The 4 Existential Concerns Of The Human Being, According To Irvin Yalom
One of the most important figures in the field of existential psychotherapy is the professor of psychiatry and psychotherapist Irvin Yalom. He accumulates a large number of essays and novels, among which are Spinoza’s Enigma , When Nietzsche Wept , etc. In his works, he subtly captures the 4 existential concerns of human beings.
In his book, Existential Psychotherapy , Irvin Yalom alludes to the 4 existential concerns that cause internal conflicts in human beings. These are divided in the preoccupation with death, freedom, isolation and lack of vital meaning.
Irvin Yalom and existential psychotherapy
Existential psychotherapy is a difficult term to define. To do this, we will adopt a philosophical approach in which people’s difficulties are considered agents in the process of evolution and change, and not mere diagnostic categories referring to current models based on the biomedical approach.
People are confronted with certain aspects of existence, something Irvin Yalom alludes to with the 4 existential concerns mentioned above. These experiences often generate anguish ; a very particular feeling that would become a motivator for the personal growth of those who feel it.
Existential Concerns According to Irvin Yalom
The confrontation of individuals with their own existence generates discomfort and suffering. In fact, the 4 existential concerns described below by Irvin Yalom are still inherent in the lives of all human beings.
These problems are often masked by certain distractions that appear throughout life. However, although distractions avert your eyes from these concerns, they are still there.
Irvin Yalom covers the 4 basic and universal concerns in group therapy, individual therapy and relationship therapy. Let’s see more about them!
The death
Death, as a phenomenon, brings us face to face with our existence. This concern is the first that Irvin Yalom describes as a source of discomfort. According to the author, death is a great source of anguish.
Death can become the main source of development of psychopathologies. However, it can also be the condition by which we allow ourselves to live an authentic life.
In other words, the confrontation with death is not only about the awareness of the finitude of life, but also about the uncontrollable passage of time and what is done with it, knowing that life is not unlimited. One of the novels that emphasizes this existential concern is The Death of Ivan Ilych, by Leo Tolstoy.
The Liberty
Irvin Yalom explains freedom as another existential concern. Here , will, freedom in decision-making and responsibility management are mentioned . Most decisions on the more immediate plane, even with other people’s opinions, are made by ourselves.
In other words, while freedom has its good side, the challenge of taking control of our own existence can weigh like a cross. In some cases, it even paralyzes, not allowing us to take any specific action. This is exemplified by Aristotle’s metaphor of a starving dog unable to choose between two equally attractive portions of food, or by Buridan’s ass problem, which starves to death between two equally tasty bales of hay.
isolation
Faced with the knowledge that life is not infinite, that at some point it ends and that one cannot escape the connotations (positive and negative) of freedom, Irvin Yalom reaches the third point, which is characterized by isolation. Isolation is a concept that is often referred to as the absence of interpersonal relationships.
Here, however, three types of isolation are distinguished: the so-called interpersonal, intrapersonal and existential isolation.
Yalom defines intrapersonal isolation as the division of certain negative events, considering the processes of dissociation. Existential isolation is defined as the individual’s separation from the world. An isolation that persists despite self-awareness and rewarding interpersonal relationships.
The lack of a meaning in life
The meaning of life is one of the most important areas of personal life and therefore the last of the existential concerns described by Irvin Yalom. Meanings give rise to values, which act synergistically to lead a full and meaningful life.
Values also alleviate the existential concerns described above. It’s the time when you have a “what for” in life, giving meaning and meaning to the rest of your worries. In this way, they provide the individual with a personal action scheme and belief system.
Irvin Yalom represents one of the main references in existential psychotherapy, along with Viktor Frankl and Rollo May. Despite having talked about these 4 existential concerns, we did it very briefly, as his work has a wealth that is impossible to cover in a few lines. It’s worth delving into it.
