Hiii, after finishing uni ive been trying to get back into writing something i used to enjoy, but have become rather boring when its all you do, a just watcheUltimately, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and make me remeber all my wanders of my soulsearching and hit me whit inspiration to write again, so i wrote this little essay on a very inspring movie i love a lot and i deeply recomend yo watch. if you can and are interested i would love and be extremly gratefull if read my essay and tell me what you think (im a long standing memebr of the page and i thought it might be relevant here sorry if it doesnt fit)
Everything Everywhere all at once and the factuality off human sufferingAnd why you shouldn't care
1. Everything or the reality human pain and irrelevance
Something I really like about this movie it's that it never tries to moralize you, and that fact is shown in the main antagonist of Jobu Tupaki, character that
realizes and exposes the factual nihility of human existence, after experiencing everything that there is to existences Jobu understand that Human suffering is a constant, and in the end nothing matters like she says humans are "Small and stupid" like when Schopenhauer wrote about "Der wille" the universe is moved by an uncaring irrational Will so much greater than us, completely unknowable to us, And like she (and Schopenhauer) said in the end "everything balances out" all happiness is short lived The Will of the universe will keep moving while us Small stupid human are left to suffer.
The movie never tries to argue against that but forces its characters to face the "absurd" so neatly represented in the form of a blackhole bagel, dump, absurd, and deeply devastating to the human ego, Camus says that: "Absurdity arises from this confrontation between the human appeal and the irrational silence of the world." The uncaring Will of the universe refuses (or is incapable) of giving any kind of meaning to existence, and even after the characters experience all of existence that remains true, and so they face the black bagel and ask, what many of us here ask ourselves constantly, why continuing existing in a meaningless world? Where happiness is fleeting and suffering is constant?
2. Everywhere or the limits of reason and logic in human existence
Kierkegaard once said that "reason can't fully underpin a meaningful life" by that he meant that human existence its fully comprehensible by reason as such is uncapable of explaining all of human experience, when we face the void, the absurd, the bagel reason will point us to the idea like Jobu, myself and many others here, that living is not reasonable conclusion, the existence of human life as vehicle of pain is a very weak hypothesis, after all how can a bad life be better than no life at all?
Kirkegaard proposed to that the idea of a leap of faith. for that lets explain that idea that human experience transcends logic; Is actually fairly easy to understand, logic is not natural to the world, is the way we humans understand the "Der wille" reason is not natural to the world but the way we humans organize and understand existence; so how can a part of the human existence be all there is to reality? Kierkegaard's concept of the leap of faith emerges precisely at the limits of reason. When rational reflection becomes exhaustive yet incapable of producing meaning or action; To much reason can and will lead you to inaction, paralyzing you. So, to see the meaning of life we must cast away reason (at least a bit) and take a leap of faith, and choose to experience life and believe unreasonably that it will be worthwhile.
If you are like me, you would probably scoff at that idea, why would I choose to believe lies? Why would I pretend to care in the face of the factuality of the black hole bagel? To that the movie presents the perfect counter argument in the character of Waymond, who says it so beautifully :
-You think I'm weak, don't you?
- Maybe I am
- You tell me it's a cruel world, and we're all running around in circles.- I know that. I've been on this earth just as many days as you.
- When I choose to see the good side of things, I'm not being naive. It is strategic and necessary
- It's how I've learned to survive through everything, This is how I fight.
Waymond does not deny the cruelty of the universe. Instead, he acknowledges it fully while refusing to let it dictate his mode of existence. The truth is that both things can be real at the same time, we live in an uncaring universe where pain is common and happiness rare, but by focusing our energy and will to the small moments of happiness, by being strategic and choosing to see the good side of all things we may make life worthwhile.
3. All at once, the breaking of the human ego and the end of suffering
The googly eyes present trough the movie are the perfect symbolism of the idea of choosing to see the good side, pointless, meaningless, yet funny and make everything look a little less serious, and so when Evelyn puts and eye in his forehead (clearly representing the idea of an open third eye) it show a clear development on despite having all the worlds, she chooses to stay in the one where she started.It's common in eastern philosophies the idea of the negation of ego, and ego as the source of suffering. This Evelyn experiences all she could have ever been and remains where she is, because "nothing matters" so only what she cares on matters.
Let's dive into this idea of ego. Ego in the case of eastern philosophies not representing individuality exactly but the idea of individuality, the narrative we tell to ourself of what we are and what we want, ego in essence being the rationalized version of our self in our heads. And so ego becomes a Want a Need, again not natural to existence but our way of understanding it. So ego easily becomes frustrated as what it is and what we think should be, so it becomes the source of suffering.
When philosophies like the Tao talk about negating ego doesn't mean to negate ourself, it means to stop rationalizing ourselves and accept what we are, and that can only happen by accepting completely to live nowhere but the present, negating the source of suffering, imagine a baby that can go very quickly from crying to laughter, because it tells no tales about himself it just is, so it can experience pain without turning it into suffering.
By the end of the film, Evelyn, with her "third eye" open, chooses precisely this way of being. She breaks free from the ego's fixation on alternative lives and unrealized possibilities, and instead commits to the present. She does not deny pain or chaos, but she no longer allows them to define her existence. In doing so, Everything Everywhere All at Once suggests that the end of suffering is not found in escaping reality, but in learning how to inhabit it fully.
Ultimately, Everything Everywhere All at Once argues that the question is not whether life has meaning, but whether we are willing to live without guarantees. Faced with the absurd, the film rejects both nihilistic withdrawal and blind optimism. Instead ask us to take a leap of faith and proposes a fragile yet deliberate way of being: to stay, to care, and to choose kindness in a world that offers no reasons to do so.
Thank you so much if you see this and reading all my pedantic essay i would be extremly greatfull if tell me what you think C:
Everything Everywhere all at once and the factuality off human sufferingAnd why you shouldn't care
1. Everything or the reality human pain and irrelevance
Something I really like about this movie it's that it never tries to moralize you, and that fact is shown in the main antagonist of Jobu Tupaki, character that
realizes and exposes the factual nihility of human existence, after experiencing everything that there is to existences Jobu understand that Human suffering is a constant, and in the end nothing matters like she says humans are "Small and stupid" like when Schopenhauer wrote about "Der wille" the universe is moved by an uncaring irrational Will so much greater than us, completely unknowable to us, And like she (and Schopenhauer) said in the end "everything balances out" all happiness is short lived The Will of the universe will keep moving while us Small stupid human are left to suffer.
The movie never tries to argue against that but forces its characters to face the "absurd" so neatly represented in the form of a blackhole bagel, dump, absurd, and deeply devastating to the human ego, Camus says that: "Absurdity arises from this confrontation between the human appeal and the irrational silence of the world." The uncaring Will of the universe refuses (or is incapable) of giving any kind of meaning to existence, and even after the characters experience all of existence that remains true, and so they face the black bagel and ask, what many of us here ask ourselves constantly, why continuing existing in a meaningless world? Where happiness is fleeting and suffering is constant?
2. Everywhere or the limits of reason and logic in human existence
Kierkegaard once said that "reason can't fully underpin a meaningful life" by that he meant that human existence its fully comprehensible by reason as such is uncapable of explaining all of human experience, when we face the void, the absurd, the bagel reason will point us to the idea like Jobu, myself and many others here, that living is not reasonable conclusion, the existence of human life as vehicle of pain is a very weak hypothesis, after all how can a bad life be better than no life at all?
Kirkegaard proposed to that the idea of a leap of faith. for that lets explain that idea that human experience transcends logic; Is actually fairly easy to understand, logic is not natural to the world, is the way we humans understand the "Der wille" reason is not natural to the world but the way we humans organize and understand existence; so how can a part of the human existence be all there is to reality? Kierkegaard's concept of the leap of faith emerges precisely at the limits of reason. When rational reflection becomes exhaustive yet incapable of producing meaning or action; To much reason can and will lead you to inaction, paralyzing you. So, to see the meaning of life we must cast away reason (at least a bit) and take a leap of faith, and choose to experience life and believe unreasonably that it will be worthwhile.
If you are like me, you would probably scoff at that idea, why would I choose to believe lies? Why would I pretend to care in the face of the factuality of the black hole bagel? To that the movie presents the perfect counter argument in the character of Waymond, who says it so beautifully :
-You think I'm weak, don't you?
- Maybe I am
- You tell me it's a cruel world, and we're all running around in circles.- I know that. I've been on this earth just as many days as you.
- When I choose to see the good side of things, I'm not being naive. It is strategic and necessary
- It's how I've learned to survive through everything, This is how I fight.
Waymond does not deny the cruelty of the universe. Instead, he acknowledges it fully while refusing to let it dictate his mode of existence. The truth is that both things can be real at the same time, we live in an uncaring universe where pain is common and happiness rare, but by focusing our energy and will to the small moments of happiness, by being strategic and choosing to see the good side of all things we may make life worthwhile.
3. All at once, the breaking of the human ego and the end of suffering
The googly eyes present trough the movie are the perfect symbolism of the idea of choosing to see the good side, pointless, meaningless, yet funny and make everything look a little less serious, and so when Evelyn puts and eye in his forehead (clearly representing the idea of an open third eye) it show a clear development on despite having all the worlds, she chooses to stay in the one where she started.It's common in eastern philosophies the idea of the negation of ego, and ego as the source of suffering. This Evelyn experiences all she could have ever been and remains where she is, because "nothing matters" so only what she cares on matters.
Let's dive into this idea of ego. Ego in the case of eastern philosophies not representing individuality exactly but the idea of individuality, the narrative we tell to ourself of what we are and what we want, ego in essence being the rationalized version of our self in our heads. And so ego becomes a Want a Need, again not natural to existence but our way of understanding it. So ego easily becomes frustrated as what it is and what we think should be, so it becomes the source of suffering.
When philosophies like the Tao talk about negating ego doesn't mean to negate ourself, it means to stop rationalizing ourselves and accept what we are, and that can only happen by accepting completely to live nowhere but the present, negating the source of suffering, imagine a baby that can go very quickly from crying to laughter, because it tells no tales about himself it just is, so it can experience pain without turning it into suffering.
By the end of the film, Evelyn, with her "third eye" open, chooses precisely this way of being. She breaks free from the ego's fixation on alternative lives and unrealized possibilities, and instead commits to the present. She does not deny pain or chaos, but she no longer allows them to define her existence. In doing so, Everything Everywhere All at Once suggests that the end of suffering is not found in escaping reality, but in learning how to inhabit it fully.
Ultimately, Everything Everywhere All at Once argues that the question is not whether life has meaning, but whether we are willing to live without guarantees. Faced with the absurd, the film rejects both nihilistic withdrawal and blind optimism. Instead ask us to take a leap of faith and proposes a fragile yet deliberate way of being: to stay, to care, and to choose kindness in a world that offers no reasons to do so.
Thank you so much if you see this and reading all my pedantic essay i would be extremly greatfull if tell me what you think C:
