Health · Mental Health · 2 days ago
Why One Psychologist Says We Should Learn From Anxiety
Anxiety is something everyone can experience, though its causes and effects differ.
The article says paying attention to anxiety can help people learn about themselves.
It points to Søren Kierkegaard and Rollo May, who wrote about anxiety after facing hardships of their own.
Their lives show that anxiety can be difficult without preventing people from doing meaningful work.
Psychology Today’s article argues that people should learn to understand and engage with anxiety rather than simply avoid it.
The article presents anxiety as a universal part of human existence, while noting that its sources and symptoms differ between people.
It draws on philosopher Søren Kierkegaard’s view of anxiety as a teacher and psychotherapist Rollo May’s argument that avoiding anxiety can prevent personal growth.
Kierkegaard wrote about anxiety in works including Fear and Trembling (1843) and The Concept of Anxiety (1844).
May’s experience with anxiety, including a serious illness in mid-life, informed his work The Meaning of Anxiety (1950).
- Who
- Søren Kierkegaard, Rollo May, and people dealing with anxiety
- What
- An article arguing that people should learn to understand and engage with anxiety
- When
- Published October 9, 2026
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- The article says engaging with anxiety can create opportunities for self-understanding and growth
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Whoever has learned to be anxious in the right way has learned the ultimate.
In running from anxiety, you lose your most precious opportunities for the emergence of yourself.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Article publication date
- October 9, 2026
- Kierkegaard's works on anxiety
- Fear and Trembling (1843) and The Concept of Anxiety (1844)
- May's book
- The Meaning of Anxiety (1950)
- May's time in a sanatorium
- 18 months
Sources
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