Finitude of the Human Condition

This is from the Nietzsche-Kierkegaard debate. The post is in favor of Kierkegaard.

The word fundamental is defined as being an essential part of something. The aspect of the human condition that is truly fundamental is its finitude. I define finitude not only as a limited life but a life that is cut off, alone, and shrouded in solitude. This finitude and realization of our aloneness leads to existential dread. Dread is defined as terror or apprehension toward something in the future. Humans are naturally anxious. We ask ourselves, do people care about us? Are we truly loved? Am I truly alone? What happens after I die?

Every human life will end. It is fundamental and it is unavoidable, but it is how we handle and question and contemplate this fundamental question that defines who we are in the scope of the human condition. This is done on an individual basis because fundamentally we are alone. We are individuals. An individual is defined as a single human being. So now the question is, how do we release ourselves from this suffocating dread of death, this all-consuming fear? Dread is a natural part of life, but there is a way to truly overcome this dread. Instead of fighting and trying to advance yourself in earthly life (this will eventually drive you insane...), release from existential dread comes through complete and utter surrender to a transcendent cause.

I know my time is limited. I am only here for a short while, so I want to contemplate the beyond, the incomprehensible, because I know someday everything that happened to me on Earth will be of trifling importance. By having faith in a greater cause, you begin to see your life in a broader context of salvation and eternal destiny as one with God. Faith fosters strength and love and companionship; it is a solution to the dread of finitude and isolation, the idea that you are alone on this Earth.