Since its birth, Pakistan has been grappling with precarious, multilayered problems. These problems somehow overlap with each other. One of the formidable issues which have been ignored in our mainstream discourses is the existential vacuum ramping our young generation. Despite having 64% youth, the productivity and innovative ratio of Pakistan is continuously declining. The majority of our youth spend life without having any clear aims, and goals. They don’t have their own dreams. The elites, religious clerics and demagogues sold them dreams which never turn into reality. They even don’t have the identification of their skills and interests; thus, spending aimless lives. As a result, they fail to find a meaningful life. It creates the existential vacuum in their lives.
Here, existentialism is not referred to the collectiveness rather it stressed upon one’s purpose in life. The existential vacuum reflects the lack of meaning in one’s life. Due to the existential vacuum, one is unable to find raison d’etre to fight or face the hurdles of life. The person remains uncertain about his future. Consequently, he feels himself lost in his life and leaves his fortune in the hands of directionless waves.
Viktor E. Frankl’s book “Man’s search for meaning” should be read by our youth, particularly by students, to understand the importance of aims, proper direction and goals. Viktor E. Frankl underscored that “the striving to find a meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in man.” The absence of motivation, will, aims and goals lead man to existential frustration. The existential frustration results into the existential vacuum-feelings of emptiness, aimlessness and alienation. When one’s has no personal aim and meaning of life, he either subscribes to conformism, does what other people do, or totalitarianism-to do what other people wish him to do. To avoid conformism and totalitarianism, one has to explore his passion. He has to set goals and aims. Subsequently, he will strive for those goals he sat for himself. Once he sat goals for him, he will be able to find meaning in his life. Eventually, he will also find a sense of responsibility in his existence. As Nietzsche says, “He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how.”
There are several causes which create the existential vacuum. Family is one of the most important socializing agent. Career guidance from family has paramount importance in one’s career. Family can identify and explore the specialty of a child. Nevertheless, in our society the youngsters are forced to pursue career or dreams of their parents’ choice. Parents do impose their own will and sheerly ignore the skills and the interests of their children. Adding to this, the generation gap also impacts the lives of young individual. The youngsters are treated as irrational and emotional. The power of decision-making is snatched by their elders. This creates frustration and hopelessness in youngsters. They take their life as meaningless and aimless which has no room to own goals and ambitions. Secondly, the lack of career counselling at school or college level is intensifying this dilemma of our youth. There is not a signal professional psychologist at public sector schools which can help students to choose right career and give them the confidence to strive for meaningful life. Thirdly, the dysfunctional education system is a continuous threat for our youngsters. Our education system is a myth centric. It has badly damaged the critical and innovative skills of students. Our educational institutions rely on theories while lacking practicality. Because of these gaps, students do not satisfy the demands of the market which increase the unemployment. Subsequently, by not fulfilling the expectations they have from the market create frustration in them and invoke the feelings of aimlessness and meaninglessness in their lives. Moreover, since the inception of Pakistan, the lack of opportunities and platforms for youth have been missing from the agenda of government. Successive governments came up with different proposals but never implemented them in the true sense.
The existential vacuum brings multitude of problems with it. Existential vacuum leads man to depression, anxiety and suicide The absence of goals, aims and proper direction create the feeling of frustration among the youth. And, it is a bare fact that depression and frustration go in parallel with each other and reinforce each other. Depression and anxiety have become the common problems of every second individual. Similarly, when one feels hopeless and directionless the thoughts of suicide knock his doors of mind. Moreover, the frustration is compensated in different ways: money, power and pleasure. To compensate that frustration, an individual can get indulged in severe crimes including murder or rape to get power and pleasure. Furthermore, directionless and aimlessness of youth have also negative impacts on the economy of the country. An unskilled, least productive and minimal innovative youth will only lead to lower productivity ratio in the country.
Existential vacuum is the harsh reality of our society. Therefore, it is pertinent to give special attention to this problem. We must include it in the mainstream discourse and come up with solutions to save our youth from the deep darkness of depression and hopelessness. Investing in youth today will ensure a prosper, peaceful and strong Pakistan tomorrow.
The author is a freelance journalist