Nihlism

the prosaic:

I have been for a few years and will be a nihilist for all my life.

No one gives a shit about you, and we're all pretty worthless at the end of the day. We love out of fear, not goodness.

That's what you think?
What if I give a shit about you? Out of goodness.

I love automatically, and humanity is worth something to me.

Nihilism is best viewed when looked at alongside Existentialism, if you ask me.

Nihilism states that there is no meaning, people don't like that and find it depressing, so they go on about and try to or do find a meaning. That's a form of Exstentialism.

On the base of it all, there's Nihilism, then we act Existentialist about it.

Throughout all phillosophies, humans search for life's meaning. 10,000 years of searching should not amount to nothing. People seem to search for a meaning, so maybe we are meant to. If so many people search, there must be something worth searching for.

Golden Tears:

Throughout all phillosophies, humans search for life's meaning. 10,000 years of searching should not amount to nothing. People seem to search for a meaning, so maybe we are meant to. If so many people search, there must be something worth searching for.

But humans see patterns and answers in things that may not be there.

But there is no real point to life. The way I see it is that we are just a cosmic accident that will rectify itself.

Sometimes this is what comforts people the most. Many people yearn to find their place and meaning in life to the point they put a damper on their own moods. If you don't believe there is no reasoning then you are free to follow any path you choose because there is no set path thus eliminating pressure.

However, I tend to believe there is a stronger power that we can not see. I feel this and I have yet to feel differently. That's just me though.

Golden Tears:

Throughout all philosophies, humans search for life's meaning. 10,000 years of searching should not amount to nothing. People seem to search for a meaning, so maybe we are meant to. If so many people search, there must be something worth searching for.

I don't have anything to say to this or elaborate on with this. I just liked your approach and how you explained it all. :)

Felidae Evol:

Sometimes this is what comforts people the most. Many people yearn to find their place and meaning in life to the point they put a damper on their own moods. If you don't believe there is no reasoning then you are free to follow any path you choose because there is no set path thus eliminating pressure.

However, I tend to believe there is a stronger power that we can not see. I feel this and I have yet to feel differently. That's just me though.

I just fail to see the point in the struggle of obtaining what seems to me to be a relative piece of information.

If there is true free will, we have no purpose.

I agree with one of the previous posts. I reckon it attracts too many brownies hounds. I think it's a thing that comes with invicible youths, and there's a lot of pseudo intellectualism that goes with it. It's an easy way to rebel and it looks cool to jump on that particular bus.

I don't think anyone can genuinely enjoy being nilhilistic. To sit and acknowledge the fact that there is no meaning to anything isn't something that you can genuinely find pleasant. It is depressing by it's very nature.

Also, I was having this discussion a few days ago and one of the people I was talking to raised an interesting point: Is Nihilism self defeating? It's a belief that there can be no belief, because there's no meaning. Can that really work? Is that completely wrong? Interesting all the same.

nietzsche.:

I agree with one of the previous posts. I reckon it attracts too many brownies hounds.

Eh?

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I think it's a thing that comes with invincible youths, and there's a lot of pseudo intellectualism that goes with it. It's an easy way to rebel and it looks cool to jump on that particular bus.

That's over-generalizing and rather...cut-thrust. I'm almost offended. I hardly think my "intellectualism" is pseudo or otherwise and I'm weeeeell beyond the rebellious, cool stage.

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I don't think anyone can genuinely enjoy being nihilistic.

Does there have to be joy in knowledge or belief?

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To sit and acknowledge the fact that there is no meaning to anything isn't something that you can genuinely find pleasant. It is depressing by it's very nature.

I find it comforting that all things end and die and fade to nothing; that is pretty much factual. I don't believe in an afterlife and fact is, the human race will kick the bucket. Our world will burn and the universe will freeze. At such point, not even bacteria or viruses will survive and even if they did, I wouldn't have thought viruses would be big fans of James Joyce or Jedward or Einstein. But then, through that end; true and eternal equality is achieved; nothing is an even number, after all.

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Also, I was having this discussion a few days ago and one of the people I was talking to raised an interesting point: Is Nihilism self defeating? It's a belief that there can be no belief, because there's no meaning. Can that really work? Is that completely wrong? Interesting all the same.

Not really...that's an anomaly.

Nihilism is the belief that there is no point in believing anything because there is no point. A small paradox but thus is the suspension of disbelief.

I think you took what I was saying a bit too personally. I wasn't actually directing it at anyone specifically, it's a point of view, that's all. I said that it 'comes with', not that all it's followers fit into that category. It's a feature of it I've noticed from personal experience. Also, I do think it comes with youth. I think you can look ahead at nothingness and not feel daunted because it's a long way off. You've got a lot ahead of you before you get to it, it's less real.

Fair enough if you're comforted by an inevitability of nothingness. I'm just sceptical, because I think it's a bit grim.

An anomaly? I think so, I think actually an out right flaw.

It's a belief that there's no point in believing in anything. That definition defeats itself.

nietzsche.:

I think you took what I was saying a bit too personally. I wasn't actually directing it at anyone specifically, it's a point of view, that's all. Also, I do think it comes with youth. I think you can look ahead at nothingness and not feel daunted because it's a long way off. You've got a lot ahead of you before you get to it, it's less real.

Fair enough if you're comforted by an inevitability of nothingness. I think it's a bit grim.

I know, I was just replying, tis all.

Again, I think you're over-generalising. Youth, like time, is entirely relative. I would suggest that the true "pursuers" of nihilism such as Kierkegaard are adults but one would often say they died young. It is rather relative.

From this point, I can see what is most likely my future (one of many, you understand) and it is from brim to base full of stasis, mundanity, frustration, bills, hope, love, anger, melancholia, mediocrity and tiredness. And that future is causing a present irritation. As such, I do not expect nor wish much deviation from that main nexus since those are the unavoidables of life.

I do not understand why nothingness is a grim thought. It is unavoidable. It's scientific fact that the world and humanity is ultimately doomed. Why fear that? We should embrace that and enjoy and not give a damn about the tiny things. One could suggest that society treats death like Victorian society treated sex.

I'd say everything has flaws. Large ones.

Good. I didn't want anyone to think I was deliberately trying to insult them.

I see your point, but again I'm talking from experience. From conversation and meeting different people of an array of ages, the older ones seem to be less inclined to believe in this conclusion of nothingness.

You might know more about it than me, so excuse me if this is ignorant but, Kierkegaard comes under the nihilist classification? I thought he was staunchly religious.

I myself, am a staunch atheist and so I completely agree with your prediction of the future. I think that's highly likely. I'm actually not anti-religion, I think if you are (religious that is), there's less unpleasant questions that linger. Being an atheist does make that terrible question crop up: What's the point? It's difficult to answer, but I personally don't think Nihilism is the answer. In fact, I think it's a bit of a cop out.

I'm more a fan of Camus actually. He's not strictly a philosopher, more of a novelist I know, but I still quite like his offerings.

nietzsche.:

I see your point, but again I'm talking from experience. From conversation and meeting different people of an array of ages, the older ones seem to be less inclined to believe in this conclusion of nothingness.

I tend not to take anecdotal evidence with much conviction but that's the psychologist in me speaking. In this debate then, perhaps it is more of a thing to consider. However, I think a more sociological testing could prove the age hypothesis right or wrong. Whilst I could see your point, I should think there would be as many from the elder age group would incline towards it as teenagers as i see a lot of similarities between teenagers and OAPs. might be the old people I hang about with, though.

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You might know more about it than me, so excuse me if this is ignorant but, Kierkegaard comes under the nihilist classification? I thought he was staunchly religious.

My mistake. Ignore that. The eternal folly of the hippocampus.

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I myself, am a staunch atheist and so I completely agree with your prediction of the future. I think that's highly likely. I'm actually not anti-religion, I think if you are (religious that is), there's less unpleasant questions that linger. Being an atheist does make that terrible question crop up: What's the point? It's difficult to answer, but I personally don't think Nihilism is the answer. In fact, I think it's a bit of a cop out.

I suppose that whole "cop-out" thing could be seen but then again, if there was any point, surely it would raise the question of why is there a point? Did anyone make the point? If there was any evidence of the human race possibly surviving the end of the universe then, perhaps that is a route to go down. But to consider the meaning of life (42) somewhat dances around the point of pre-destination for me. I don't know.

[quote[I'm more a fan of Camus actually. He's not strictly a philosopher, more of a novelist I know, but I still quite like his offerings.Novelists can be philosophers - Camus is quite existentialist. Kafka is too (I prefer Kafka, personally, compared to Camus.) I am somewhat a semi-Cosmicist but entirely in an Douglas Adams sensibility.

Haha completely fair enough. I'm a bit arty farty with my thought I think. I study philosophy so I tend to just go with a thought and discuss it and explore it's integrity. It does get somewhat wishy washy but I like discussions on big questions.

Aha! This is why I like the Camus line. He's an absurdist, and is in complete agreement with the existence of man being absurd because there isn't a reason or point to it, but then again, he'd say you have to 'make your own point' and I like that. Again, I think it's because I'm 20 years old and haven't lived through much yet. I think I'm a bit cynical about what the futures going to bring, like you are. That's where my line of thought comes from about the age explanation.

Felidae Evol:

I don't have anything to say to this or elaborate on with this. I just liked your approach and how you explained it all. :)

Thanks.

I think nihilistic attitudes are quite depressing. I don't think that not believing in an afterlife means you should treat life as pointless. I don't believe in an afterlife or a God, I believe you should just do the things you love to do and make sure your life is as fulfilling as you wanted it to be.

Doesn't nihilism also enforce that there's no such things as morals? That's something I personally don't get--I mean, I've never met a person who can honestly say they can't tell a generally 'good' desicion from a 'bad' one, regardless of what they choose to act on. That's not to say that there isn't anybody like that, I just find it hard to grasp. Maybe I'm just not understanding that principle of the philosophy.

My thoughts==== Life is as meaningful as you make it.

summer teeth.:

Doesn't nihilism also enforce that there's no such things as morals? That's something I personally don't get--I mean, I've never met a person who can honestly say they can't tell a generally 'good' desicion from a 'bad' one, regardless of what they choose to act on. That's not to say that there isn't anybody like that, I just find it hard to grasp. Maybe I'm just not understanding that principle of the philosophy.

I think what it means is that there are no such things as morals because what are morals but something we as a collective society have created?

^...a collective society which will cease to exist and no records of which will even exist? Is that what you mean?

First hearing about Nihilism, I'd considered it confusing, then depressing. But I listen to / have an interest in punk music and subculture from the 70's and then I looked at it from that angle; I do identify with / feel i better understand the ideas of there being no point and nothing real to believe in, in the end, now. And that doesn't have to be depressing, because it doesn't have to be anything, i think that's sort of the point. It just... is. It's like we happen to exist, but there's no point in believing it's for some sort of higher purpose or for any kind of afterlife. It's interesting. It's like just... living life for life's sake. I don't think i explained my own understanding of it very well...

I still certainly wouldn't describe myself as a Nihilist, I'm still making my mind up on a lot of things. But I think I understand why people would be.