the semester goes on, I promise.
Navid
This is a liberating realization to the main character because he now realizes that his life is not limited, that he can take up other roles in his life, and that he can be more than just a depressed old man.
Anyhow, i’m anticipating reading these authors again and seeing them in a different light, as well learning from these new authors such as Camus, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche who have been recommended to me many times. In the first day of class I had a discussion with another member of my group which lasted about 10 minutes. I enjoyed this conversation and I hope to have many more of them as this class progresses so that I can learn more about them as an individual and what draws them to Existentialist philosophy.
Hopefully my writing did not sound like psychoanalytical babbling. I will become more clear, fluid and organized as the semester goes on, I promise.
Navid
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