Sorry I was not particularly clear with what I was saying. She still could have easily been with Kiyoka. Roommates, for example. Again, existentialism. Her choice to not fight shows her love for Kiyoka was not particularly strong. She just chose her own selfish desire over Kiyoka, and that fact does not change.
Thanks for the references to existentialism, which I greatly enjoyed. I would interpret her not fighting slightly differently, which doesn't mean that I think you've wrong. I think Rika not fighting for their love can be attributed to a lack of consciousness and insight into her own situation. Sartre would probably liken it to being too close to an object so that you can't focus, observe and understand it. For that matter, Rika (as well as Kiyoka) is a being-in-itself, incapable of choosing its own future, being for-themselves (being able to create distance between their being, as miserable as it might be right then and there, and themselves and becoming aware of what they want to be, thus being free to change) and for-others (which Sartre considers a state of not being free, but I'm inclined to say that this is where people find common ground and start building a future that is fulfilling for each of the persons involved).
I think there is a bit more of Heidegger's thrownness to how we live our lives than what Sartre postulated, although I like Sartre's take on existence a lot as it can be uplifting, is full of hope and soothing.
There's always a way out, and our choices reflect us as individuals.
This is the abyss into which you look if you take Sartre at face value (which I suppose neither of us does): If you failed to make responsible choices, it's your fault alone and there is no one else to blame. You actually become your mistake as it is going to make up your being until you make amends. Too bad that some mistakes we can never undo. Off the top of my head I can think of a few instances when I wronged people and wouldn't be able to ever face them again if I knew they still dwelled on it as well as a few things that I feel other people shouldn't have done but which I would never talk about with them nor let on that I hurt me or that it still remember or it's an issue because I wouldn't want them to have to deal with the feelings this would cause them to feel. Of course there are limits to that sort of being for-others.
I'm sorry, I feel this turned into more of a revision of Sartre and Heidegger for me than anything useful for you.
ps: I always have to grin when I see your avatar.
last edited at Jan 1, 2015 2:00PM
