Works for me. Existential always sounds a bit intimidating but in the end is the content that people connect with. Good luck - I think you’re on to something!
Yeah, it's definitely an intimidating word (brings to mind "existential crisis" both personally and globally). I'm not sure it will connect with anybody else, but it's just the term that connects best with me (right now).
I get told a lot ‘Trauma At Work’ sounds off putting but feels right to me so I keep using it. Some things deserve to be driven by gut/emotional brain.
To me, it means philosopher, but perhaps with a cooler hat (think Indiana Jones). And a need for extra bug spray. (There's a metaphor there that makes me laugh but I don't have it fully worked out yet.)
What you are doing is brave, and my favorite elements of this are when you are super vulnerable and share how scary it has been. The emotional breakdowns. The physical ramifications of going against the grain. It is so dang hard to leave what you know--particularly when your success is that which society most values. And then writing...aye yi yi...not a vocation for the faint of heart.
I loved the bit you shared about realizing you were trying to become an Even More Important Person--heh. (The caps on that are perfect.) That took guts to admit! Good for you.
I'd love to see you head back in time to pull some nuggets as these questions you are exploring are not new to the human condition. Plenty of smart people have wrestled with them and come up with some decent answers that would be fun to pop into today's environment and see what sticks. The ancients--and even more contemporary thinkers--went deep on this stuff, in ways that a lot of the modern-day life hackers and self-helpers you've mentioned do not. (Not that we all don't love a top 10 list of hashtagged must-dos!)
In any case, thanks for trail blazing! Can't wait 'til next week's missive.
The Indiana Jones + bug spray metaphor works but I don't know why 🤣
I appreciate your encouragement as well! My next piece is called "The Open Frontier of Meaning" which has influences from existential philosophy. And I think you're right that modern thinking is so thin (e.g. a best-seller like 'Atomic Habits') compared to the old days.
Thanks for your thoughtful comments and support Heather!
'Existential Explorer' is an accurate term!! I found it relatable. It speaks of fluidity. I think it's about finding a balance between getting attached to one identity vs. trying out new stuff.
Hey Rick, enjoyed and identified with this update. I like the term "Existential Explorer", I think it captures what you're after pretty well. While "existential" already holds meaning for many people, especially those in the philosophical world, I think your use of it here is appropriate, I know what you mean by it.
I also agree that the shallow platitudes and easy answers only get you so far, people of any depth will quickly find them lacking. I appreciate that you are finding both challenge and reward in asking the harder questions. The older I get, the less black/white things are, especially the existential questions you're exploring. I suppose that's one of the mysteries of life, if it were full of easy answers we'd have quite a boring existence.
Hey Rick I love the new direction and the rawness of this piece. I can really tell it's you that wrote this and I see the meandering journey that you've been on! I like the name and it makes me think of the archetype of seeker or wayfinder. (I'm sort of writing about something related right now.) Anyways, just wanted to say I enjoyed this and am rooting for you as you continue your explorations!
Add one year to your timelines in the title, that's me.
Struggled to find footing, grieved for the loss of identity, fretted anxiety for lack of structure, and searched for the all-so-elusive "purpose", that's also me.
25 years of building a so-called corporate career, and I was left to face the existential question: who am I? If money and extinguished titles don't guarantee happiness, what then?
I am now writing, my 3rd vocation, in search of new meanings of life. I still visit the "valley" (as Andy Johns put in his "What happens when you leave your career (and identity) behind") from time to time while uncovering the path to that second mountain—to experience joy in simple acts.
There is something about hitting your goals that makes you realize that, well, maybe reaching those goals isn't anything. I'm grateful to have been able to realize this earlier in my life (although I always wish it were earlier).
This is great, and the theme of being an existential explorer really resonates with how I approach my writing, reading, traveling, and, of course, my...exploring. It's often difficult to explain to people why you're doing "xyz" when they view actions and motives only through the lens of traditional frameworks of work or ambition. I'm looking forward to seeing what’s next and using this term (and referencing this post!) in some of my future work as well.
What you are doing here on your blog is a form of what I call "personal knowledge building." You deviate from what's known and venture into uncharted territory. Building something new from an explorative and empirical basis. It's something important I am also trying to do.
While the term "Existential Explorer" is accurate, it is somehow vague to me. After reading this piece, I still don't know what it means. You say you are interested in why people do the things they do, but that's not quite it - that's just psychology. I like the term, though, so perhaps your task is to clarify further what it means.
Hey Dennis - thanks for the thoughtful comment and for giving me an opportunity to sharpen my thinking on this. I welcome the questions and debate, as it refines my thinking.
A few thoughts based on your feedback:
1. The term is meant to be somewhat vague + ambiguous to give it room to breathe. I, for one, am not trying to extract myself from one box, only to plant myself in another. In the title, my use of the word "attempt" very intentionally: "An ATTEMPT to explain what I'm doing."
2. I see Existential Explorer as more of an interdisciplinary human experiment, trying to explore and integrate domains. Psychology for sure, but also philosophy, sociology, anthropology, even spiritual traditions. I'm not formally trained/credentialed in any of these domains, which may bother some as I won't ever meet a rigorous standard. But I've seen how specialization (esp academic) in those fields can result in plenty of knowledge in one narrow lane, but lack of wisdom (and certainly life enjoyment) across it all.
3. I see Existential Explorer as more of an 'activity' than as a 'field of study' like psychology. I'm trying to experience this, rather than just study it. I kind of imagine myself as the writer John Krakauer (e.g. "Into the Wild" or "Into Thin Air"), studying others expeditions while also going on his own.
4. In all, as you said, I'm trying to make it my own. Maybe it's not perfect in an academic sense, but it's practical and works for me. Like I built my own chair that fits, but it wouldn't qualify as the best chair in the world and some may debate whether it's a chair at all!
Thanks again for the comment. Feel free to push back or ask more about all this.
You know, a few months ago I stumbled upon the 'Flaneur' concept and really got into it. Here's a note from my conversation with ChatGPT where I was asking it how I could apply Flaneur specifically to my life:
- Stay open, explore, and trust that purpose can emerge in pieces, rather than all at once.
- Walk, write, observe, engage with life without the expectation that it needs to “lead somewhere.”
- Enjoy the freedom of drifting, knowing that sometimes, the best paths are the ones you don’t plan.
I think it has a lot of similarities in feel as what I'm trying to express here. So there's a lot of overlap.
Maybe the main difference is I add in "Existentialism" where I'm creating a little more of a container, exploring questions of meaning and identity, whereas a Flaneur (as I understand it), has much more unbounded curiosity into any subject.
Thanks for the comment... it definitely resonates.
Thanks for the thoughtful response Rick. I think being a Flaneur and living an existential life are highly correlated- maybe because flaneuring came from Paris after Houseman opened up the boulevards and my fave existentialists lived in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Sartre's existentialism posits that man by the virtue of his freedom and choice, has the responsibility to determine the pattern of life he wishes to live. This simply means that man has the sole responsibility of designing his destiny and the choice of life to live. Existence precedes essence. Mine sure has, but by quite a distance. Took me until my 60s, after a life of wandering the earth and living/working abroad in London, Sydney and Mexico that I figured out who I am. The ultimate flaneuring maybe?
Your columns are terrific. Smart & thought provoking. Thank you.
This is a great article Rick. Having got stuck in a professional rut myself I think it’s also important to make clear the an Extensional Explorer is a mindset you adopt by asking the right questions. I got too caught up in achieving financial freedom and pulling the rip chord (which comes with its own stresses as you say) if you are asking yourself the right questions then opportunities arise much less drastic than giving everything up. Time freedom is a common Shill from “coaches” but as Khe has said before that can replace one stress with another. Thanks
That's a great point. And the topic of "good-vs-bad" questions to ask yourself could be a great topic to explore on it's own (thanks for the writing idea 😉).
For example, there are so many questions that can feel like fingernails on the chalkboard. Using writing as an example, something like "why aren't I already successful?" (e.g. uber-viral, best-selling author, etc.) can be reframed to something like "what is success to me? will I be happy when I get there?" (e.g. keep enjoying the process, help people out, etc.).
I'll have to think on this more. Thanks for adding to the concept, and sharing your personal experience.
Thanks everyone, for reading!
Question... What do you think of the term ‘Existential Explorer?’ What resonates or not with you? Let me know what you think.
Works for me. Existential always sounds a bit intimidating but in the end is the content that people connect with. Good luck - I think you’re on to something!
Yeah, it's definitely an intimidating word (brings to mind "existential crisis" both personally and globally). I'm not sure it will connect with anybody else, but it's just the term that connects best with me (right now).
Thanks for your comment.
I get told a lot ‘Trauma At Work’ sounds off putting but feels right to me so I keep using it. Some things deserve to be driven by gut/emotional brain.
'Trauma At Work' is very descriptive. It's very clear what you mean.
It also probably REALLY resonates with people who've experienced it (maybe less so for those who haven't).
To me, it means philosopher, but perhaps with a cooler hat (think Indiana Jones). And a need for extra bug spray. (There's a metaphor there that makes me laugh but I don't have it fully worked out yet.)
What you are doing is brave, and my favorite elements of this are when you are super vulnerable and share how scary it has been. The emotional breakdowns. The physical ramifications of going against the grain. It is so dang hard to leave what you know--particularly when your success is that which society most values. And then writing...aye yi yi...not a vocation for the faint of heart.
I loved the bit you shared about realizing you were trying to become an Even More Important Person--heh. (The caps on that are perfect.) That took guts to admit! Good for you.
I'd love to see you head back in time to pull some nuggets as these questions you are exploring are not new to the human condition. Plenty of smart people have wrestled with them and come up with some decent answers that would be fun to pop into today's environment and see what sticks. The ancients--and even more contemporary thinkers--went deep on this stuff, in ways that a lot of the modern-day life hackers and self-helpers you've mentioned do not. (Not that we all don't love a top 10 list of hashtagged must-dos!)
In any case, thanks for trail blazing! Can't wait 'til next week's missive.
The Indiana Jones + bug spray metaphor works but I don't know why 🤣
I appreciate your encouragement as well! My next piece is called "The Open Frontier of Meaning" which has influences from existential philosophy. And I think you're right that modern thinking is so thin (e.g. a best-seller like 'Atomic Habits') compared to the old days.
Thanks for your thoughtful comments and support Heather!
'Existential Explorer' is an accurate term!! I found it relatable. It speaks of fluidity. I think it's about finding a balance between getting attached to one identity vs. trying out new stuff.
Hmmm... that's a wise comment. A difficult balance, indeed!
Thanks for adding your thoughts.
Hey Rick, enjoyed and identified with this update. I like the term "Existential Explorer", I think it captures what you're after pretty well. While "existential" already holds meaning for many people, especially those in the philosophical world, I think your use of it here is appropriate, I know what you mean by it.
I also agree that the shallow platitudes and easy answers only get you so far, people of any depth will quickly find them lacking. I appreciate that you are finding both challenge and reward in asking the harder questions. The older I get, the less black/white things are, especially the existential questions you're exploring. I suppose that's one of the mysteries of life, if it were full of easy answers we'd have quite a boring existence.
Thanks Dave for the feedback and encouragement.
You and me are of similar minds... I also think of what you are doing as a perfect example of "moving to the edge of the map" in your own way.
Hey Rick I love the new direction and the rawness of this piece. I can really tell it's you that wrote this and I see the meandering journey that you've been on! I like the name and it makes me think of the archetype of seeker or wayfinder. (I'm sort of writing about something related right now.) Anyways, just wanted to say I enjoyed this and am rooting for you as you continue your explorations!
Thanks Matt, good to hear from you. Yeah, it IS me here!
Feel free to send me stuff via the archetypes you've researched (esp if your own writing). I'd be curious to see the connections.
Thanks for your support.
Add one year to your timelines in the title, that's me.
Struggled to find footing, grieved for the loss of identity, fretted anxiety for lack of structure, and searched for the all-so-elusive "purpose", that's also me.
25 years of building a so-called corporate career, and I was left to face the existential question: who am I? If money and extinguished titles don't guarantee happiness, what then?
I am now writing, my 3rd vocation, in search of new meanings of life. I still visit the "valley" (as Andy Johns put in his "What happens when you leave your career (and identity) behind") from time to time while uncovering the path to that second mountain—to experience joy in simple acts.
Sounds like we are on the exact same journey!
There is something about hitting your goals that makes you realize that, well, maybe reaching those goals isn't anything. I'm grateful to have been able to realize this earlier in my life (although I always wish it were earlier).
Thanks for sharing your personal experience.
P.S. that Andy Johns piece was fantastic!
For anyone reading this whose wondering what we're talking about: https://cluesdotlife.substack.com/p/what-happens-when-you-leave-your
This is great, and the theme of being an existential explorer really resonates with how I approach my writing, reading, traveling, and, of course, my...exploring. It's often difficult to explain to people why you're doing "xyz" when they view actions and motives only through the lens of traditional frameworks of work or ambition. I'm looking forward to seeing what’s next and using this term (and referencing this post!) in some of my future work as well.
Hey man - thanks for the comment and glad it resonated. Based on our conversations, I'm not surprised!
Feel free to use/steal the term for your own use... however, I wouldn't expect it to add much clarity for most normal people 😅
Hey Rick, nice one. A few thoughts:
What you are doing here on your blog is a form of what I call "personal knowledge building." You deviate from what's known and venture into uncharted territory. Building something new from an explorative and empirical basis. It's something important I am also trying to do.
While the term "Existential Explorer" is accurate, it is somehow vague to me. After reading this piece, I still don't know what it means. You say you are interested in why people do the things they do, but that's not quite it - that's just psychology. I like the term, though, so perhaps your task is to clarify further what it means.
Hey Dennis - thanks for the thoughtful comment and for giving me an opportunity to sharpen my thinking on this. I welcome the questions and debate, as it refines my thinking.
A few thoughts based on your feedback:
1. The term is meant to be somewhat vague + ambiguous to give it room to breathe. I, for one, am not trying to extract myself from one box, only to plant myself in another. In the title, my use of the word "attempt" very intentionally: "An ATTEMPT to explain what I'm doing."
2. I see Existential Explorer as more of an interdisciplinary human experiment, trying to explore and integrate domains. Psychology for sure, but also philosophy, sociology, anthropology, even spiritual traditions. I'm not formally trained/credentialed in any of these domains, which may bother some as I won't ever meet a rigorous standard. But I've seen how specialization (esp academic) in those fields can result in plenty of knowledge in one narrow lane, but lack of wisdom (and certainly life enjoyment) across it all.
3. I see Existential Explorer as more of an 'activity' than as a 'field of study' like psychology. I'm trying to experience this, rather than just study it. I kind of imagine myself as the writer John Krakauer (e.g. "Into the Wild" or "Into Thin Air"), studying others expeditions while also going on his own.
4. In all, as you said, I'm trying to make it my own. Maybe it's not perfect in an academic sense, but it's practical and works for me. Like I built my own chair that fits, but it wouldn't qualify as the best chair in the world and some may debate whether it's a chair at all!
Thanks again for the comment. Feel free to push back or ask more about all this.
Existential Explorer = Flaneur
You know, a few months ago I stumbled upon the 'Flaneur' concept and really got into it. Here's a note from my conversation with ChatGPT where I was asking it how I could apply Flaneur specifically to my life:
- Stay open, explore, and trust that purpose can emerge in pieces, rather than all at once.
- Walk, write, observe, engage with life without the expectation that it needs to “lead somewhere.”
- Enjoy the freedom of drifting, knowing that sometimes, the best paths are the ones you don’t plan.
I think it has a lot of similarities in feel as what I'm trying to express here. So there's a lot of overlap.
Maybe the main difference is I add in "Existentialism" where I'm creating a little more of a container, exploring questions of meaning and identity, whereas a Flaneur (as I understand it), has much more unbounded curiosity into any subject.
Thanks for the comment... it definitely resonates.
Thanks for the thoughtful response Rick. I think being a Flaneur and living an existential life are highly correlated- maybe because flaneuring came from Paris after Houseman opened up the boulevards and my fave existentialists lived in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Sartre's existentialism posits that man by the virtue of his freedom and choice, has the responsibility to determine the pattern of life he wishes to live. This simply means that man has the sole responsibility of designing his destiny and the choice of life to live. Existence precedes essence. Mine sure has, but by quite a distance. Took me until my 60s, after a life of wandering the earth and living/working abroad in London, Sydney and Mexico that I figured out who I am. The ultimate flaneuring maybe?
Your columns are terrific. Smart & thought provoking. Thank you.
A harmonica is a terrific soundtrack to existential exploring. Ya can bring of that spirit from the Mississippi Delta via the Great Migration with ya.
https://youtu.be/STzCpOPKEbY?si=sTmQfcQirxNM9k45
The fact that you feel like you figured it out at all, is an achievement. I'm not sure most ever do (or think that deeply about it).
And it's been awhile since I've read Sartre, but I'll have to crack him back open.
I appreciate the positive feedback to keep going! Cheers.
This is a great article Rick. Having got stuck in a professional rut myself I think it’s also important to make clear the an Extensional Explorer is a mindset you adopt by asking the right questions. I got too caught up in achieving financial freedom and pulling the rip chord (which comes with its own stresses as you say) if you are asking yourself the right questions then opportunities arise much less drastic than giving everything up. Time freedom is a common Shill from “coaches” but as Khe has said before that can replace one stress with another. Thanks
Again for a great article.
That's a great point. And the topic of "good-vs-bad" questions to ask yourself could be a great topic to explore on it's own (thanks for the writing idea 😉).
For example, there are so many questions that can feel like fingernails on the chalkboard. Using writing as an example, something like "why aren't I already successful?" (e.g. uber-viral, best-selling author, etc.) can be reframed to something like "what is success to me? will I be happy when I get there?" (e.g. keep enjoying the process, help people out, etc.).
I'll have to think on this more. Thanks for adding to the concept, and sharing your personal experience.