Freedom as a double-edged sword
Sartre argues that our freedom of choice and reaction is possibly the best aspect of being a human. However, it also ironically is one of the worst parts, because it means we have greater responsibility and stress.
Meaning from meaninglessness
Ironically, Sartre argues that a theory of general or objective meaninglessness can actually lead to greater meaning. This is because his theory supports the idea of human agency, which therefore makes individuals the master of their own fate.
Comfort from existentialism
Existentialism is often associated with dread, nothingness, and a complete lack of meaning. However, the theory of existentialism can actually be quite comforting, as it suggests nothing we do is inherently meaningful. This gives us a sense of freedom to pursue our own interests in life, and to perhaps take things less seriously.
The meaning of irony
Sartre analyses the meaning of irony in the following passage, where he discusses how it fits into his theory of consciousness and nothingness:
“In irony a man annihilates what he posits within one and the same act; he leads us to believe in order not to be believed; he affirms to deny and denies to affirm; he creatives a positive object but it has no being other than its nothingness.”
