Irvin Yalom on the four dilemmas of existence: Death, freedom, isolation and meaninglessness.

American Psychiatrist Irvin Yalom articulated four ultimate concerns of human existence that can trigger deep, often unconscious, anxiety. Our dilemmas usually fall into one of these categories, and as life changes and grows, so do our existential concerns.

Instead of avoiding these fears, Yalom argued that confronting them leads to a more authentic, courageous, and engaged life. 

While death is an inevitable and usually terrifying contemplation, bringing awareness to death acts as a catalyst for living more fully and passionately in the present. It drives us to create a meaningful life, knowing our time is limited.

Freedom requires full responsibility, and while so many of us claim to crave more freedom, we can often be quite terrified by the prospect of a door flinging open to us. This is because freedom is coupled with immense responsibility, leaving us in full ownership of our choices, which can cause anxiety but is necessary for authenticity.

Isolation, the unbridgeable gap between oneself and others, is the reality that we are, in Rilke’s words, ‘unutterably alone’ prompting our need to find connection without expecting to fully erase our solitary nature.

Meaninglessness and the search for purpose is the fourth ultimate concern that can shape our lives and choices. Yalom posited that because the universe has no inherent, predetermined meaning, humans are tasked with creating their own purpose. Acknowledging this meaninglessness frees individuals to construct their own values. 

Shedding light on these four existential concerns might invite a way to bring understanding to our shared struggles in the procession of life: we are all individuals with our own unique challenges and sufferings, but we also share commonalities in our perpetual dilemmas on what it means to exist on this magnificent blue-green globe….