Just A Dwarf In A Flask

There is an anime that I am particularly fond of called Fullmetal Alchemist. The main antagonist of the show was a creature called “the dwarf in the flask”. The creature knew everything but it could not do much as it was contained to a flask and if it were to get out, it would die. The creature was frustrated by its limitations so it planned a grand escape which caused mass death and gave it great power. Then it decided that was not enough and it wanted to escape all limitations and become a god. In the end its plans were foiled and it got the karma that it deserved. You couldn’t help but pity and relate to it though.

We all have existential limitations. We are trapped in a human body that will eventually die. We live in a world amongst others. We can choose to do many things and have a great deal of freedom, though all of our actions have consequences. We can lend ourselves to meaningful concepts but ultimately it is all a fabrication.

Those are the 4 existential givens. Death, isolation, freedom, and meaninglessness. These things are our metaphorical flask. We cannot escape them and they are part of the very fabric of what we are. There will always be anxiety in the face of these concepts. Though the severity of that anxiety is what we concern ourselves with when we go to therapy and work on healing.

The final analysis here is that we will always experience anxiety in the face of existential givens but it is important that we bear it with courage and grace. If we have been through experiences that were too much and we are now derailed, we should get back on track and learn to live with anxiety that is at a much more manageable level. Psychotherapy does not aim to help you feel nothing or be invincible. You will not live forever, you are responsible for your actions, you must live amongst others, and you would do well to find meaning in your life. The goal is simply to be able to handle life at a manageable level and the path that will take is specific to you and your circumstances.