Isolation is the conscious or subconscious rejection of negative thoughts and feelings. It is an internal censorship. We agree not to think about death, the suffering of others, or the pointlessness of existence. When an existential thought creeps in, we actively distract ourselves or push it away to maintain emotional stability. 2. Anchoring
Attaching oneself to fixed values like God, Church, State, or morality to create a sense of security. zapffe on the tragic pdf
His philosophy was directly inspired by Arthur Schopenhauer (the pessimist of the “will to live”) and Friedrich Nietzsche (the poet of suffering). But Zapffe radicalized them. Where Schopenhauer suggested aesthetic contemplation as a temporary escape, Zapffe saw no escape at all—only conscious or unconscious suppression . Isolation is the conscious or subconscious rejection of
He was an avid and one of the first Norwegian environmentalists. When an existential thought creeps in, we actively
Inventing a cosmic parent figure to guarantee that our suffering has meaning.