Transcendentalism and Existentialism are just big fancy words that describe a way of thinking. What I found in my research was that you can be a little bit of both. Don’t be alarmed! Test the way you think!

A Transcendentalist

Definition:

Pure reason transcends physical or empirical truth.Just so every one knows, Empirical means relying on experience or observations.

Symptoms of the Average Transcendentalist

You can believe in something you can’t see.
An example would be the following: God, spirits or ghosts, and aliens. You have the ability to believe. To you even if you cannot see what it is; it doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.

You tend to look for order in your universe.
- When something happens like your friend doesn’t show up to dinner. You try to make excuses in you head on why they wouldn’t. Such as, “They probably got stuck by a train.” or, “They probably don’t know what time it is.” If they don’t show up you come with the idea that they had some sort of emergency and that is why they haven’t called. You do this to make yourself feel better about the situation, and to make yourself feel better.

For you, everything happens for a reason, life already has a path.
-For example, karma. What comes around goes around. To you, your life has been planned and you know it, and believe that it does. You also try to make decisions based on what you think your plan for life is. Such as what your major is in college, and what type of job you do after college.

An Existentialist

Definition:

Create your own being or existence.

Symptoms of the Average Existentialist

You can’t believe in something that you cannot see.
-You don’t believe in God, because you have never seen him, ghosts, or aliens unless you have seen them before.

Life has no Plan

You believe that you make your own life. Your path has not been written because you are still carving it. You make your own decisions based on what you want, because no one controls your future; you make your own mistakes.

You tend to make decisions based on what has meaning to you instead of what is rational.
You mainly use this to lessen your own personal anxiety. Toss all rationality to the wind when something that means something to you happens.

No matter if you’re a Transcendentalist or an Existentialist you shouldn’t change the way you think about things. That’s what makes you unique!