Existential Bummer

A timeless conversation with Jason Silva about his greatest existential bummer... love. Why do we experience lovesickness or love melancholy and what should we do about it?

Join the party, subscribe here:

Learn more about Jason:

=Social Media=

"Man is literally split in two: he has an awareness of his own splendid uniqueness in that he sticks out of nature with a towering majesty, and yet he goes back into the ground a few feet in order blindly and dumbly to rot and disappear forever"
-Ernest Becker.

Join Jason Silva every week as he freestyles his way into the complex systems of society, technology and human existence and discusses the truth and beauty of science in a form of existential jazz.

[SachinYadav]

I come to watch this every year & can still feel the chills in my spine

[dominicdeangelis]

This is quite possibly the best YouTube video ever. 

[sixthday]

After all these year I'm still finding this to be epic. It's truly timeless!

[abdiabdi]

I watch these videos when im drunk because I only allow myself to have feelings when I'm drunk. and these videos fill me with so much emotion .

[parnianx]

Still one of my most favorite Jason Silva videos

[tetsurorios]

2023 … I remembered this and searched for this… thank you for making this.. thank you

[sueabe]

"at least am gonna try " that hits my heart deeply .... i mean we are aware of losing the things we are having right now one day ... but still we act arrogant and selfish instead of cherishing

[ThePezter]

Beautifully put.

"That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet."

I sometimes think that depression is no more than the inability to look away from the abyss of entropy, that some of us lose the ability to ignore the fact that it all ends. It is ringing that back into balance, regaining the knowledge that we have only this moment to love and be loved, to create beauty and meaning, to share and give pleasure and lessen pain.

[Jakarmstrong]

The utter power of his words, the melody played, and the thought that he is right; it made me shed a tear, truthfully.

[mourtzas]

The buddhists don't pretend they don't care. They train themselves to be truly present in the now, and thus their minds won't wonder off or convert their fear of transience into disturbing thoughts that ruin amazing moments. Maybe that is the only way to experience the timelessness of love.
As for art, in my opinion, we shouldn't do it to defy our impermanence (as he proposes), I think that's very egotistical. Making art needs no purpose. Art for a purpose perhaps is not even art. Expressing yourself comes naturally and even though it might lead to something timeless, that shouldn't be the goal but just the consequence. 
Entropy is an existential bummer only if one's existance is understood in terms of his ego. Because if you see yourself as part of a bigger process of constant change, it shouldn't really matter.
Just to be clear, I haven't mastered ANY of the above and completely sympathise with what the guy is saying! I 'm just not sure about his method of dealing with it.

[MrSonny]

I saw this  quote from nikola tesla, and i instantly thought about you Jason Silva,

"The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane.” 

You are getting smarter and smarter, but not wise. Trying to solve the issues of the "soul", and eternity in the level of mind, youre not going beyond, just deeper, like scratching a sting, feels good, but it doesnt solve and clear the "issue", the thing you said about buddists just proves it, still youre a great human being, and hope you still being succesful.

[rawarjoshanderson]

Can't be quoted enough:
“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

[WilkineBrutus]

The existential bummer is perhaps the reason why we're constantly developing our world within a world; this perpetual state of movement allows us to create systems of thought to at least combat our universal disorder; of self-preservation, and it's precisely meant to avoid our eventual degradation.

We often ignore our limitations. And that's a good thing. 

 In our dying we're living; and although we ultimately can't avoid the chaos or the demise of our disposition, the least we can do is attempt to feel comfortable with fate. 

I feel comfortable in seeing and experiencing such thought-provoking videos; it reminds me of how brilliant we all are. And we're trying to "live." Wow...living is such a subjective word now. 

[alexandrafalkiner-andrews]

I have been listening to this for years, every time I feel really sad or really happy. It gets more in a way no over video does. I can't even explain it. Thankyou.

[markhoward]

finally, something that puts into words the sadness that I feel as I go through everyday life, the good times and the bad, no matter what knowing in the end it is just dust and meaninglessness...

[KohlDayvhis]

"I feel nostalgic over something I haven't lost yet" Literally just described my entire university experience so far...

[StrawbrrySouL]

I am so glad Ethan found this for Mark, I am blown away by it. I've always tried to find words for that feeling.

[Theninjagecko]

Breaking attachment isn't about not caring, And being so "attached" the way he describes means you will suffer very much in the end. You can live a meaningful and joyful life full of love and caring if you can truly accept that one day it will be gone.

[crlir]

This is still my favorite video that Jason has made. Every so often I go back and rewatch it because it's so beautifully done. ❤️

[Digitalpkr]

First saw this 9 years ago. I watch it about every year or so. Still gives me goosebumps.