Begin by simply understanding that you have questions. Period. You’ll live if you get the answers, you’ll live if you don’t; either way, you have questions. By being genuine about not knowing the answer, you have opened the door to being able to explore the answer(s), even if the ‘answer’ is a paradox involving no answer at all.

OK, let’s begin with there will be several of these ‘language knots’ in this sort of discussion – so if you find yourself both agreeing and disagreeing with the same exact idea, relax and refer back to some of the other posts on this blog—’ing-ing’ is a good place to start

Genuineness in this world of paradox can be difficult to identify if you put yourself in too many intellectual boxes. Remember, it IS possible to have genuine feelings in opposite directions about the same thing (we call this ambivalence).

Your questions, even the ones that may seem ‘out there’ are perfectly normal (though, taking anything to extremes before one is ready can be unusual and even unhealthy). Be careful about announcing all of these questions and ideas to everybody you meet though, you will likely get some very funny looks if you go around asking people the meaning of life and death!

Existential Genuineness means simply letting your questions flow, and even being glad that you have the intellect to ask them (this could also pertain to Empathy – see below). HOWEVER, it does NOT mean getting so carried away with your curiosity that you enter into more unhealthy anxiety than curiosity. Being Genuinely Aware here involves being conscious of your limits and boundaries as well as of your good fortune to be smart enough to ask the questions in the first place.

The rest of the GATE’s approach to existential anxiety follows: