KT

I don't know, according to dictionary.com I think existentialism is the correct term for us. That's a side-thread over a relatively minor point though, in my opinion.

I used to really like our little group's "moral compass," where we would basically bounce ideas and theories off each other and kind of "groupthink" our way to a system of norms and values. But now that our little group has dispersed, broken down, and changed, I wonder if that system is outdated. Intentionally rhetorical question: can a small cultural system survive when the members become dispersed and begin to affect, and be affected by, "outsiders" who never agreed to be bound by the group's conclusions? (No).

The follow-up to that thought is this: If a system will become outdated in such a short period of time, should it be a viable system at all? Assuming, in arguendo, that it should not be considered viable because it did become outdated in a short period of time, then what system should be used in its place? A natural substitute might be the system of norms and values that the larger sphere of society uses, which would introduce all sorts of concepts that we basically rejected: cosmetic surgery, money > personal happiness, conformity, etc.

The conclusion would then be that we may have been traveling down the wrong road, using the wrong map, for decades now.

On a personal level, I really can't wait to be old (50, 60, etc.). I'm getting really tired of dating, dealing with people I don't like, not owning my own property, not being settled and sure of myself, etc.