3. Love, Anxiety, and the Void

At the heart of human existence lies the void—a confrontation with the groundlessness of being. May, building on existentialists like Heidegger and Sartre, explains that love and will are responses to this existential anxiety.

Love affirms connection and meaning in the face of isolation.

Will affirms self-agency in the face of chaos.

However, without grounding in courage and intentionality, both love and will can become corrupted:

Love becomes possessive or avoidant.

Will becomes dominating or repressed.