Existential crises & feeling helplessly stupid

[joft]

Does anyone else think it's a bit easier to have an existential crisis when you're an INTP?

I'm having one now. I think it's because my semester just started and that raised my excitement level a bit, so sitting around all day at the computer isn't enough. I feel sort of bored, but, I have this incredible anxiety about doing something "useful." I think I should be reading any number of the millions of books that I need to read, but I can't bring myself to do anything. I just lay on my bed or on my bedroom floor and stare at the ceiling. I can't focus on any single thought or area of thought without ending up working a full circle through every related issue up to epistemology and existence and consciousness. If I don't concentrate, I drift into a stupor where I feel like I'm thinking about everything and nothing all at once.

I also think I'm incredibly stupid and incompetent about so many things, and that helps add to the anxiety about wanting to read books about everything. If I do read anything, I become frustrated about all the limitations of language on conveying ideas; the author going at a slow pace, not organizing thoughts the way I would have, it's taking too long and there's so much more I need to learn...

I think I would have written this post and just deleted it without posting but I have a headache now and that's also making me act weird

I just thought of a theory. Maybe this is the equivalent of a bout of depression for someone who maintains more objectivity and logic through it. Instead of intense hopeless feelings it's more like imbalanced and unorganized thoughts. I think i'll probably just sleep it off, but part of me doesn't want to.. and I don't know why.

[Edmond Zedo]

There's no such thing as an existential crisis. I think you mean plain crisis.

[L. Bartholomew]

I could have written that exact same post, joft. That is my situation too. Now what to do about it... It's frustrating.

[Edmond Zedo]

For the record (Write this down), I've been depressed, time to time, and have come to the sole valid conclusion that unhappiness sucks, no matter how good I am at whatever, and however many people like me however much. It's not so cool, but live with it, or don't.

Get yourself some SGs and a new suit, and strut around acting all bad.

[Miss Anthropic]

For the record (Write this down), I've been depressed, time to time, and have come to the sole valid conclusion that unhappiness sucks, no matter how good I am at whatever, and however many people like me however much. It's not so cool, but live with it, or don't.

Get yourself some SGs and a new suit, and strut around acting all bad.
15 years ago I'd have been so pissed off at that response, but it just made me laugh....in a good way. Especially your solution! In many ways it is very good advice.

When I feel so completely overwhelmed at stuff that needs to be done that I am completely paralyzed sometimes it helps to make a list and cross stuff off as I do it. I don't feel as compelled to be so all or nothing---ie; "I can't do it all so I'll just take a nap instead." But then again, strutting around acting all bad could be the ticket!

[tragula]

Ah, paralysis.... being totally overwhelmed by the choices--by the future. I know the feeling well.

I have been trying to define INTP specific problems, and their possible solutions. Like not being emotionally responsive, expecting other people to be logical, sweating the small stuff, and of course--the ongoing existential crisis of being INTP.

I am developing a theory of Thought Discipline. Whereby negative/unproductive lines of thought are aggressively terminated using thought systems.

I know it annoys some people here, but I really do think P is "learned helplessness," and that it is something that was taught to us in our cribs.

There is also an element of not really buying in to the Master Plan the ESJs of the world try to set for us.

And there may be a silver lining, as people who sit around and think all day must be less likely to die in car/climbing/sking/scuba diving accidents, right?!?

I wonder if some sort of online to do list, with others as a support group would help people fight their natural lethargy. Although in the end I think depending on other people for motivation is a bit of a cop out.

Ultimately I think the solution is to "force" yourself to do things. Make it a rule to get up at a specific time, make your bed, do ten push ups and be ready to get out the door and tackle the world by 10:00 AM. Because that is the logical best approach to life! And of course be sure to set aside a couple hours each day to sit and think... because that IS important to us.

[Edmond Zedo]

tragula, don't read the next sentence! joft, don't listen to tragula.

[Clara]

Ah, paralysis.... being totally overwhelmed by the choices--by the future. I know the feeling well.

... but I really do think P is "learned helplessness," and that it is something that was taught to us in our cribs.

Ultimately I think the solution is to ... do things.... Because that is the logical best approach to life! And of course be sure to set aside a couple hours each day to sit and think... because that IS important to us.
LOL joft : there's no contradiction between that and :


For the record (Write this down), I've been depressed, time to time, and have come to the sole valid conclusion that unhappiness sucks, no matter how good I am at whatever, and however many people like me however much. It's not so cool, but live with it, or don't.
... and my own thoughts, that sometimes, whether you feel like it or not, the thing that's going to make the bridge between feeling caught in (however you call how you're feeling) and doing the things you'll do when you've worked up to an attention span : getting dressed - in clothes you know make you look good, and getting out for some physical exercise...

And, yes, as Miss Anthropic stated, it's annoying to be told that. (Doesn't change that it often works out that way.) ;)

[ApeTheDog]

Write the book you would want to read right now, draw the painting you would want to see right now, compose the song you'd want to hear. It sound to me like you have a creative vibe going on. I've read in many interviews with artists that great art results from being unhappy about something.

When I used to feel like that, I made adventure games and wrote stories. Then I let other people play those games and read the stories and they said they loved them, and I felt great. Not in the least because I'm a pretentious egotripper, but also because I've turned that anxious feeling into something else, and shared it.

Anyway, if none of this helps, remember the advice on the kings ring: "This, too, shall pass"

[Napoleon]

Ultimately I think the solution is to "force" yourself to do things. Make it a rule to get up at a specific time, make your bed, do ten push ups and be ready to get out the door and tackle the world by 10:00 AM. Because that is the logical best approach to life! And of course be sure to set aside a couple hours each day to sit and think... because that IS important to us.

Thats are some good point you made there.

I have had the same problems, i simply could not get anything done. I skipped classes hated school and I had bad grades for many years. You have to make up your mind why you want to do what you want to do. It can be very frustrating i know, i kept asking myself questions. “Why is the school system like it is, stupid classes, forcing me to do things i don’t want to do, and for what? to get a job and die?”

This is how i handled it:
I did what i am good at, i took a step back and analyzed the situation. You have to realize why school and education are so important these days. I love to have many options to choose from, i know when i will be working it will be good to have something i can fall back on. Than i diceded that university was the best choice for me, they let you do your own thing and thats what i love. I was never a good student but i was determinated to succeed.

The first month went great, but than i started to fall asleep and get those blind stare moments when i needed to study. I knew i needed to reflect again on why i wanted this so bad. Think about what your probleme is. Is your probleme your pc? Get it out of your room. You don’t see the point on why you need to study? Get some serious brain power behind it because as long you don’t figure this one out you will never get those grades.
My probleme was distraction, i thought about a solutien and diceded i would try and study in the libary. These days i study 10 hours in one day, and i get tons of more work done than i did when i was at home. Yeah sure i have to get up freaking early every day and drive to an other city, but i have a goal and can explain to myself why i need to do this and that my man. That is what keeps me going.

[nBT]

focus.
work can be a focus. or art. or sitting in a library studying. the thing is if you tackle it the S way (do things that have to be done) you automatically discard unrelevant thoughts. then N serves a purpose. discipline is not a strict schedule or a to-do list. but purpose. the lists are only a kick in the ass. nice side-effect of focused action is experience.