Fainting in Fear, Wailing in Grief

The chapter's central question

Losing consciousness from extreme fear does not physically eliminate the danger, but in a way that no longer retains the danger as an object of consciousness. The helplessness of deep grief halts many of the actions required by a world in which a loved one has disappeared. The body is not just a result, but participates in emotional performances that change our relationships in the world.

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So how can we explain the phenomenon of people fainting in the face of extreme fear?

Sartre's insight is that fainting is also 'an extreme magic that consciousness casts on the world.' A robber with a gun appears in front of you, but you have no place to run and no weapon. In a desperate moment when there is 0% chance of solving the problem through instrumental action, consciousness uses its final magic. This is ‘turning off one’s consciousness (passing out)’!

By fainting, the gun-wielding robber instantly disappears from my subjective world. The same goes for locking yourself in a room and crying out of sadness and depression. It is an unconscious magic strike that says, 'I cannot handle all the duties and tasks the world demands of me, so I will become a sick and sad person and temporarily suspend my contract with the world.'

Context and nuance

Sartre's Outline of the Theory of Emotions is an early work that heralds phenomenological psychology rather than a completed emotional psychology. Rather than seeing emotions as passive internal states, we see them as a way in which consciousness changes the meaning of the world and the possibilities for action in blocked situations.

This explanation should not be read teleologically and misunderstood as a person calculating the effects and then choosing to faint or wail. The direction of consciousness is broader than a considered plan. Emotions may be spontaneous, but they are not random, and once they begin, they capture us along with our body's beliefs.

Do not oversimplify it this way

Saying that emotions ‘magically’ change the world does not mean that all emotions are intentionally selected or postponed. Emotions engage the entire body and actually capture our consciousness. Using this perspective to accuse ‘you chose to be depressed’ distorts existentialism, which speaks of the complex relationship between freedom and circumstances.

Philosophy in life

When you fail at something, have you ever suddenly become cynical or extremely irritated, saying, "It was no use trying anyway?"

Checking the Sour Grapes Syndrome: Reflect on whether you are belittling dreams you have not achieved or things you do not have.

Primary-source guide

Primary guide: Sketch for a Theory of the Emotions, especially the critique of classical theories and the phenomenological account.

Pathos Editorial · Reviewed 2026-09-12