Author Description

One day you find yourself in a strange body, in a strange world, without any sense of direction or purpose. Who are you? Where do you go? What do you do? Who should you become? We’ve all experienced some version of this before—an existential crisis. So You’re Having an Existential Crisis is a comprehensive guide to living for those who feel lost, stuck, confused, or are simply curious about the nature of being. Journeying into existentialism, phenomenology, ethics, psychology, and critical theory, this book explores several outstanding questions on the human condition. What does it mean to be truly free? And do we actually want freedom? How can I be my authentic self while navigating love? Why was I born as this person and not someone else? How do I live with suffering (and student loans)? An existential crisis can be an uncomfortable experience—it unsettles the very fabric of our being. At the same time, it is an opportunity towards greater understanding and awareness. And, through examining the questions it provokes, you may find that your existential crisis is the key to a life worth living. Ben Thomas is a Canadian-born researcher and writer who is currently pursuing his PhD in Clinical Psychology at McGill University. He is also the creator of Sisyphus 55, a YouTube channel focused on philosophy, psychology, and literature, which has garnered over one million subscribers and more than seventy-five million views. Ben has previously published psychological research on eudaemonia and the good life. On his podcast, he has interviewed politicians, academic researchers, social media influencers, and cult survivors, exploring topics such as love, existentialism, politics, and identity. In his personal life, Ben is an avid traveller, having volunteered at a giant tortoise breeding centre in the Gálapagos Islands, hiked Torres del Paine in Patagonia, and worked at an after-school program for at-risk youth in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ben is com