The Danger of Essentialism

Many people search their whole lives for a meaning to their life. Maybe you find it as a child, in college, or perhaps you're still searching for meaning to this day, the point is that we feel so confident that we can provide something to this earth so we search for what that is. However, there are a handful of people who have decided that they are content with just living without a greater societal meaning and they decide to merely enjoy life for what it provides them. Whatever you believe, as long as you are enjoying the life you have then I have no problem with how you choose to express it. My problem is with essentialists.

Essentialism is a philosophical movement that was created by Plato and Aristotle and essentially said that we, as humans, are given a purpose when we are created by God. This philosophy, while seemingly innocent, is a dangerous idea to push onto the minds of people. This idea takes away much of the choice from the person themselves, an idea that is soothing to some but terrifying to most. There are a handful of people that welcome the removal of responsibilities, one less thing that they have to worry about, but I'd argue that the relief it provides to the few is outweighed by the dread it brings to the many.

Let me paint you this picture. You wake up in a room with 500 doors and I tell you that you can open one. However, I tell you that only one is the correct answer, and you won't know until you've opened it. You would probably be terrified of this proposition. Which one do you pick? How do you know which one is right? This is what essentialism puts people through. You don't get a choice in your destiny, there is a destiny out there for you and you have to find it? "But what if I don't choose the right path?" Then too bad, you missed your chance and have wasted your life. I don't know about you but that terrifies me. You are no longer choosing your destiny, you are examining your choices and deciding what God would have picked. Forget not knowing what to order, now I got to figure out my destiny?

In the end, this philosophical movement died out in the 19th century as it was replaced by existentialism, a philosophy that you choose your own meaning in life, putting choice back in the hands of people. Ultimately, whether you believe in a higher power or not, if you enjoy what you are doing, then I see no reason as to why that's wrong.