45 existential questions (we should ask ourselves)

If you have doubts about the course of your life and what you want to do in your future, then it is time for you to ask yourself these questions.

The time for existential questions

It is very common that at some point in our lives we feel somewhat lost in terms of the direction we want it to take. The future is puzzling, no matter how much we plan what we want to do, study or work since we cannot know what awaits us or if we will succeed on the path we decide to walk.

But that does not mean that we are doomed to failure or that we must give up before trying to do something, but rather that it is time to look for an orientation to find our horizon again. For this, you can take into account several options.

Like taking time to reorganize your priorities, making small goals until you achieve your main objective, assisting with a vocational counsellor and answering this series of existential questions that you must ask yourself at some point to direct your course.

One should also ask himself life coaching questions as they give you answers to your unanswered questions, bringing certainty in life.

One should always appreciate the little moments of happiness you get in life and be grateful for them.

Existential questions we should all ask ourselves

You can start by answering these simple questions in the form of existential doubts that will make you reflect on your current life and make a decision.

Also, you should read about Irvin Yalom, who was an existential therapist.

1. For me, what is the meaning of life?

If you want to find a fixed horizon in your life. You must ask yourself, does life have a meaning to follow? Or are you the one who proposes meaning for your own life? Many experts and philosophers have gone out of their way to answer this question, however, only you can describe the way you want to live.

2. How do I want to see myself in 5 years?

Having a vision of yourself in the near future will allow you to have a perspective of what you are doing with your life now and how far you are from achieving the perfect future.

3. Do I have what it takes to fulfil my dreams?

It is necessary to continually question whether we have at our disposal all the tools we need to meet the objectives we have set for ourselves. But above all, if we are acting towards it.

4. Should I follow my dreams?

If you don’t, what another course will you take? Although, sometimes we may not be able to get that dream job or study that desired career. We must have a backup plan that is similar or a secondary vocation that we are equally passionate about.

5. How do I want people to talk about me professionally?

Our profession will be of great importance in the cover letter in our future. Since this will allow us to maintain a lifestyle and above all, nourish ourselves every day. So take a moment to think about how you want them to see your career path.

6. Is it possible to know if we are making the best decision?

How do we know when we are making a good or a bad decision? it is almost impossible to know the answer. Well, it is the results that say it clearly. So the best way to do this is to think of all the possible scenarios with each decision and prepare for them.

7. What is the point of continuing to grow?

When you finish your studies, will that be it? You will get a job and even there your effort remains. Or you will continue looking for new knowledge and tools that allow you to improve not only in your area of ​​performance but in your life also.

8. What role should I have as an adult?

Responsibility is the word that most characterizes us as adults, but how big is its scope? Being adults is not only having criteria, but we have the opportunity to open thousands of doors.

9. Why do we dream?

Did you know that there is a reason why we dream? Freud created a theory about dreams, which not only reflects our daily situations but our repressed desires, the opportunities that are presented to us and how comfortable we are with our reality, which we only discuss in the unconscious.

10. Do our dreams have any meaning?

Many of our dreams seem like distorted image sequences. But again Freud tells us to focus on what those images mean to us. That is where you will find the answer.

11. Are we really free or are we in a vicious circle?

What is freedom? Are you a free person Or are you stuck in a vicious circle of unhappiness? The best way to discover it is by observing your progress over your stagnant states, which is greater?

12. Do I have everything I want?

This is a more subjective question, so we recommend you see it from that perspective and not focused on your material assets. Since these can be replaced, but you can regret not being doing what you want.

13. Do I tend to spend my money on things I want or need?

A great tirade that will make you reflect. It is not that you judge or punish yourself, but that you see what your priorities are and what you are spending your resources on to have the life you want.

14. What would my life be like if it were a painting?

This is a very creative way to make sense of your life when you can’t express it. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. But the best thing is that you can always find a blank canvas and start again.

15. Why do we blame people for what they do?

The tendency to judge is natural in people, but what is the purpose of them? Could it be a type of comparison with how you want to live your own life?

16. How did the universe begin?

Although it seems abstract or unnecessary. These kinds of questions spark your creative and imaginative genius. Which is of great help to solve everyday problems, as well as to show you that everything created came from nothing until it became something with a lot of effort.

17. What about after death?

There are many stories about life after death or the experiences of those who have had a close experience. Death is a subject that scientists have not yet conquered.

18. How would you describe me?

Are you able to describe yourself? If so, pay close attention to how you describe and match your strengths and weaknesses.

19. What is the formula to be happy?

What do you need to be happy? To answer that question, you must first keep in mind what is happiness for you? Only then will you know if you can reach it.

20. Who do I want to be by my side?

The people who are with us (families, partners and friends) have a significant contribution to our life. If you want positivity, surround yourself with those who encourage you, instead of cutting your wings.

21. How do I want my love relationship to be?

Loving relationships are a very important part of life, as she is a person in whom we share many intimate experiences. So you should think about the kind of relationship you want and deserve to have.

22. Emotion or reason?

Do you usually let yourself be carried away by your emotions or are you a logical person? Depending on the situations we can lean towards emotion or reason, but the most practical thing is to find a balance between the two.

23. How can we differentiate good from evil?

What is good? What is evil A very practical way to tell them apart is the harm or benefit we cause others with our actions.

24. Are we alone in the universe?

Whether you believe in extraterrestrial life or not, this question will give you thought about your mental flexibility. Are you one of those people who can accept new facts? Or do you hold tight to your beliefs?

25. If extraterrestrial life existed, how could I communicate with them?

While it is there, it will demonstrate your own ability to interact with people and accept their differences. Just as if you are the one who takes the first step for a conversation or you prefer to stay behind.

26. How do we know if a relationship benefits us?

This may be a very simple question, but when we are in love it is difficult to see the flaws of our partner. Keep in mind that a good relationship is one that helps you grow and in which you can share your successes and failures.

27. What can we do to have a healthy relationship?

Relationships merit constant effort and dedication, because love is not enough for a couple to stay together. They need to have a dynamic, a functional routine, fun, commitment, respect and a lot of happiness.

28. What makes the great wonders of the world so special?

Surely you have known some of the 7 wonders of the world but have you ever wondered what makes them spectacular? The answer is a set of several characteristics: history, beauty, anecdotes, manufacturing. We can all be wonders because we are made up of various characteristics that make us unmatched.

29. Why does the rainbow come out after rain?

What is behind this beautiful phenomenon? More than his scientific explanation, you should see this as a metaphor that everything grey can have a colour when it is lightened. The world has different nuances that represent every aspect of our life.

30. Will we ever be able to reach the stars?

A man was able to walk on the moon … why not? The most incredible things that have happened seemed impossible at the time, this shows you that if you can dream it, you can create it.

31. Will we be able to travel in time?

But more importantly, what would you do if you could travel through time? Would you have the ability to fix your mistakes? Or could you learn more from them?

32. What is the scope of my imagination?

Imagination is the most powerful armament we have to keep going, not only for our ability to create and invent. But to solve the problems that come our way and see the world differently.

33. What else am I capable of?

You have managed to get everything you have so far, but what else can you do? we can always develop new skills or acquire new skills that help us in our future.

34. How is it possible to measure the success of life?

Again, in this you have to answer yourself first, what is success for you? Not everyone has the same conception of this and to measure your success you only have to see if you are living what you think this is. If not, what are you waiting to change?

35. Why do I usually feel the way I feel?

We are not always in a good mood and that is normal, but for some people, having a specific state of mind is almost normal since it is part of their day today. But what is it that triggers this emotion? Does it benefit you or hurt you? Can you get any learning out of it?

36. Will I be able to improve my behaviour?

The world is in constant motion and therefore, our own world is in constant dynamism and change. However, if you are reluctant to accept changes and maintain a consistent stubbornness, improvement and progress can be an uphill walk.

37. Can people change?

Considering the previous question and what we talked about the dynamism of the world and the negativity of accepting the changes. Could it be that people can change? because everything depends on the attitude of people and their way of perceiving the world.

38. How can I improve my life now?

It is normal that you want to improve your life or have personal growth, but you feel that you do not know which way to go or how to start. So you must make an action plan with small objectives to reach your final goal and review what you need and how you can get them.

39. Is it possible to learn from our mistakes?

The only way to improve is to see where we went wrong. So the ideal with our mistakes is to amend them and learn from them so as not to trip over the same stone. Although some prefer to stay in their comfort zone and not face their difficulties.

40. Am I a good partner?

Whether you have had heartbreak, or if you are in a current relationship. It is very valid that you ask yourself these questions to evaluate your actions, decisions and commitment to your partner.

41. Am I able to value things?

On more than one occasion we have questioned whether we are grateful for what we have or rather we tend to complain. But what are those scenarios? It is normal that we want to improve our current situation, but we must also appreciate what we have achieved.

42. Can I live everything I want or is life too short?

Knowing the reality of life is important to plan our future, the reality is that we are not eternal. But why should we live in a hurry? Ideally, we should have a healthy balance between stopping procrastination and living in a relaxed way.

43. Am I weak if I show my emotions towards others?

Why is showing emotions related to a synonym of weakness? The truth is that our emotions are what make us human. Although of course, it is important to learn emotional intelligence so that you can have better control of your emotions to express at the right moments.

44. Is life unfair?

It depends, look at what have been those occasions where you believed that life was unfair. It was because you failed to accomplish something because you couldn’t buy what you wanted or because you missed an opportunity. Are you sure you don’t have some participation there too?

45. How can we know what is most important in life?

What is for you the most important thing in your life or the most important thing you want to have in your life? Take a moment to assess your situation and recall what makes you smile or want to re-experience. So create pro-actions and explore all that life has to offer.

One should also be aware of the difference between vision and mission to set goals in life and succeed.

FAQ about existential questions

What are the existential questions?

Existential questions are synonymous with philosophical questions about the nature of our existence, the meaning and the purpose of our actions, thoughts, desires, and ultimately – the meaning of our lives. 

Can an existential question be answered?

Yes, existential questions can be answered, but the answer will vary from person to person, or even from age to age. Life experiences tend to change us, thus, our answer to an existential question will be changed too. 

Why are existential questions important?

Existential questions are important because they make us think about what motivates us, they make us value and be grateful for the things that we already have, they show us what we still have to work on. 

Conclusions

With these existential questions, you can have a slightly more clear direction of where you want to go and if you are on the right track.

What did you think of our existential questions? Do you have any that you’d like to add to our list? Please let us know what your opinion is!

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