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Angst is fear or anxiety, originally used by Soren Kierkegaard to express the human condition of despair. In existentialism, it’s the struggle between self and others. Adolescents often experience angst, expressed through gothic music and fashion. Anguish is also seen in literature and superhero characters. It’s important to watch for signs of distress that could lead to emotional disorders or depression.
Angst in its simplest sense means fear or anxiety. The word comes from the Nordic and Germanic languages. The Danish philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard used the term to express the human condition which, according to him, was filled with despair. This definition of anxiety was an integral part of the term used by the existentialists.
In existentialism, angst is the struggle between the needs of the self and the requirements of others, as well as spiritual requirements. Such was the fate of Odysseus trapped between Scylla and Charybdis, or “a rock and a hammer” as it is more commonly expressed. Serving oneself conflicts with serving humanity, and therefore creates anguish.
A modern usage of the term is applied descriptively to adolescents. The process of becoming an adult, and sometimes being frustrated with authority, seems to be first felt at this age. Also, changing hormones often lead teenagers to distress. They seem a little tired of the world ahead of time and are immersed in an emotional conflict. The despair that can accompany the adolescent state, often expressed in popular music among adolescents, is the anguish of the adolescent soul.
Indeed, the Gothic music movement, first popularized by bands like The Cure in the 1980s, is an outward expression of inner angst. The pale white face and dyed black hair make those who dress gothic look dead. These are simply the outward trappings of the conflicted soul. For many teenagers and young adults this costume seems like an appropriate way to show the world that they are conflicted.
Yet most teenagers are not “Goth” and can still experience heartache. In fact, the state has been around long before modern teenagers were labeled with the term. Romantic writers in particular often wrote out of a sense of deep emotional conflict. This is particularly the case with Byron.
It’s also impossible to look at the work of Charlotte and Emily Bronte without discussing angst. The sufferings of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, or the taciturn tolerance of Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre, are both examples of characters whose lives are guided by angst. The outward expression of this feeling is often fictionalized. Actually both Charlotte and Emily Bronte were quite young writers, and they went with joy at the dramatic and grand gesture; just like a teenage goth or rock band might today.
While some wish to publicize their anguish, other characters in contemporary artwork suffer in silence. Superheroes in particular are often conflicted characters who have to hide who they really are. They often have to put the needs of the world above their private needs to fulfill their sacred duties.
In any of its forms, anguish is the spiritual and emotional suffering caused by confusion about the world. It’s important to watch carefully those who put their feelings up their sleeve because, unfortunately, in some people, distress means a profound emotional disorder or clinical depression, which could evolve into self-destructive behaviors.
