The main focus of Hornsby’s essay deals with Martin Heidegger’s definition of the entity that experiences and exists in the world. This entity, Heidegger calls ‘Dasein’, and exists only in the world, and not without it. Dasein has two main …show more content…
The ‘Authentic existence’ however, is achieved when the individual realizes who they are, and distinguishes itself as a unique entity. The ‘authentic Self’ is then ‘concerned’ with their unique destiny, as oppose to the ‘inauthentic Self’ or ‘Theyself’ which is on par with the status quo and has no individuality (Hornsby page 3, paragraph 3). Finally, Heidegger gives the term ‘Verfall’ as “a fallen away”, “the lack of perception of an existence carried out in terms of ‘oneness’ and ‘theyness’.” This ‘verfall’ is stated to be a prerequisite for Dasein’s realization of itself. (Hornsby page 5, paragraph …show more content…
People in ‘social consciousness’ are living for other people’s acceptance, not for their own uniqueness. The distinction between ‘idle chatter’ or ‘talk’ of the ‘inauthentic Self’, and ‘the speech of the authentic Self’ is also something that is important but goes unnoticed. I believe that most of the time we speak with mindless awareness, not even knowing what our words mean, and thus they become devoid of power. And anxiety is a state, which brings about ‘presence’ but in a paralyzing manner. Although ‘Presence’ to me is the state in which one becomes the observer and is free from thought or