Existential Crisis?

[stinger78]

I keep hearing this term being tossed around by folks and I’m wondering how an “existential crisis” differs from your basic run of the mill crisis.

Thoughts? I’ll hang up and listen.

 

[slugboy]

Well, there’s the one where you wake up and you’ve turned into a giant cockroach.



Oh no, they’re all over my post now

 

[Northeast Stinger]

A run of the mill crisis is when your grocery store runs out of your favorite ice cream. An existential crisis is when a mysterious bacteria eliminates all ice cream from the face of the earth.

 

[GTpdm]

I advise Tech students. An existential crisis is when you might get a B in one class...and consequently, all your career plans are flushed down the drain, with no hope of ever being a functional member of society because of that one 'B'.

They will pull your HOPE scholarship, you will be prevented from getting into every important course on your pre-planned, four-year schedule, you'll be rejected for the internship you had planned for Semester Three, and no faculty member will be willing to sponsor you for an Undergraduate Research project. Your plans to double-major in Engineering and Computer Science, while getting simultaneous minors in German, Material Science, and Physics will be ruined. After you limp past graduation, no employer is going to look at you, and no graduate school will consider your application. You'll end up living back at home with Mom and Dad, in your old room, while you flip burgers for a living with (u)GA graduates for co-workers.

All that because your heinous Calculus prof wouldn't allow you to do extra makeup work after the semester was over, to turn the B into an A...

 

[forensicbuzz]

I advise Tech students. An existential crisis is when you might get a B in one class...and consequently, all your career plans are flushed down the drain, with no hope of ever being a functional member of society because of that one 'B'.

They will pull your HOPE scholarship, you will be prevented from getting into every important course on your pre-planned, four-year schedule, you'll be rejected for the internship you had planned for Semester Three, and no faculty member will be willing to sponsor you for an Undergraduate Research project. Your plans to double-major in Engineering and Computer Science, while getting simultaneous minors in German, Material Science, and Physics will be ruined. After you limp past graduation, no employer is going to look at you, and no graduate school will consider your application. You'll end up living back at home with Mom and Dad, in your old room, while you flip burgers for a living with (u)GA graduates for co-workers.

All that because your heinous Calculus prof wouldn't allow you to do extra makeup work after the semester was over, to turn the B into an A...

D for DONE!

Having received all my higher education from GT (undergrad and grad), I'm not sure there is an undergraduate grade higher than a C.

 

[stinger78]

Well, there’s the one where you wake up and you’ve turned into a giant cockroach.



Oh no, they’re all over my post now

Agree... Kafka = existential crisis. Actually, any German philosopher = existential crisis.

How I think to think about issue X so that I will fit "the narrative" is more personal angst (snowflakiness) than existential crisis. JMPO.

 

[4shotB]

D for DONE!

Having received all my higher education from GT (undergrad and grad), I'm not sure there is an undergraduate grade higher than a C.

You must be young. Drownproofing was the original pass/fail course....you either got an A or you met your demise in the Olympic size pool in the old ROTC (?) building... although I seem to recall that Ma Tech begrudgingly gave you a C on your transcript posthumously as a token courtesy and show of respect. Since I am not dead (or perceive myself as not being dead which essentially is the same thing isn't it?), one canrightfully surmise that I must have gotten an A in that course. If there were any others I can not recall them.

 

[forensicbuzz]

You must be young. Drownproofing was the original pass/fail course....you either got an A or you met your demise in the Olympic size pool in the old ROTC (?) building... although I seem to recall that Ma Tech begrudgingly gave you a C on your transcript posthumously as a token courtesy and show of respect. Since I am not dead (or perceive myself as not being dead which essentially is the same thing isn't it?), one canrightfully surmise that I must have gotten an A in that course. If there were any others I can not recall them.

I was in the first class not required to pass drownproofing. I think 1985-86 was the last course catalog requiring it.

 

[TampaBuzz]

You must be young. Drownproofing was the original pass/fail course....you either got an A or you met your demise in the Olympic size pool in the old ROTC (?) building... although I seem to recall that Ma Tech begrudgingly gave you a C on your transcript posthumously as a token courtesy and show of respect. Since I am not dead (or perceive myself as not being dead which essentially is the same thing isn't it?), one canrightfully surmise that I must have gotten an A in that course. If there were any others I can not recall them.

I had to fish at least one young woman from the bottom of the pool during the underwater swim part of the test. That may have been my only A at GT.

 

[stinger78]

Since I am not dead (or perceive myself as not being dead which essentially is the same thing isn't it?),

Now THIS is a true existential crisis.

 

[4shotB]

Now THIS is a true existential crisis.

I disagree as this is NOT something I fret about. IMO, a crisis implies worry, angst, wailing and gnashing of teeth, drama, railing against whatever God or Gods one may believe in, etc. Perhaps the only topics that invokes these feelings in me are A) why can't I break 80 anymore in golf, B) when is our current inflation levels going to abate C) why no seems to be talking or worried about B at the national level and D) why can't we beat UGA in BDS?

My Tech finals used to produce similar feelings. However, after over 4 decades removed I don't worry about them at all during the waking hours and am now at the point where I only have dreams (nightmares?) about them fewer than 3 times a week.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

I disagree as this is NOT something I fret about. IMO, a crisis implies worry, angst, wailing and gnashing of teeth, drama, railing against whatever God or Gods one may believe in, etc. Perhaps the only topics that invokes these feelings in me are A) why can't I break 80 anymore in golf, B) when is our current inflation levels going to abate C) why no seems to be talking or worried about B at the national level and D) why can't we beat UGA in BDS?

My Tech finals used to produce similar feelings. However, after over 4 decades removed I don't worry about them at all during the waking hours and am now at the point where I only have dreams (nightmares?) about them fewer than 3 times a week.

You could handle B by moving to Georgia

https://www.geostat.ge/media/58005/Inflation-Rate-in-Georgia%2C-October-2023.pdf

Of course Atlanta is going through an economic growth period so inflation there is going to be higher than it is for those of us in the hinterland. But for some, the hinterland is its own existential crisis.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I was in the first class not required to pass drownproofing. I think 1985-86 was the last course catalog requiring it.

It was the 1979 catalog that eliminated it as a requirement. My wife knows well as she withdrew from the class once and is convinced she could never get the rings and would never graduate. But the catalog was changed in 1979 and she graduated in 1980.

And it was in the Navy ROTC building.

An existential crisis differs from a run of the mill crisis in perceived importance. I've tried to make jokes about it but keep erasing them since neither are funny to those experiencing them. I guess a run of the mill crisis is when a crisis is someone else's and existential when it's yours. I currently just accept IIWII (and that GT baseball will never again advance to regionals.) (Too heavy for a GameDay, but the different life cycle crisis and some conceptual frameworks are here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existential_crisis ).

 

[CEB]

I guess a run of the mill crisis is when a crisis is someone else's and existential when it's yours.

This is an extremely shrewd observation. I’d venture this holds true for roughly 99.9% of the populace.

 

[jwsavhGT]

You must be young. Drownproofing was the original pass/fail course....you either got an A or you met your demise in the Olympic size pool in the old ROTC (?) building... although I seem to recall that Ma Tech begrudgingly gave you a C on your transcript posthumously as a token courtesy and show of respect. Since I am not dead (or perceive myself as not being dead which essentially is the same thing isn't it?), one canrightfully surmise that I must have gotten an A in that course. If there were any others I can not recall them.

Au contraire my dear fellow...back in 1979 you could pass drownproofing with a D and be damned proud to do it!

 

[forensicbuzz]

It was the 1979 catalog that eliminated it as a requirement. My wife knows well as she withdrew from the class once and is convinced she could never get the rings and would never graduate. But the catalog was changed in 1979 and she graduated in 1980.

And it was in the Navy ROTC building.

An existential crisis differs from a run of the mill crisis in perceived importance. I've tried to make jokes about it but keep erasing them since neither are funny to those experiencing them. I guess a run of the mill crisis is when a crisis is someone else's and existential when it's yours. I currently just accept IIWII (and that GT baseball will never again advance to regionals.) (Too heavy for a GameDay, but the different life cycle crisis and some conceptual frameworks are here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existential_crisis ).

I've been lied to all these years.

 

[whitegoldsphinx]

I hate swimming, so I put drownproofing off until the last quarter prior to graduating. I had to take it or no diploma. This was in 1983. It went better than expected as I only had to have someone jump in once to rescue me. I still hate swimming.

 

[bobongo]

I keep hearing this term being tossed around by folks and I’m wondering how an “existential crisis” differs from your basic run of the mill crisis.

Thoughts? I’ll hang up and listen.

It's a crisis one may not exist through, or which threatens the existence of something. Thus, exist-ential crisis.

 

[Techwood Relict]

I'll go with a prolonged discussion of whether we are an improved football team this year. For some, mostly one, but we'll go with some, there is debate. It's existential for that guy.

For the rest of us, it's at the consternation, but not crisis, level.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I hate swimming, so I put drownproofing off until the last quarter prior to graduating. I had to take it or no diploma. This was in 1983. It went better than expected as I only had to have someone jump in once to rescue me. I still hate swimming.

Thinking about this more, we may both be right and the requirements vary by college. My wife was in health systems.