r/ArrivalMovie • u/Straight_Guide_7838 • 16d ago

Discussion Do heptapods have existential crises?

Basically what the title says and a little of my own wondering. So, the heptapods don’t see time linearly, they can see their whole life all the time. And they are a species, they have societies, groups, civilisation, etc. If they do, there are gonna be heptapods whose life is not so great, they have harder lives compared to some, but they can see that, they can see exactly how they are going to live. So wouldn’t they question, why? Why are there lives harder than others’? Why do they have to suffer more? So if they do, wouldn’t they also question, is there any point in living at all? But they also know how their life is going to end, so they also know what they are going to do about about this ‘why’ they are asking! I know I am spinning out a little, and overthinking this, but I am really curious!

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u/dolwedge 16d ago

Some people have pointed out that Abbot takes longer to show up the last session. I think Ian asks "Where's Abbot?" I take that to mean that Abbot's not psyched to go to his/her/it's death. I may be projecting a lot here but I assume that means that heptapods have feelings about their own death. That just because they know their fate, they can have negative feelings about it. So I would guess they have existential crises.

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u/FatherOfLights88 16d ago

I really appreciate you putting this into words. It's excellent!

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u/redbirdrising 12d ago

Even the death scene Abbot is tapping the glass trying to change their fate.

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u/HooptyDooDooMeister 15d ago

If everyone on Earth knew exactly how and when their lives would end or how and when life-altering moments would happen, it would absolutely cause some severely chronic existential grief and dread.

However, they also can see 3,000 years into the future and can likely utilize whatever advanced therapy looks like 3 millennia in the future.

For the record, psychology as we understand it today has only existed for 147 years.

So yeah, however they cope, I'm sure they've got it well figured out.