Sartre says “Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.”

Sartre’s philosophy of existentialism is the opposite of essentialism. An essentialist believes

in there being a certain essence in human beings. An existentialist, instead, believes that we are

born without essence. We exist first and become who we are later on. Sartre calls this power to

define ourselves “the power of subjectivity”. Most objects in the world lack this power.

The difference between those who have it and those who do not is the difference between an

“object-in-itself” and an “object-for-itself.” An object-in-itself is something that simply

is what it is with no way to change. For example, a chair or a rock. On the other hand,

the object-for-itself has no defined essence. It cannot be said of this object that it is anything,

for it has the power to create or change its own being. The only objects-for-itself are

human beings. Thus you become who you are only when you act. Since, according to Sartre, there

is no fixed ‘human nature’, meaning, or purpose, man has to make his own choices about how to act.

However most of us live reactively, only responding to what happens to us. We act

when it is expected of us or when the situation calls for it. For example,

the employee who simply follows all the orders given to them will never be as authentic of an

employee as the one who takes initiative. So, if you think you are not making much progress in life

or are frustrated by your lack of spirit, it is probably because you see and treat yourself as an

object-in-itself rather than an object-for-itself. Our refusal to act stops us from becoming unique

and free human beings, able to have an impact on our own lives or even the world.

If you want to be unique and make a difference, you should take action

without it being asked or expected of you. This means coming up with your own ideas

and taking initiative. When you do what you feel is right instead of what others tell you to do,

you will grow as a person and be rewarded. Only in this way can we truly become who we

are. We should look beyond the rules and expectations of others, and dare to act.