Chart distinguishing
   the Human Condition from our Existential Predicament

THE HUMAN CONDITION
OUR EXISTENTIAL PREDICAMENT
1. descrip
-tion:		 Intelligible, specific problems, 
each described 
in its own way; 		 An unintelligible deeper Malaise,
without its own description;
it pretends to be an element 
of the human condition.

Psychologically definable. Free-floating, non-specific,
generalized, undefinable
2. cause: Caused by the objective
and recognizable 
facts of human life.		 Uncaused; primordial;
not the result of any
part of the human condition.

Arises from the
sharable, public world. 		 Arises within ourselves;
already exists inside.

Identifiable source. No recognizable source.

We know why. We don't know why.

Affects us in intelligible ways.  Affects us in unintelligible ways.

Has a specific
channel of approach.		 Has no channel of approach;
'from' everywhere and nowhere.

Intellectually perceived;
based on information.		 Not rationally intelligible;
existentially disclosed.
3. duration: Each intelligible
problem is temporary. 		 A permanent inner
state-of-being.

Lasts only as long as
its objective cause. 		 A continuous Malaise;
a persistent Dilemma.

Comes and goes with 
changing life-situations;		 Constant, no matter
what the situation;

may pass by;  does not pass away;

reconstruction possible. no reconstruction possible.
4. scope: Each problem  touches 
only a few dimensions of life. 		 All-embracing, pervasive,
comprehensive Problem;
floods everywhere.

Limited, isolatable, 
localized problem. 		 Cannot be isolated.
Possesses our whole selves.
5. cure: Each problem can be met 
with appropriate
methods, responses,
and techniques. 		 Nothing we can do, get,
achieve, or accomplish
will overthrow it;
psychological techniques useless.

 We know what to do. We don't know what to do.

Correcting the cause 
removes the problem;
we can cope.		 Since there is no
cause to correct,
the Malaise continues.

    {This chart appears on the back cover
of the printed version of Our Existential Predicament.}

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