--- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Gratefulbear" <gratefulbear@...>
wrote:
>
> John asked, "can one be joyfully existential?" Good question!
>
> As a Christian existentialist (along the lines of Kierkegaard,
Tillich, and
> Flannery O'Conner), I think yes, you can be a joyful existentialist
- at
> times (not always!). I believe "shit happens," but "grace happens"
too.
> Even Sartre said he had never experienced despair - he recognized the
> absurdity of life, but he found such recognition empowering, not
despairing.
>
> This is a great discussion! "Existentialist" does not always equal
"noir,"
> but they do overlap at times.
One advantage that many existentialists have, as did the taoists and
the stoics before them, is that their expectations are so low that joy
can be found in very mundane or small things, or in the humor and
absurdity of what actually happens day to day.
This attitude is found in several of our heros, notably in Philip
Marlowe. It is part of his greatness as a character. On the other
hand, if Lew Archer finds joy in something, I missed it. At least, in
the mature Archer (from The Galton Case on).
Best,
mrt
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