Jean-Paul Sartre is a favorite existentialist thinker. He introduced the concept of “bad faith.” This concept attempts to explain how individuals often deceive themselves and avoid taking full responsibility for their freedom.
What is Bad Faith?
At its core, the concept of bad faith represents a form of self-deception. It occurs when people disown their freedom, responsibility and the existential choices they make. Instead they adopt fixed roles and conform to the expectations of their society, believing that their actions are determined by external factors.
Key Aspects of Sartre’s View on Bad Faith
Denial of Freedom: People in bad faith deny their radical freedom–the power to choose and shape their existence. They act as if their actions are dictated by external circumstances, avoiding the anxiety and responsibility that comes with recognizing the extent of their actual freedom.
Role Playing: Bad faith often involves adopting predefined roles or identities. People don acceptable roles to meld into societal norms. For example, one might take the role of a loyal employee, an adoring spouse or a concerned citizen; without genuinely considering the authenticity of what they are choosing. They pretend, based on what they believe is expected of them.
Inauthenticity: Those in bad faith live inauthentically. They fail to uncover their true selves and discover their capacity for autonomous decision-making. This leads to a sense of emptiness and a lack of personal fulfillment.
An Example of Acting in Bad Faith
A person may stay in a job that is not fulfilling, believing they have no choice due to external factors (such as financial constraints, skill set challenges, etc). The stay in the job, feeling helpless, avoiding their responsibility of seeking a more satisfying career.
Consequences
Allowing bad faith into your life can have complex consequences. It limits personal growth, leads to inner conflict and prevents people from creating genuine and meaningful relationships.
Sartre cautions his reader against living a life according to external expectations, rather than one shaped by authentic, self-determined choices.
Sartre advice boiled down:
Make genuine choices. Recognize your freedom to always choose your actions.