What is this feeling called?
It is not Existentialism I don’t think.
I am not focused on the “Why” but the “How”
When I read about space, and how it all started, it is like how? What are the odds? How did we develop to come up with music, and TV shows? How did we figure this all out? How were we able to make so much of nothing? I can google anything I want and in a matter of seconds billions of sites have been gone through so I only get the relevant links. Even then, thousands of links pop up probably more. That is nuts.
I am not interested too much in “why” I am here, just the odds and the “how????”
It makes me feel so weird, like I cannot even describe it. My brain feels weird and I am just so amazed. It is so beautiful and I love it. This is like a sense of wonder to the max.
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
19 Answers
Google AI describes this a bit better, but does not give me a single word to describe:
The feeling of ‘how are we here’” refers to a profound sense of wonder and sometimes even bewilderment at the vastness and complexity of existence, questioning the odds of our own presence in the universe, often accompanied by thoughts about the origins of life, the cosmos, and our place within it; essentially, a deep contemplation of the seemingly improbable reality of our own existence.
The links it gave me did not have a single word from what I saw.
Civilization. Natural selection
Progress? Discovery? Science? Curiosity? Escape from pain? Accidents? Intelligence? Passing of knowledge from old to young? Fate? Providence? Divine will? Wisdom?
I want to reiterate, I am not interested in the why. Sounds confusing maybe.
I have an idea what you mean but not a word for it. I used to lie on the grass when I was younger and the reality of being seemed so odd to me. I still sometimes think of people and houses and roads and cars and pop tarts and wonder how and why. It feels like there should be a school of philosophy devoted to that but I’m not sure yet.
Phenomenology? Does this help at all?
“Phenomenology is a philosophy of experience. For phenomenology the ultimate source of all meaning and value is the lived experience of human beings. All philosophical systems, scientific theories, or aesthetic judgments have the status of abstractions from the ebb and flow of the lived world.”
Ooh actualization? Is that the term that you are looking for? Or maturity? Wonder? Religious growth? Spirituality? Coming of age?
Not sure what it is called, but I always found the “how” and the “why” tend to go hand-in-hand. They get intertwined frequently.
^ Yeah I agree. That is why it is so hard to explain.
I am not a Nihilist, but there is no “why” in my opinion. We just are. I am not saying we are meaningless, or there is no point. I just don’t believe in a why if that makes sense.
@janbb I will look more into that and @reddeer also
Curiosity. And humans developed brains that were smart enough to try to figure out HOW.
Before that they developed religions to explain it.
Existential wonder is how I would describe it.
This is exactly why I went into science. (And why I got out of it because I was terrible at it but I am still a fan)
You’re not terrible at science @Caravanfan! But…just don’t try to be doctor.
Perhaps inexplicable wonder.
How were all the things you mentioned (except music) able to become a reality? Through the invention of the transistor and semiconductor miniaturization technology. Without micro transistors, your cell phone would be as big an early model Cadillac.
How artists come up with beautiful music is in my mind pure magic.
Isn’t life beautiful?
A mix of almost dying a little over a year ago from an overdose, and the suddeness of my mom has made me just appreciate all of this. I feel like I have awakened? Haha that sounds SO cringy and pretentious. But I just love that I am alive. I appreciate it all.
It is mystical.
I am a really good doctor and I was a really terrible scientist. I well and truly sucked
For me, it’s the extreme VASTNESS of the universe that makes the magic of humanity seem less miraculous and more like “where are the rest of the aliens?” Winning a lottery when the odds are 1 in a billion is pretty miraculous, unless you bought a trillion lottery tickets, then NOT WINNING 1000 times would be miraculous in the opposite way.
Hey I love that band!
Haha but I read the definition and I do like that word
Your question actually inspired me to listen to some Sublime. :P
Answer this question 
This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.
Composing members:
0
