“I forget what color eyes he’s got,” the old man would say, irked. “What difference does the color make when I know the look? I know what’s behind it.”
“What’s behind it?”
“Nothing. He’s full of nothing.”
In this piercing exchange, an old man laments the emptiness he perceives in another—a hollowness born of hubris, of reducing others to objects of control and analysis. It was written by Flannery O’Connor in her novel The Violent Bear It Away (1955).
The story is more than an anecdote: It is a theological and philosophical critique of modernity’s failures: its obsession with control, its data-driven worldview, and its denial of the sacred depth of human existence. But moreover, it is an indictment of the nihilism inherent in modern life, a nihilism that cannot be rationalized away by adopting a Buddhist attitude. If early 20th century existentialism was a revolt against the coming leveling of societies through technology, then we can read it both as a diagnosis of and an antidote to these ills: the loss of respect for the dignity, and indeed sacredness, of human life.
The story behind the quote is rooted in the clash between two worldviews: one that seeks to control and quantify existence through rational mastery and another that sees the irreducible mystery of the human person. This tension resonates deeply with the themes of existentialism. It captures a rebellion against reductionism and deterministic views of humanity. Existentialist thinkers from Kierkegaard to Heidegger have argued that modern society’s obsession with control erodes authentic human freedom, leaving individuals alienated and hollow. Through this lens, the “nothingness” described by the old man represents a life devoid of depth—a being consumed by roles and systems, disconnected from the freedom and grace that make existence meaningful.
The Problem of Modern Emptiness
At the heart of existentialism is a rebellion against the dehumanizing forces of modernity. Human beings, it argues, are not things to be measured, categorized, or manipulated. Yet, modern life often reduces people to objects—functionaries in systems or mere data points to be analyzed. As the old man laments, such hubris leads to “nothing.” It creates individuals who, in their quest for mastery, strip themselves of the very mystery and freedom that define their humanity.
This critique echoes the existentialist rejection of “bad faith,” a concept popularized by Jean-Paul Sartre. Bad faith occurs when individuals deny their freedom by retreating into fixed roles or identities, allowing external systems—be they societal norms or scientific methods—to dictate their choices. In doing so, they lose touch with the responsibility and anxiety that come with being truly free. The old man’s frustration captures this dynamic perfectly: the person he describes has replaced depth with a mechanistic approach to life, mistaking knowledge for understanding and control for wisdom.
Confronting the Absurd: Grace Amid the Grotesque
The emptiness of modern man is not only a philosophical critique but also a literary theme vividly explored by Flannery O’Connor. In her short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” a grandmother’s encounter with a nihilistic killer, the Misfit, serves as a chilling exploration of existential themes. The grandmother, who spends most of the story cloaked in superficial moralism, faces a moment of raw clarity when confronted with her mortality. Her final gesture—a reach toward the Misfit as “one of her own children”—reflects the existential leap of faith, a moment of grace that transcends her former pettiness and self-delusion.
The Misfit himself embodies the existential struggle with meaning in a chaotic world. Declaring that “Jesus threw everything off balance,” he confronts the absurdity of existence head-on. For him, life offers no inherent meaning, only the freedom to create it. Yet, unlike the grandmother, he cannot embrace grace. His nihilism mirrors the despair described by Albert Camus, who argued that the human condition is marked by an unbridgeable gap between our desire for meaning and the indifferent universe we inhabit. The Misfit’s refusal to move beyond despair leaves him trapped in a void, embodying the “nothingness” lamented by the old man in the earlier quote.
The Call to Authenticity
If existentialism critiques the hollowness of modern life, it also offers a path toward authenticity. This path begins with recognizing the tension between facticity—the givens of our existence—and transcendence, manifesting as the freedom to shape our future. As Sartre famously said, “Man is condemned to be free.” This freedom is both a burden and a gift, forcing individuals to confront their responsibility for who they are and what they do.
In O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own,“ the drifter Tom Shiftlet exemplifies the struggle for authenticity. A man of contradictions, Shiftlet speaks of redemption but lives in moral ambiguity, exploiting those around him for his gain. His existential isolation reflects the same emptiness seen in the old man’s critique of Rayber: an inability to transcend selfishness and embrace authentic connection. Yet, O’Connor’s open-ended conclusion leaves room for grace, suggesting that even the most alienated souls are not beyond redemption.
Grace as the Antidote to Emptiness?
What distinguishes existentialism in its theological forms from its secular counterparts is its insistence that freedom is not an end in itself but a means to a greater relationship—with others, with the world, and with the divine. Secular existentialists like Sartre and Camus describe freedom as a lonely burden, while thinkers influenced by faith see it as an invitation to grace. Authentic existence, in this view, is not something achieved alone but something received in dialogue with the sacred. In the words of Thomas Merton: “Man is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be lived.” The task of existentialism today, then, is to reclaim the freedom to be—not as isolated individuals but as persons in relationship, open to the infinite possibilities of love and grace. “A man cannot be understood as a thing among other things. He is a presence. He is freedom and love—or he is nothing at all.” (Thomas Merton, Mystics and Zen Masters.)
The quote about the old man’s recognition of “nothingness” speaks to this tension. The emptiness he perceives is not inevitable; it is the result of a life disconnected from its relational core. To be human is not merely to exist but to exist in relationship—with one’s neighbors, with the world, and with the mystery of being itself. Grace, then, is the transformative power that redeems freedom from despair, offering a path from alienation to authenticity.
The Existential Moment: A Shot in the Dark
The starkest moments of existential clarity often come in the face of death. Whether it is the Misfit’s confrontation with the grandmother, the old man’s critique of Rayber, or the symbolic gunshot that forces a decision between life and destruction, these moments strip away illusions and expose the raw reality of freedom. Such moments are not comfortable, but they are necessary. They remind us that existence will always be dynamic, ultimately not as we wish it to be, but subjected to the forces of unforeseeable events.
Existentialism, at its core, challenges us to live authentically in the face of this uncertainty. It rejects the hollow comforts of modernity and calls us to embrace the freedom—and responsibility—of being human. And while the path to authenticity is fraught with anxiety and doubt, it is also where we find grace, meaning, and the courage to be.
Sources:
- Merton, Thomas. Mystics and Zen Masters. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1967. A foundational text discussing existentialism, Christian theology, and the intersection of mysticism and modern thought.
- O’Connor, Flannery. A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories. Harcourt, 1955. A collection of Southern Gothic stories exploring themes of grace, redemption, and existential crises.
- O’Connor, Flannery. Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose. Edited by Sally and Robert Fitzgerald, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1969. A collection of essays reflecting O’Connor’s views on writing, faith, and the human condition.
- Sartre, Jean-Paul. Being and Nothingness: A Phenomenological Essay on Ontology. Translated by Hazel E. Barnes, Washington Square Press, 1956. A seminal work on existentialist philosophy, examining freedom, responsibility, and bad faith.
- Kierkegaard, Søren. Fear and Trembling. Translated by Walter Lowrie, Princeton University Press, 1941. A philosophical exploration of faith, freedom, and the ethical life, central to Christian existentialism.
- Heidegger, Martin. Being and Time. Translated by John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson, Harper & Row, 1962. A foundational text in existentialist philosophy, emphasizing the concept of Dasein and authentic existence.
- Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Gay Science. Edited by Bernard Williams, translated by Josefine Nauckhoff and Adrian Del Caro, Cambridge University Press, 2001. Contains Nietzsche’s provocative ideas on the “death of God” and the existential challenge of creating meaning.
- Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus. Translated by Justin O’Brien, Vintage International, 1991. A philosophical essay on the absurd and the human struggle for meaning.