Become a Supporting Member and get access to exclusive videos: academyofideas.com/members/ ========= Recommended Books on Nihilism: Laughing at Nihilism - amzn.to/2d6Q43L (affiliate link) The Specter of the Absurd - amzn.to/2cv6a6i (affiliate link) ========= Get the transcript here: academyofideas.com/2012/08/introduction-to-nihilism/
Metaphorically speaking, we spent the last 13.7 billion years there. The great void, the negation of self-awareness, the absolute equilibrium... No agony, no suffering, just is :)
The Department of Education should be replaced by automation and given early retirement packages. The return on investment is HUGE, but Congress enables the absurdity of capitalism and currency itself... again.
Nihilism isn't all that depressing to me really. It's really just a fundamental fact of the universe, like being depressed about gravity or the speed of light. There's no fixing it, and it's kind of freeing to know that in the end the only thing that will be left is entropy, no matter what anyone does.
joe jarden Read on evolution. There is nothing but chemicals reacting and mixing eventually resulting in change in generations over long periods of time. There is no logical need for a purpose in evolution. In fact on the level of chemistry and genetics speaking of purpose does not make sense.
The Addiction 2 Assuming that there wont be another beginning after the end.... Its true that all life has a ending, but the things that makes life will still be there... And since it will still be there, there is possibility for new life to come.
+joe jarden there is no reason to why we are here or things happen its just chance. personally i think its just kind of a cosmic joke that we are here and we exist at all.
There is a point which is you stimulating your urges and therefore temporarily suppressing the realization that you are slowly dying in a world that does not care about you, but who cares about that part when you can be perpetually drunk for your probably short life.
@Dylan [Smith] - i love systems and understanding the relationships between things, i find it meaningful to learn them, build them, and manipulate them.
@Dylan [Smith] - that doesn't tell me why loving and delegating meaning onto systems is wrong. I'm not sure you are making any sense at all to be honest.
like I care about my family; even though one day they/we will all die and there's no actual point in living but we do it anyway because there's no point in not living at the same time?
I had an epiphany not too long ago. I figured out the meaning of life! The meaning of life is to experience it! So it doesn't matter how long or short it it is. It doesn't matter what you accomplish. Take comfort in the fact that you got to be alive!
Could you imagine a person who repeatedly passes on into another life…yet every single time they’re IN their current life they’re depressed at the notion that there’s no meaning because once they die there’s nothing else??
Why would it be depressing if life has no meaning or purpose? I don't find Nihilism depressing at all. Nothing really matters, so why be stressed, unhappy, or angry about anything? Why not just do what you feel is right and have a happy life by making yourself as comfortable as possible? Why not do what you like even if it's seen as weird or unusual? Why get embarrassed about anything when nothing matters? Just take life as it comes and live a carefree life.
well said man i think that everyone should be told this throughout their childhood and it would create a world where everything was simply better if you understand
brownshoeT2 - I see what you mean, but because this question needs an answer, I feel...even though it may be rhetorical... Like, if one person holds a newborn baby and think, "Aww how cute, it'll grow it big and do things in the world." And someone else thinks, "Yep, a baby...gonna' die like all of us at some point." If you say that out loud, someone is likely to slap you, because of how they understand the world and the way your thoughts and their thought are dissonant. But again, you're question may have been entirely rhetorical, and I'm damn bored.
brownshoeT2 Happiness ain’t real if you’re an actual nihilist, believe that everything is meaningless and pointless, so why seek comfort? You’re thinking about it more optimistically rather than realistically. A nihilist can try to do something to find joy but can’t find it because of the reality of the situation they are constantly aware of. There isn’t any benefits to being a nihilist except when dumbing down the self awareness through unconventional means for brief lack of presence... Also, nihilists aren’t all depressed they just don’t feel anything because nothing has any real meaning.
Levi X exactly. You fall out of nihilism the moment you find happiness. Nihilism is like living your life in checkmate. Every move you make has no real outcome. That’s why it’s so close to depression
That's a rather tragic outlook. It's the promise of a future that bills societies. Resigning yourself to the futility of life is dancing on your grave.
+Bloody_9ine I think that the fact that he is posting that is a contradiction. Watching videos doesn't mean anything, you either watch the video, or you don't. The reason you watch the video doesn't matter, and it effects nothing.
+gumunderdesk Exactly. Saying actual nihilists wouldn't do something is a contradiction because it's a broad term. It's the same as saying a true nihilist would not breathe because there is no meaning to breathing.
People don't understand nihilism, even when they know what it is as this man obviously does. You only understand what nihilism really is, if you have a creative mind. It's not a simple thing, people tend to think that nihilists are sulky and disconnected/care free. That isn't the case at all, true nihilists are much wiser than your average person, they may enjoy learning, or reading, whatever; what makes them a nihilist, is their understanding that what they do will not matter in the end. It's a very hard thing to explain, but I would call it a state of mind more than anything esle.
I used to search for the meaning of life, or something worth living for. Now im older I realise there is nothing. I Have my family and friends, possessions and things I care about. But I will die, whether I want to or not.
Shit you're going to die!? Lol I'm just kidding. I agree with you that sometimes the most simple things are the most meaningful and therefore not so simple. In a life that's essentially over in a blink of an eye it's nice to have feel loved and what more could you ask for?
For a great overview of nihilism I would recommend The Specter of the Absurd by Donald Crosby. You can find most of Nietzsche's ideas about nihilism in The Will to Power, which is a collection of his notes. Also there are a few sections in Robert Solomon's book From Hegel to Existentialism which offer some great discussions on nihilism.
I don't really understand some peoples view of nihilism. They say knowing nothing matters makes them feel less burdened and gives them energy to create something that does matter. For me I'm apathetic, nihilistic and depressed so I don't see the point in doing something if it doesn't matter anyway, to me that view point is almost a contradiction. Reason I haven't killed myself is plain human instinct encoded in me and possibly curiosity to observe what will happen. Honestly I can't even have relationships of any kind then what I have already established because it just isn't worth the effort, I'm just so numb all the time.
macccerkiddd Even if you feel that life has no meaning, wouldn’t you want to make the life you’re living right now meaningful? Idk if that makes sense, but as a nihilist myself, I rather do the things that I love while I have the chance to do them, and when I die hopefully I’ll have memories of my life forever.
very finan Hey stranger 👋🏽 thanks for telling me something I already know. Like I said, I know that life has no meaning. Knowing that life has no meaning, I want to do the things that I enjoy while I’m still here. And I’m not telling anybody how to “act” as an nihilist. This is just my way of dealing with not understanding life. Its not the same for all nihilists. And I would appreciate if we can just leave it at that.
Nihilism, like anything else, can be viewed from many perspectives. it always looks a little different depending on where one themselves stand. It doesn't have to be depressing, or even pessimistic. But it can shatter peoples selves since if you stand on something that is suddenly taken away from you, you fall, until you grasp a hold of something else.
You cannot accept the fact that you are an object and be ok with it, and if you are, then you are just lying to yourself and avoiding the truth out of weakness. I'm not a nihilist, but if I were, I would have a similar oppinion to Theognis. 8:27
MarcianusImperator How the hell does accepting yourself for what you are have anything to do with lying to yourself? Only because you do not mind being a brick, it does not mean that you are trying to convince yourself to be something else but a brick, right? So, how come that you made the conclusion that one is lying to oneself if one is accepting what one is without being the least bothered by it?
I have studied nihilistic philosophy, but I'm more of an absurdist. The middle ground between existentialism and nihilism. We cannot live without meaning, yet we are incapable of determining the meaning in the sad reality that surrounds us.
Nihilistic philosophy is an oxymoron. Nihilists don’t believe in anything. You cannot believe in nihilism by definition. Nihilism is basically the pursuit of nothing. A person with no ambition, goals or purpose in life, who’s afraid of seeking a meaningful life due to the fear of losing the comfort of a mediocre life. Because everything meaningful in life requires risk, pain and discipline, and a nihilist is too much of a coward to do something. Basically 85% of the people are nihilistic. That’s why Nietzsche thought that we’re heading towards nihilism. Most people a round just want to have a mediocre job and a boring life, despite the lack of fulfillment it provides.
@@comicsans3845 You've summed it up quite nicely. That's why I want to choose a job where I find pleasure and happiness in it. It doesn't matter whether it pays a lot or not. I know it'll be worth it for me since I desire unity of the world. This job makes it easier. I feel there is no point of doing anything at all, but at the very least, I want to die living in a world that holds more solace than it does later on. I want to provide the most amount of solace as I possibly can to this world. One of the fastest ways to get there is unity. Of course, there is no absolute unity. I'm a bit of a relativist and an absolutist. So I want to create as much worldwide unity as I possibly can. Perhaps I'm delusional, but I'm not going to sit here and watch people suicide and suffer in disorientation. They should at least hear my words of inspiration before they do anything rash.
Thanks for the input. These lectures are something I just started doing, so I'm still working on speaking at the optimal pace. It would also help if TH-cam increased my time limit above 15 minutes:)
@@brojuiceunderfoot5765 That means you got a problem. Being nihilistic doesn't include being depressed. In fact, most of us being nihilistic here aren't even depressed. We know we'll all die so we try to make the most of it all.
There is no meaning of life. There is no good and bad. Those are just labels created by human beings to stick on things they view with their morals. We're not here for a reason. However it just so happens that we are here, so I believe why not make the best of it?
I once asked my classmates what was the meaning of life. They answered me fine but it didn't satisfy me. I wanted something more. I found out that I was searching for nothing. I felt like life really has no real 'purpose'. And I thought I was just being pessimistic. Never knew there would be a name for that.
+Dan Le Feuvre In my opinion, existential nihilism is the only logical way to view our existence. But I guess that doesn't necessarily mean that we can't enjoy life whilst we have it. I mean, I don't personally, but there is nothing to stop anyone from 'making the most of it'.
There is one biological meaning to your life, i.e to reproduce and make fertile progeny. But if you zoom out and try to find intrinsic purpose of continuation of our species then even that becomes meaningless.
the meaningless is not depressing, it's liberating ... we are the masters of our own destiny... I guess that's more along the lines of active nihilism but without the desire to rip down the foundations of the illusion our societies are built upon.
Many people, including myself, would rather be delusional and happy. A famous saying goes something like "the more we understand the universe, the more pointless it seems."
oh I'm not suggesting denial or delusion, I'm saying the reality is liberating, order is and society is what we make of it and there is no restraints other than those we impose on ourselves. Pointless.... I disagree. creating order and society from nothing is a project of curiosity. How long can we sustain it? What's the most efficient way? What is the most just way? What do we do when nothing matters? we entertain ourselves. When purpose is absent, the performance begins. How grander a part in this earthly game is up to us.
Andrak Heriot What we do does matter. Stop being so one dimensional. Would you say that Hitler's life was pointless and uneventful? No. Everyone's life does matter. Some people's life purposes is to be a leader, other's is to be a follower. And nihilists are outcasts.
Ha, I'm saying we make our own purpose. Survival on an individual level doesn't require civilization, society is a human project of long term curiosity and like any science project it needs a certain level of order to be maintained. People aren't born with a purpose we make our own. Hitler chose his path of tyrannical social nationalism and to ally up with others with similar world conquering views, he was not born to fulfil this purpose he made it his own and his environment led him to this conclusion. I note you are a Sanders supporter, Socialism on a theoretical level has some nice elements but taken to it's conclusion you get Hitler (people like to forget the Nazis were Socialists), Mussolini, China's Peasant class. People make decisions and take action without comprehending the consequences. Hitler rode on the coat tails of people whom believed in a greater purpose and the destruction of individualism. Civilization is a curio of humans, puzzling how to make our kin and descendent prosper and survive. We make our own purpose and choose our own path, Nihilism can help realise this simple truth.
Andrak Heriot You clearly don't know what democratic socialism is. To make it quick, the world's happiest countries are in Europe and are socialists. Btw, stalin wa authoritarianism, and hitler was a fascist.
The idea that life is meaningless is the most beautiful type of philosophy to me, why is it that humans value freedom amongst each other but when they come to realize that their life is meaningless they get depressed? If life is truly meaningless then what is stopping you from doing what you choose? A life in which you are governed by the rules is the hypothetical equivalent of being in chains, bound to be nothing more than you were made to be. Yet, many people find happiness in a the idea of a life in which you are judged by an omnipotent being, I say live your life according to your own values and ethics (übermensch), make your own decisions, and reach your own conclusions about life. I have a saying "The meaning of life is to find a meaning in life" I use it to remind myself that I am in fact free, I can choose who I am and who I want to be. I've read thus spoke Zarathustra by Nietzsche there is a quote near the bottom on page 40 it reads: You look up when you wish to be exalted, I look down because I am already exalted." (I am recalling that from memory so if it isn't accurate I apologize) the point is that once you stop looking upwards (to a god) in a time of need make it happen yourself. A life of existential nihilism is a life of freedom, it should not be sad. Revel in your freedom, for it allows you to choose your purpose.
Ahh. I understand both arguments, about wether or not life is meaningless. But whether or not it matters to be alive, your'e already alive so you might as well do things that make you happy and things that make others. Maybe that's the meaning of life? To do and feel good.
Well its the least we can do. Self prrservation says i have to whatever it take to remain alive as long as i have it. But i was just begging the question. If we really had a choicr from the very beggining would we really choose to live. And why? It useless. You create and aquire stuff you pass exams you pursue degrees for what. Thats why im not happy until i get what i want without compromise. Because if i have to go through all of this nonesense then let me get what a want.
+Dash of awesome by the world you mean people of this world not the actual physical world. why not kill myself??? well i cant at least not consciously. my mind is programme for self preservation. so even though that all life is meaningless i cant help but participate. the only point is if I have to live then i want what i want. But i wish i could fall into some deep sleep and dont wake up. sometimes i wish i could go days without this compulsion to eat. i dont even sleep at nights. i havent for ten years now. only during the day till its work time. money dont really satisfy me but i have to get. everything that their is is not really a choice but a compulsion.
+Dash of awesome caring for things is a learnt behaviour which hinges on the body's biological need to perpetuate itself. biologically my body is keeping me alive, but like i said although i understand to be that way, logically, has no more meaning than we imagine it to be. Our lives are only possible because of the interconnection with each other. we essentially need each other to survive and therefore my life has meaning to others as they are to me. But Im offerring the position that if many in this world had prior knowledge and a choice to determine if we should be born, many wouldnt choose life. I wouldnt. whats the point. Thats my argument. so all im left to do is just live it out and when its over. then that will be that. the end.
I occasionally want to discuss this type of thing with others, Which it’s hard to find someone who wants to have a serious conversation about it because no one seems to be willing to accept the possibility that they aren’t special. Some people have large egos that I don’t understand, Eventually you will die, Eventually your loved ones will die, Eventually you will be forgotten. You will never finish every thing possible and I find that comforting because that means that no matter what I do it will eventually be erased so as long as I’m happy then I’m okay. I won’t be breaking laws of course, I wouldn’t be happy panicking. But I would be happy indulging in my hobbies and learning about history and such. So why do people find that concept so impossible?
The Wolf525 Because they have hope. The moment that all hope is lost. The End will lay out its hand with a grim smile. No one will care until extinction arrives, but by then, I will simply laugh in amusement. Then again, Nihilism is different to everyone, and I know it as the End itself of which I covet. (Nihilism only acts as a stop sign. When one exceeds it, then they will know truth. Do not linger too long in the Abyss.)
@@randommodnar7141 Nihilists are the polar opposite of snowflakes, snowflakes think they matter and are special. Like, wtf are you even talking about lol.
i'm not him. but as a person who is also a nihilist i can give you my take on the matter. if you want it. essentially i say "ok, life has no objective meaning. fine. but it can still mean something to me." so i personally really value being informed and thoughtful about public policy. so thats part of the meaning of life for me. its not objective. not doing so would not be wrong in any objective sense - only a crime against my own preferences; so no crime at all.
All life is meaningless, but we evolved to believe that there's some greater purpose to life and that there is some beauty in life where there is none. I've found that the meaning of it is to accept and grieve for your death long before it happens so you can be ready for it when it does, if that's possible, which it probably isn't.
HappyGreenBean _ I just said that because it's funny how he said that the purpose of life was to accept your death so you can be ready when it happens, but its not like you could ever not be ready for it, it's not like you know when it happens haha
meaning is the end result of human endeavor, nihilism is at the beginning, the first boundary that dances around the void. Nihilism signal the end of potential of a old system and the possibility of new beginning.
@@catherineblair550 you're the same dancing and singing organic sh*t like everyone else! also: It's only after you've lost everything that you're free to do anything. say it to myself every day and just realized after months of trying to find meaning that life has no meaning
There is no "meaning" to life - just enjoy it. You're lucky enough to experience it. Sometimes its tough, thats just the way it is, get over it. Its better than being a goldfish stuck in a bowl, or an animal constantly alert to predators. Consiousness is a precious gift (not in a theistic manner). Enjoy it
Tōyomi what do you mean by how so? if someone go kill a 12 year old conscious human being what's the purpose of that 12 year old enjoying his life or say I put a bullet in your head , you won't even get the time to realize whether you enjoyed your life or not.
I interpret nihilism in the way that nothing has inherent value and that you give it that value. Not that its meaning less but that you fill the void of what ever it is with meaning. Speaking in the contexts of living your life. The big picture we are bi products of evolution and can fathom our own existence to meaningless. But really our meaning is to reproduce and carry our genes on, Even outside of this in a planetary context thats meaningless. Im a pretty shy guy my self and i find nihilism helps me get out of my bubble every time I'm afraid to speak my mind. I think back to nihilism. and it reassures me that i create my own path and I in a sense can do what ever the fuck i wanna do.
I see a lot of nihilists in the comments talking about how religion is so so dumb and ignorant but so what? Why does it matter? If it makes the person who believes it happy and comforted than who am I to judge or dictate whether it is right or not, I suppose as long as they're not hurting anyone then who cares. They find a home in it but I don't and that's okay because in the end guess I don't believe anything matters in the end so if for now people are content then everything's fine.
@@MM-nx8dt yes, but a true nihillist wouldnt bw bothered by the way other people live their life, life is too short to care about those things. I believe that life has no ultimate and objective meaning and im ok with that, other people are not ok with that so they turn into religion, there is nothing wrong there, it become problematic when they're fighting over a god which is really dumb because a god essentially is just an idea, a concept, a theory of the answer to the meaningless world yet people fight over who has the better ideas and concept of those things.
@@comradezvezda No true Scotsman. Just because one nihilist sees no value does not mean that they can't feel concern. Also, ideas and concepts mean nothing. They are useless to be critical of and are also useless to support in the first place.
I clicked on this video to find out what people believe when they don't have God in their lives. reading the comment section has strengthened my faith in God and i'm blessed to know my life has meaning. Lots of comments sound miserable, hopeless even depressing. I wish people realize without God your life is meaningless but once you reach out to God he restores you and gives you purpose! God is good! 😊
Moral Nihilism makes sense because it does explain the motivation for murder and other crimes we perceive as "false", but since we have a collective mindset in society, the majority of people recognise these crimes as wrong (And justly so, since they hurt or kill people). But in complete objectivity, moral nihilism explains the great majority of reasoning in criminal activity.
This philosophy is very misunderstood by the public at large, most of what people think when they hear the word "nihilism" falls under the trope "Straw Nihilism". I don't find anything depressive about nihilism or question why I even bother to do things if I know it's all meaningless; The fact that I feel identified with nihilism as a philosophy does not equal me limiting myself to do nothing or that I should just outright kill myself. If anything it's freed me on a deep level. It's helped me with things like overthinking, dwelling too much on things, pain caused by mistakes/failures, even feelings of compulsion (which has been great help for dealing with my OCD). Everything I do, I do because I want to. I enjoy it or it enriches my brief existence in a way. I feel allowed to make mistakes, I am no longer afraid of them. I feel freer than most. No, I am not depressed. If anything, embracing the fact that everything will come to an end and therefore one day everything I did, the good, the bad or whatever it was, will be forgotten/destroyed has helped me a lot to deal with sadness. I no longer cry over a failed subject. I no longer feel tied down to working in a place I hate. Many may rail against this philosophy as the death of culture and religion, but nihilism encourages a consequentialist, reality-based outlook that forms the basis of moral choice. Unlike the control-oriented systems of thought that form the basis of contemporary society, nihilism reverts the crux of moral thinking to the relationship between the individual and the effects of that individual's actions in reality. In a world where most people see the world in binary categories (either an inherent moral good that we all must obey, or that there are no rules and life is pointless anarchy), nihilism argues for a middle path: we lack inherent order, but are defined by our choices, which means we must start making smarter choices by understanding the reality in which we have used to replace it in our minds.
in this modern world there are circumstances that push individuals to become nihilistic, or lose their interest on life. I know persons that made mistakes in their lives when they were young, they went to prison, and got out, but the new world reject these fellows, eventually in their blindness they give up and back to crime or some sort of vice, even they can commit suicide, no job, no girl, no friends.
GOD IS THE LONGEST LIE... NIETZCHE., SAYS AND I AGREE. To live better and to make a better world we need to stop lying and stealing, and of course polluting this world, stop consuming crap, all shit we think we need and we really don't.
Life has no meaning, and it's very simple and furthermore provable: No matter what meaning one might come up with, that meaning itself needs to have an underlying meaning, else it won't be a meaning to begin with. Claim: The meaning of life is 'A'. Question: What's the meaning of 'A'? Claim: The meaning of 'A' is 'B'. Question: What's the meaning of 'B'? Claim: The meaning of 'B' is 'C'. Question: What's the meaning of 'C'? Claim: ........ Question: ......... It's a neverending circle, which proves there is no meaning.
Joseph Ducreaux WOW YOU EXPLAINED THIS PERFECTLY!! I literally just journaled this exact thought out of nowhere the other day. I didn’t know there was a term for it either, I just have always naturally thought this way. It’s like what if one day we found “the simulator”, or “god” or the “reason” why everything exists. Okay...but using that logic... something would’ve had to create the reason that we exist. Like you said: Human 1: “I’ve found the reason we exist! it’s A! Human 2: “Ok but what is the reason A exists? Human 3: “I found the reason A exists! It’s B! Human 4: Ok but why does B exist? Human 5: I found the ULTIMATE REASON! THE GOD OF ALL GODS! ITS C!!!! Human 6: Ok. wow ummmmm but why does C exist? And so on and so forth for all eternity. We can logically never find “god” or the “reason” or the “why” anything exists. “Why” is an illogical question in itself.
to perceive life as meaningful or meaningless is a choice. it's subjective...it's alllllll subjective. but to embrace the subjectivity--now that's full of meaning!
If you don't believe in god, you certainly realize how deeply mysterious existence, nature and our conciousness is! Why isn't there nothing? How could intelligence and conciousness emerge from inanimate physical matter? What is the larger context beyond our observable cosmos? How come our universe is so finely tuned for life and explorable for thinking apes e.g. through mathematics? Where do mathematics and their power of creating universal truths live and come from? Do randomness and free will exist or is everything already written? These are just a few questions unlikely to be answered, at least in the world we live in. The human condition (including the experience of nihilism) can appear absurd or say remarkable, rather than meaningless. In a certain sense we are living in a "I know, that I know nothing!" world. With limited access to the larger picture, our reality is part of. An optimist would hope this life is just a state of transition to a higher form of existence, revealing a larger part of the picture. Stay sceptic. Purpose can't be ruled out, just because purpose is not apparent. Few people have the time and courage to really engage in nihilism. It means that you had the freedom of thought to reach certain harsh conclusions, other people will never reach in their whole lifetime, because they are content with their old ways. Even a sad nihilist should not envy people running after some delusion or following a ready-made life blueprint. And who said nihilists have to be sad? As a nihilist you can be agnostic - arguably much more sensible than being atheist! Agnostic not only to god, but to whatever concept you want. Last, but not least, when a nihilist comes to the conclusion suicide is pointless, he just got +1 free life. For me nihilism is thinking and feeling the void. A valley of deconstruction, allowing freedom to take new paths. Paths like curiosity and hope!
Purpose is inapparent, so for now I will continue in my belief that there is none. Who knows, though, maybe someday nihilism will just be another dead philosophy and I will have been disproved. Btw, you are very well versed. I really enjoyed what you had to say!
consciousness is a bunch of chemical reactions which abide to physics, even if you find out why this universe was even there it doesnt matter , you wont even find out why in this timeline of yours , even if you do, then what?
'There is no meaning to life' doesn't have to mean anything negative. It implies that we are essentially free (to create our own if we want one) which should be the highest concern for any individual rather than expecting the universe to have some purpose and fixed meaning as perpetuated by religious groups. 'Nothing matters' too is a positive. This is a thing we can call cheerful nihilism.
from my point of view, to clearly understand the meaning of any concept including 'nihilism', one ought to trace it back to the ( its-giving- birth) context where it appeared for the first time, then we can really grasp its underlying uses and the purpose (s) and the conditions behind using it . Having this in mind, one thing can be can be clear to all of us, the fact that 'nihilism' was nothing more than a strategic response of the revolutionist movements to the intimidating political systems in the West in time of dehumanizing political states and the relative traditional body of values and thought that these systems used as Prozac to control people. Therefore, ' religion' or rather Church was the major enemy according to those revolutionary movements..since it had been associated with the dictator..obviously, 'nihilism' was the answer to that dogmatic statuesque.
+cheshire cat yeah me too but there are a lot of people in my life who are trying to force "meaning" in my life and I'm getting sick of it. If only I could get my hands on a gun to take them out.
I feel like life is a series of thoughts, decisions, and moments. Those 3 components make a cocktail of feelings, and our ego wants to be assured those feelings will be relieved if we can identify a passage through life with the ultimate meaning of these events. I've recently chosen not to put stock into what the events are for, if anything. I can acknowledge that I exist in a physical form and spend the moments letting everything be everything and making the best out of the moments. Well?
I fucking hate people who assume Nihilists are depressed, I think the meaninglessness of life is extremely freeing its fucking bullshit that you get to tell me that Im sad. Im a really fucking happy person I just don't believe my life or anything I do say or see has any meaning. It isn't depressing its fucking freeing, I live in the moment I have my subjective moral code, as long as you accept that your beliefs and morals are meaningless who cares if you have them. Nihilism doesnt make you into the hateful guys from the Big Lebowski.
+Hibothy I agree that its freeing to an extent. Unfortunately we live in a universe where it all comes down to the physical and i dont know if you noticed but those men and women who carry guns and try to punish us for disobeying their unimportant preferences dont exactly make me feel "free" It SUCKS that everything is meaningless but I cant even do what i want in this temporary shit-hole? Why even live?
+Sam Jenkins I'm afraid you don't quite get it, what is it that you want to do that the people with guns prevent you from doing? why are you scared of consequences if it doesn't mean anything anyways. just enjoy the ride or not, do what you want or not, try or not.
"The wall" some never get beyond. But for those who do... That silly question "What's the meaning of life" is transmogrified into "What's the meaning of your life" and if "life is what you make of it"...make sure it's a good one...however you define that to be.
This has been the most helpful and educational channel for me!!!!! Not even to mention the fascinating art. I wish I have found it years ago. I share with as many people as possible. THANK YOU!!!!
The feeling of Nihilism begins when you acept your weakness as human, face the suffering and don't try to find an illusory escape. The questions vanishes and your views of purpose in things, including yourself, become flat and clear as glass.
The purpose of Christianity is not to enter heaven, this "second realm" or "second reality" as the video calls it. The purpose of Christianity is in the name itself: to know Christ. The ultimate goal of Christianity is Christ. Paul says, in direct opposition to most everything being said here, that "to live is Christ, to die is gain." The meaning of life for Christians is not so that we could "die speedily" and enter heaven, it's for Christ, it is Christ. Heaven is just a bonus.
So here's this. I experienced so much death through out my life thus far. Suicides, overdoses or just unexplainable accidents. What all of this has done has desensitized me when it comes to death. I hadn't really given it much deep thought until recently when my daughter's friend (15) committed suicide. My daughter was so, so sad. As I remember being say when one of my friends did the same (13). My point is that this information is so wonderful to me because I could never really put into words how I feel about death today, verses way back then. It has shaped me to this understanding that there is no meaning. We are all just very lucky to be able to experience what we have while we're here. Controlling a human body looking through two eyes is pretty fucking amazing.
One of my favorite parables involves the Norse God Odin, who in his thirst for knowledge, traveled to the roots of the world tree where he stumbled upon the being Mimir and his well. Drinking from the well would grant one knowledge of all things, but in order to do so, Odin must sacrifice something of himself. So without hesitation, Odin plucked out one of his eyes and drank from the well, granting him the knowledge he desired. He saw the past, the present, and even the future, all the way to Ragnarok, the end of the world. After drinking the well, Odin was unable to smile ever again. In short: ignorance is bliss.
I've kind of viewed Nihilism in a more positive light. How I see it, the universe is stupid big! We are so small and insignificant, that there is actually a little bit of freedom that comes with that. Like the burden to do something important is lifted from our shoulders. For instance, If I do something incredibly embarrassing today or get rejected tomorrow, in the massive scheme of things, it really doesn't matter. The universe doesn't care if we fuck up because we aren't important. I'm not saying completely abandon all morals and stop being a nice person, but if you're someone who stresses about life or has cringeworthy flashbacks from all the times you fucked up, it's kind of a good way to view things from time to time.
There is no meaning to life, no purpose in life. It is all meaningless, and purposeless. Nothing in existence has any meaning. No one matters. Not even you or I.
The realisation that nothing matters is like setting down a big bag of bricks. The fact that there is no such thing as morality in the absolute sense hasn't really made me any less "moral". I feel freed by my nihilism because, hey, nothing matters!!
it is Nietzche's influence in which all the raw materials and ground work become an antidote through the writings of Carl Jung, Viktor Frankl, Maslow, artist like Picasso, Dali and still counting to get us back in shape to our humanity.
I've noticed that most of people here seem to believe "Humans have no significance in the Grand Scheme". I'm quite different; I believe "The Grand Scheme has no significance".
It's so funny how people who claim to be nihilist still find it necessary to comment on the subject. If you care to do such thing, you are automatically admitting the existence of some kind of meaning, whether you admit it or not. You act as if life is meaningful, and that's a much better indication for what you actually believe but claim otherwise
Nihilism often gets a bad rep. I tried explaining it to my mother and why I'm a nihilist and she viewed it as a very negative mindset and philosophy. I view nihilism for the most part as simply acknowledging at base level everything is meaningless, it's a concept not something that you have to reflect in the way that you behave although you can. We create our own meaning in our lives but that meaning is not innate, it's created by us which is where the idea that everything is meaningless comes from. In a way being a nihilist is liberating. You aren't limited by the things you are brought up to believe because you know that those things are created and really they are meaningless. For example when you feel guilty about something, realising what you feel guilty about is meaningless can help you not to feel guilty about it. Honestly the idea of nihilism really isn't that hard to wrap your head around, I think the issue is more so that people feel that the idea of meaninglessness is negative however that thought is informed by a society that tells us it is negative. Hopefully I've explained my thoughts in a relatively easy to understand way although I'm sure 90% of you completely understand what I'm saying.
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Recommended Books on Nihilism:
Laughing at Nihilism - amzn.to/2d6Q43L (affiliate link)
The Specter of the Absurd - amzn.to/2cv6a6i (affiliate link)
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Get the transcript here: academyofideas.com/2012/08/introduction-to-nihilism/
I started to read that but it seemed pointless so I stopped.
It's less pointless than other things though. Might as well.
+R. Faulkner
The joke flew right over you mate...
Edit: What was the point in me explaining that you missed the joke anyway...
Academy of Ideas delete cancel remove
no
“After your death you will be what you were before your birth.”
sinker321 So, nothing...
Metaphorically speaking, we spent the last 13.7 billion years there. The great void, the negation of self-awareness, the absolute equilibrium... No agony, no suffering, just is :)
Alan Shteynberg I was thinking more of the line of being multiple atoms...
Zetto Vii already are multiple atoms. What is life anyway? Just a chemical reaction. Does life even exist or is an illusion like cold?
Yes, but I'll be free of student loans.
They say everybody has two deaths, the one when their heart stops beating, and the 2nd years later when someone speaks your name for the last time
I think it is a David Eagleman quote
Nah, if you’re dead you’re not going to care if someone speaks your name for the last time. Because... you’re dead. You can’t care. So no, not really.
yo that kinda hurt 😳✨
Fuck it
Why would you care about the second one if your dead
Much respect to the person responsible for making all these videos. They're very informative and well made.
Marco Dellorusso Thanks! I appreciate it.
+Marco Dellorusso yeah agreed. these are so so amazing.
Ditto
Indeed. Works of art in themselves. :)
The Department of Education should be replaced by automation and given early retirement packages. The return on investment is HUGE, but Congress enables the absurdity of capitalism and currency itself... again.
Nihilism isn't all that depressing to me really. It's really just a fundamental fact of the universe, like being depressed about gravity or the speed of light. There's no fixing it, and it's kind of freeing to know that in the end the only thing that will be left is entropy, no matter what anyone does.
100% agreed.
joe jarden Read on evolution. There is nothing but chemicals reacting and mixing eventually resulting in change in generations over long periods of time. There is no logical need for a purpose in evolution. In fact on the level of chemistry and genetics speaking of purpose does not make sense.
The Addiction 2 Assuming that there wont be another beginning after the end.... Its true that all life has a ending, but the things that makes life will still be there... And since it will still be there, there is possibility for new life to come.
The Addiction 2 Why do you live? What do you live for? And what are you depending on?
+joe jarden there is no reason to why we are here or things happen its just chance. personally i think its just kind of a cosmic joke that we are here and we exist at all.
I would write something about nihilism but bah! what would be the point?
+SirAntoniousBlock That's why a true nihilist doesn't talk about being a nihilist.... There's just no point.
Which means that there is a point which means its not nihilism......I think.
XD
Ha ha that was a very good joke
There is a point which is you stimulating your urges and therefore temporarily suppressing the realization that you are slowly dying in a world that does not care about you, but who cares about that part when you can be perpetually drunk for your probably short life.
Comment sections don't come much cheerier than this
it actually doesn't, literally.
bro derick - They are full of half dead parrots.
@Dylan [Smith] - why do you think it is wrong to give meaning to things?
@Dylan [Smith] - i love systems and understanding the relationships between things, i find it meaningful to learn them, build them, and manipulate them.
@Dylan [Smith] - that doesn't tell me why loving and delegating meaning onto systems is wrong. I'm not sure you are making any sense at all to be honest.
Balls
1croatoan I've recently compiled a list of things I see:
-What you did there
1croatoan - my TH-cam app must be glitching out...that's quite unfortunate. Not like you had anything nice to say...nobody does, after all..
As a Nihilist, I find that funny
like I care about my family; even though one day they/we will all die and there's no actual point in living but we do it anyway because there's no point in not living at the same time?
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I had an epiphany not too long ago. I figured out the meaning of life! The meaning of life is to experience it! So it doesn't matter how long or short it it is. It doesn't matter what you accomplish. Take comfort in the fact that you got to be alive!
Could you imagine a person who repeatedly passes on into another life…yet every single time they’re IN their current life they’re depressed at the notion that there’s no meaning because once they die there’s nothing else??
Pessimism isn't nihilism, because pessimism is a system of value.
Thomas Doyle think that’s why he said it was a step before nihilism
Nihilism leads to pessimism and lazy self destructive behaviour of people though. I was a nihilist until I tried LSD, now I am awakened.
Half glass empty.
That's why He said: "preliminary form"
@@slavicemperor8279 I'm willing to bet that some drug hasn't stopped you from being a jerk...
Why would it be depressing if life has no meaning or purpose? I don't find Nihilism depressing at all. Nothing really matters, so why be stressed, unhappy, or angry about anything? Why not just do what you feel is right and have a happy life by making yourself as comfortable as possible? Why not do what you like even if it's seen as weird or unusual? Why get embarrassed about anything when nothing matters? Just take life as it comes and live a carefree life.
well said man i think that everyone should be told this throughout their childhood and it would create a world where everything was simply better if you understand
brownshoeT2 - I see what you mean, but because this question needs an answer, I feel...even though it may be rhetorical...
Like, if one person holds a newborn baby and think, "Aww how cute, it'll grow it big and do things in the world." And someone else thinks, "Yep, a baby...gonna' die like all of us at some point." If you say that out loud, someone is likely to slap you, because of how they understand the world and the way your thoughts and their thought are dissonant. But again, you're question may have been entirely rhetorical, and I'm damn bored.
brownshoeT2 Happiness ain’t real if you’re an actual nihilist, believe that everything is meaningless and pointless, so why seek comfort? You’re thinking about it more optimistically rather than realistically. A nihilist can try to do something to find joy but can’t find it because of the reality of the situation they are constantly aware of. There isn’t any benefits to being a nihilist except when dumbing down the self awareness through unconventional means for brief lack of presence...
Also, nihilists aren’t all depressed they just don’t feel anything because nothing has any real meaning.
Levi X exactly. You fall out of nihilism the moment you find happiness. Nihilism is like living your life in checkmate. Every move you make has no real outcome. That’s why it’s so close to depression
That's a rather tragic outlook. It's the promise of a future that bills societies. Resigning yourself to the futility of life is dancing on your grave.
pure nihilism doesnt even watch videos on nihilism
+jim power I think the term for that is "Elitist Nihilist".
+Bloody_9ine I think that the fact that he is posting that is a contradiction. Watching videos doesn't mean anything, you either watch the video, or you don't. The reason you watch the video doesn't matter, and it effects nothing.
+jim power To be fair, you are not a pure nihilist, so how would you know? I could say a pure nihilist does watch videos on nihilism.
+gumunderdesk Exactly. Saying actual nihilists wouldn't do something is a contradiction because it's a broad term. It's the same as saying a true nihilist would not breathe because there is no meaning to breathing.
People don't understand nihilism, even when they know what it is as this man obviously does. You only understand what nihilism really is, if you have a creative mind. It's not a simple thing, people tend to think that nihilists are sulky and disconnected/care free. That isn't the case at all, true nihilists are much wiser than your average person, they may enjoy learning, or reading, whatever; what makes them a nihilist, is their understanding that what they do will not matter in the end. It's a very hard thing to explain, but I would call it a state of mind more than anything esle.
I used to search for the meaning of life, or something worth living for. Now im older I realise there is nothing. I Have my family and friends, possessions and things I care about. But I will die, whether I want to or not.
Shit you're going to die!? Lol I'm just kidding. I agree with you that sometimes the most simple things are the most meaningful and therefore not so simple. In a life that's essentially over in a blink of an eye it's nice to have feel loved and what more could you ask for?
For a great overview of nihilism I would recommend The Specter of the Absurd by Donald Crosby. You can find most of Nietzsche's ideas about nihilism in The Will to Power, which is a collection of his notes. Also there are a few sections in Robert Solomon's book From Hegel to Existentialism which offer some great discussions on nihilism.
I don't really understand some peoples view of nihilism. They say knowing nothing matters makes them feel less burdened and gives them energy to create something that does matter. For me I'm apathetic, nihilistic and depressed so I don't see the point in doing something if it doesn't matter anyway, to me that view point is almost a contradiction. Reason I haven't killed myself is plain human instinct encoded in me and possibly curiosity to observe what will happen. Honestly I can't even have relationships of any kind then what I have already established because it just isn't worth the effort, I'm just so numb all the time.
macccerkiddd Even if you feel that life has no meaning, wouldn’t you want to make the life you’re living right now meaningful? Idk if that makes sense, but as a nihilist myself, I rather do the things that I love while I have the chance to do them, and when I die hopefully I’ll have memories of my life forever.
S.1 1 that’s not nihilism then...
very finan I know what I am and that is a nihilist. I do believe that reality isn’t real, but I still have hope that I could be wrong when I do die.
@@s.1173 Nihilism is the teaching that life is meaningless, it does not say how you should live your life, it is what it is, nothing more nothing less
very finan Hey stranger 👋🏽 thanks for telling me something I already know. Like I said, I know that life has no meaning. Knowing that life has no meaning, I want to do the things that I enjoy while I’m still here. And I’m not telling anybody how to “act” as an nihilist. This is just my way of dealing with not understanding life. Its not the same for all nihilists. And I would appreciate if we can just leave it at that.
Nihilism, like anything else, can be viewed from many perspectives. it always looks a little different depending on where one themselves stand. It doesn't have to be depressing, or even pessimistic. But it can shatter peoples selves since if you stand on something that is suddenly taken away from you, you fall, until you grasp a hold of something else.
You cannot accept the fact that you are an object and be ok with it, and if you are, then you are just lying to yourself and avoiding the truth out of weakness. I'm not a nihilist, but if I were, I would have a similar oppinion to Theognis. 8:27
You might not be able to, but someone might be able to.
MarcianusImperator How the hell does accepting yourself for what you are have anything to do with lying to yourself?
Only because you do not mind being a brick, it does not mean that you are trying to convince yourself to be something else but a brick, right? So, how come that you made the conclusion that one is lying to oneself if one is accepting what one is without being the least bothered by it?
I have studied nihilistic philosophy, but I'm more of an absurdist. The middle ground between existentialism and nihilism. We cannot live without meaning, yet we are incapable of determining the meaning in the sad reality that surrounds us.
The Chaotition
I know one meaning of life that involves all who live on Earth and beyond... Extinction.
Watch joker
Nihilistic philosophy is an oxymoron. Nihilists don’t believe in anything. You cannot believe in nihilism by definition. Nihilism is basically the pursuit of nothing. A person with no ambition, goals or purpose in life, who’s afraid of seeking a meaningful life due to the fear of losing the comfort of a mediocre life. Because everything meaningful in life requires risk, pain and discipline, and a nihilist is too much of a coward to do something. Basically 85% of the people are nihilistic. That’s why Nietzsche thought that we’re heading towards nihilism. Most people a round just want to have a mediocre job and a boring life, despite the lack of fulfillment it provides.
@@comicsans3845 You've summed it up quite nicely. That's why I want to choose a job where I find pleasure and happiness in it. It doesn't matter whether it pays a lot or not. I know it'll be worth it for me since I desire unity of the world. This job makes it easier. I feel there is no point of doing anything at all, but at the very least, I want to die living in a world that holds more solace than it does later on. I want to provide the most amount of solace as I possibly can to this world. One of the fastest ways to get there is unity. Of course, there is no absolute unity. I'm a bit of a relativist and an absolutist. So I want to create as much worldwide unity as I possibly can. Perhaps I'm delusional, but I'm not going to sit here and watch people suicide and suffer in disorientation. They should at least hear my words of inspiration before they do anything rash.
@@comicsans3845 mfw you literally described me.
The anime series Monster, really delves deep into the concept and idea of nihilism.
I find meaning in reading the meaningless comments on here. People always try to sound highly intelligent when they are "not".
hmm.. yes, quite eloquently put.
serialthrilla42 Right' O, chap! what a quaint statement.
+The Verbally Abusive Clown It's the age of Pseudo Intellects...sadly...
+Grumpy Cat People don't claim or try to be pseudo intellectuals, they are merely expressing their world view or opinions.
+Arbitrary Snark Fairy 2.0 In my best Sling Blade voice, "I like the way you talk."
Thanks for the input. These lectures are something I just started doing, so I'm still working on speaking at the optimal pace. It would also help if TH-cam increased my time limit above 15 minutes:)
I happy that I'm aware that life is really insignificant.
I prefer it to be significant :P Being alive is pretty dope
@Комиссар b-b-but I'm depressed and nihilistic!!!
@@brojuiceunderfoot5765 That means you got a problem. Being nihilistic doesn't include being depressed. In fact, most of us being nihilistic here aren't even depressed. We know we'll all die so we try to make the most of it all.
This guy should write and narrate a whole book. I'd listen to that audio book all in one sitting.
I'd have a microchip of it implanted into my brain.
There is no meaning of life. There is no good and bad. Those are just labels created by human beings to stick on things they view with their morals. We're not here for a reason. However it just so happens that we are here, so I believe why not make the best of it?
Yea the more you try to give meaning to life, the bigger the hole in your chest. Metaphorically a sense of meaningless ness got boosted up
And how are you suppose to know how to make the best of it?
Why would you bother making the best of it when it does not matter
I once asked my classmates what was the meaning of life. They answered me fine but it didn't satisfy me. I wanted something more. I found out that I was searching for nothing. I felt like life really has no real 'purpose'. And I thought I was just being pessimistic.
Never knew there would be a name for that.
+Dan Le Feuvre In my opinion, existential nihilism is the only logical way to view our existence. But I guess that doesn't necessarily mean that we can't enjoy life whilst we have it. I mean, I don't personally, but there is nothing to stop anyone from 'making the most of it'.
+Karl Peach Yes, that's totally true.
Omg same
There is one biological meaning to your life, i.e to reproduce and make fertile progeny. But if you zoom out and try to find intrinsic purpose of continuation of our species then even that becomes meaningless.
I am eight years late but i must say, this is a really great video! Thanks for your work!
Late to what, friendo?
the meaningless is not depressing, it's liberating ... we are the masters of our own destiny... I guess that's more along the lines of active nihilism but without the desire to rip down the foundations of the illusion our societies are built upon.
Many people, including myself, would rather be delusional and happy. A famous saying goes something like "the more we understand the universe, the more pointless it seems."
oh I'm not suggesting denial or delusion, I'm saying the reality is liberating, order is and society is what we make of it and there is no restraints other than those we impose on ourselves.
Pointless.... I disagree. creating order and society from nothing is a project of curiosity.
How long can we sustain it?
What's the most efficient way?
What is the most just way?
What do we do when nothing matters?
we entertain ourselves.
When purpose is absent, the performance begins. How grander a part in this earthly game is up to us.
Andrak Heriot What we do does matter. Stop being so one dimensional. Would you say that Hitler's life was pointless and uneventful? No. Everyone's life does matter. Some people's life purposes is to be a leader, other's is to be a follower. And nihilists are outcasts.
Ha, I'm saying we make our own purpose. Survival on an individual level doesn't require civilization, society is a human project of long term curiosity and like any science project it needs a certain level of order to be maintained.
People aren't born with a purpose we make our own.
Hitler chose his path of tyrannical social nationalism and to ally up with others with similar world conquering views, he was not born to fulfil this purpose he made it his own and his environment led him to this conclusion.
I note you are a Sanders supporter, Socialism on a theoretical level has some nice elements but taken to it's conclusion you get Hitler (people like to forget the Nazis were Socialists), Mussolini, China's Peasant class.
People make decisions and take action without comprehending the consequences.
Hitler rode on the coat tails of people whom believed in a greater purpose and the destruction of individualism.
Civilization is a curio of humans, puzzling how to make our kin and descendent prosper and survive. We make our own purpose and choose our own path, Nihilism can help realise this simple truth.
Andrak Heriot You clearly don't know what democratic socialism is. To make it quick, the world's happiest countries are in Europe and are socialists. Btw, stalin wa authoritarianism, and hitler was a fascist.
The idea that life is meaningless is the most beautiful type of philosophy to me, why is it that humans value freedom amongst each other but when they come to realize that their life is meaningless they get depressed? If life is truly meaningless then what is stopping you from doing what you choose? A life in which you are governed by the rules is the hypothetical equivalent of being in chains, bound to be nothing more than you were made to be. Yet, many people find happiness in a the idea of a life in which you are judged by an omnipotent being, I say live your life according to your own values and ethics (übermensch), make your own decisions, and reach your own conclusions about life. I have a saying "The meaning of life is to find a meaning in life" I use it to remind myself that I am in fact free, I can choose who I am and who I want to be. I've read thus spoke Zarathustra by Nietzsche there is a quote near the bottom on page 40 it reads: You look up when you wish to be exalted, I look down because I am already exalted." (I am recalling that from memory so if it isn't accurate I apologize) the point is that once you stop looking upwards (to a god) in a time of need make it happen yourself. A life of existential nihilism is a life of freedom, it should not be sad. Revel in your freedom, for it allows you to choose your purpose.
we can tell you are smart because you have a rick sanchez profile pic, you must take so much inspiration from him.
it helped. thanks
This video: *exists*
Every edgelord teenager emo: IT'S TIME I ANNOUNCE MY EXISTENCE TO THE WORLD.
😄😄
Thanks for the feedback. I agree I should probably slow down a bit, but slowing down too much would probably not be a good thing.
NIHILISM : the edgiest philosophy of them all
Nah haha. Communism is the edgiest form of philosophy, and I like it. :3
+nope Hardly. It's entirely based on logic and scientific findings.
+nope Pretty much lmfao
Karl P explain
nope Are you in denial of life having no purpose?
if i had a choice not to be born i wouldnt. whats the point
Ahh. I understand both arguments, about wether or not life is meaningless. But whether or not it matters to be alive, your'e already alive so you might as well do things that make you happy and things that make others. Maybe that's the meaning of life? To do and feel good.
Well its the least we can do. Self prrservation says i have to whatever it take to remain alive as long as i have it. But i was just begging the question. If we really had a choicr from the very beggining would we really choose to live. And why? It useless. You create and aquire stuff you pass exams you pursue degrees for what.
Thats why im not happy until i get what i want without compromise. Because if i have to go through all of this nonesense then let me get what a want.
Not worth anything to you perhaps. But then again who are you. What do you affect. If you die who would care. Hmmmm
+Dash of awesome
by the world you mean people of this world not the actual physical world.
why not kill myself??? well i cant at least not consciously. my mind is programme for self preservation. so even though that all life is meaningless i cant help but participate. the only point is if I have to live then i want what i want. But i wish i could fall into some deep sleep and dont wake up. sometimes i wish i could go days without this compulsion to eat. i dont even sleep at nights. i havent for ten years now. only during the day till its work time. money dont really satisfy me but i have to get. everything that their is is not really a choice but a compulsion.
+Dash of awesome
caring for things is a learnt behaviour which hinges on the body's biological need to perpetuate itself. biologically my body is keeping me alive, but like i said although i understand to be that way, logically, has no more meaning than we imagine it to be.
Our lives are only possible because of the interconnection with each other. we essentially need each other to survive and therefore my life has meaning to others as they are to me. But Im offerring the position that if many in this world had prior knowledge and a choice to determine if we should be born, many wouldnt choose life. I wouldnt. whats the point.
Thats my argument. so all im left to do is just live it out and when its over. then that will be that. the end.
I agree with Nihilism,....
Sad part, is that religious people, can't handle the truth.
ye
***** It's important to state the fact; believers aren't looking for truth they're looking for comfort.
Fuck TH-cam Agreed 100% !! Well said my friend,.
***** Except that Nihilism isn't the truth, its just the opposite of Optimism.... Which is equally unreal.
Zetto Vii What are your beliefs?
I occasionally want to discuss this type of thing with others, Which it’s hard to find someone who wants to have a serious conversation about it because no one seems to be willing to accept the possibility that they aren’t special. Some people have large egos that I don’t understand, Eventually you will die, Eventually your loved ones will die, Eventually you will be forgotten. You will never finish every thing possible and I find that comforting because that means that no matter what I do it will eventually be erased so as long as I’m happy then I’m okay. I won’t be breaking laws of course, I wouldn’t be happy panicking. But I would be happy indulging in my hobbies and learning about history and such. So why do people find that concept so impossible?
The Wolf525
Because they have hope. The moment that all hope is lost. The End will lay out its hand with a grim smile. No one will care until extinction arrives, but by then, I will simply laugh in amusement. Then again, Nihilism is different to everyone, and I know it as the End itself of which I covet.
(Nihilism only acts as a stop sign. When one exceeds it, then they will know truth. Do not linger too long in the Abyss.)
r/iamverysmart
It is the most realistic philosophy though
Oh boy, discovered this 8 years late, but I'm up for a marathon of you videos! Great job!
Reading a few comments I realised I was not a nihilist.
aight "nihil 00"
Yea, because self proclaimed nihilist are egotistical snowflake twats
@@randommodnar7141 lol ok buddy
@@randommodnar7141 , now thats fkn funny
@@randommodnar7141 Nihilists are the polar opposite of snowflakes, snowflakes think they matter and are special. Like, wtf are you even talking about lol.
i'm not him. but as a person who is also a nihilist i can give you my take on the matter. if you want it. essentially i say "ok, life has no objective meaning. fine. but it can still mean something to me." so i personally really value being informed and thoughtful about public policy. so thats part of the meaning of life for me. its not objective. not doing so would not be wrong in any objective sense - only a crime against my own preferences; so no crime at all.
All life is meaningless, but we evolved to believe that there's some greater purpose to life and that there is some beauty in life where there is none. I've found that the meaning of it is to accept and grieve for your death long before it happens so you can be ready for it when it does, if that's possible, which it probably isn't.
Just my two cents.
+Bilbo_Gamers Very well said. Life never had any meaning and all of our quests to find meaning in life were nothing but pointless struggles
Bilbo_Gamers I only believe in facts, but i still find the universe fascinating.
edgy af
HappyGreenBean _
I just said that because it's funny how he said that the purpose of life was to accept your death so you can be ready when it happens, but its not like you could ever not be ready for it, it's not like you know when it happens haha
meaning is the end result of human endeavor, nihilism is at the beginning, the first boundary that dances around the void. Nihilism signal the end of potential of a old system and the possibility of new beginning.
The meaning of life is to live its that simple how ever you do it.
my nihilism gives me great love for all life, I won't kill even a fly, it's utterly pointless to do so. we all live on the same speck of dust!
❤️
His name is Robert Paulson.
In death, he has a name.
@@nealkelly9757 YOU are not special!
@@catherineblair550 you're the same dancing and singing organic sh*t like everyone else!
also: It's only after you've lost everything that you're free to do anything.
say it to myself every day and just realized after months of trying to find meaning that life has no meaning
@@bogaziciliceohaluk Sir. The first rule of Projet illusion is not to think about reality.
Seth Rich!
There is no "meaning" to life - just enjoy it. You're lucky enough to experience it. Sometimes its tough, thats just the way it is, get over it. Its better than being a goldfish stuck in a bowl, or an animal constantly alert to predators. Consiousness is a precious gift (not in a theistic manner). Enjoy it
THIS ^^^^^^
what a retarded ass comment
+mrfoodskater How so?
im not going to point it out figure it out
Tōyomi what do you mean by how so? if someone go kill a 12 year old conscious human being what's the purpose of that 12 year old enjoying his life or say I put a bullet in your head , you won't even get the time to realize whether you enjoyed your life or not.
"I'm a Nihilist because I think Nihilism is meaningless..." System overload! (Explodes)
I interpret nihilism in the way that nothing has inherent value and that you give it that value. Not that its meaning less but that you fill the void of what ever it is with meaning. Speaking in the contexts of living your life. The big picture we are bi products of evolution and can fathom our own existence to meaningless. But really our meaning is to reproduce and carry our genes on, Even outside of this in a planetary context thats meaningless. Im a pretty shy guy my self and i find nihilism helps me get out of my bubble every time I'm afraid to speak my mind. I think back to nihilism. and it reassures me that i create my own path and I in a sense can do what ever the fuck i wanna do.
deathpresent101 I really like that. I'm glad I read your comment. I'll think back to that whenever I'm being a puss lol
"God is dead" - Nietzsche
"Nietzsche is dead" - God
"God is dead" - Nietzsche
"Nietzsche is dead" - Life
best joke
Who died first?
Ah yes, the imaginary sky daddy exists
*B U L L S H I T*
Preach :)
From all the people who cant take time to study these topics from books... thank you so much!
I see a lot of nihilists in the comments talking about how religion is so so dumb and ignorant but so what? Why does it matter? If it makes the person who believes it happy and comforted than who am I to judge or dictate whether it is right or not, I suppose as long as they're not hurting anyone then who cares. They find a home in it but I don't and that's okay because in the end guess I don't believe anything matters in the end so if for now people are content then everything's fine.
@@MM-nx8dt yes, but a true nihillist wouldnt bw bothered by the way other people live their life, life is too short to care about those things. I believe that life has no ultimate and objective meaning and im ok with that, other people are not ok with that so they turn into religion, there is nothing wrong there, it become problematic when they're fighting over a god which is really dumb because a god essentially is just an idea, a concept, a theory of the answer to the meaningless world yet people fight over who has the better ideas and concept of those things.
@@comradezvezda No true Scotsman. Just because one nihilist sees no value does not mean that they can't feel concern. Also, ideas and concepts mean nothing. They are useless to be critical of and are also useless to support in the first place.
what about muslims ?
@@candlecream1784 You let religious people live their life but they don't let you live yours. That's why I don't like religions.
@@matthewsaints350 true true true mostly muslims and christans
I clicked on this video to find out what people believe when they don't have God in their lives. reading the comment section has strengthened my faith in God and i'm blessed to know my life has meaning. Lots of comments sound miserable, hopeless even depressing. I wish people realize without God your life is meaningless but once you reach out to God he restores you and gives you purpose! God is good! 😊
Moral Nihilism makes sense because it does explain the motivation for murder and other crimes we perceive as "false", but since we have a collective mindset in society, the majority of people recognise these crimes as wrong (And justly so, since they hurt or kill people). But in complete objectivity, moral nihilism explains the great majority of reasoning in criminal activity.
Your channel doesn't indulge in overimaging...you exhibit images whereever needed.Nice job
This philosophy is very misunderstood by the public at large, most of what people think when they hear the word "nihilism" falls under the trope "Straw Nihilism". I don't find anything depressive about nihilism or question why I even bother to do things if I know it's all meaningless; The fact that I feel identified with nihilism as a philosophy does not equal me limiting myself to do nothing or that I should just outright kill myself. If anything it's freed me on a deep level. It's helped me with things like overthinking, dwelling too much on things, pain caused by mistakes/failures, even feelings of compulsion (which has been great help for dealing with my OCD). Everything I do, I do because I want to. I enjoy it or it enriches my brief existence in a way. I feel allowed to make mistakes, I am no longer afraid of them. I feel freer than most. No, I am not depressed. If anything, embracing the fact that everything will come to an end and therefore one day everything I did, the good, the bad or whatever it was, will be forgotten/destroyed has helped me a lot to deal with sadness. I no longer cry over a failed subject. I no longer feel tied down to working in a place I hate.
Many may rail against this philosophy as the death of culture and religion, but nihilism encourages a consequentialist, reality-based outlook that forms the basis of moral choice. Unlike the control-oriented systems of thought that form the basis of contemporary society, nihilism reverts the crux of moral thinking to the relationship between the individual and the effects of that individual's actions in reality. In a world where most people see the world in binary categories (either an inherent moral good that we all must obey, or that there are no rules and life is pointless anarchy), nihilism argues for a middle path: we lack inherent order, but are defined by our choices, which means we must start making smarter choices by understanding the reality in which we have used to replace it in our minds.
in this modern world there are circumstances that push individuals to become nihilistic, or lose their interest on life.
I know persons that made mistakes in their lives when they were young, they went to prison, and got out, but the new world reject these fellows, eventually in their blindness they give up and back to crime or some sort of vice, even they can commit suicide, no job, no girl, no friends.
every day we destitute others.
it is very truth.
besides we are a bunch of automata.
GOD IS THE LONGEST LIE...
NIETZCHE., SAYS AND I AGREE.
To live better and to make a better world we need to stop lying and stealing, and of course polluting this world, stop consuming crap, all shit we think we need and we really don't.
i viva my compadre FREUD.
I always believed in nihilism ideology but I never knew it was an actual thing
witchcraft same
It's in our DNA still
Moral is whatever the masses deems it to be, whether that is meaningless or not is subjective.
Life has no meaning, and it's very simple and furthermore provable:
No matter what meaning one might come up with, that meaning itself needs to have an underlying meaning, else it won't be a meaning to begin with.
Claim: The meaning of life is 'A'.
Question: What's the meaning of 'A'?
Claim: The meaning of 'A' is 'B'.
Question: What's the meaning of 'B'?
Claim: The meaning of 'B' is 'C'.
Question: What's the meaning of 'C'?
Claim: ........
Question: .........
It's a neverending circle, which proves there is no meaning.
Thats called the cosmological argument
Could be, but I've never heard it before. Thought it up myself.
Joseph Ducreaux WOW YOU EXPLAINED THIS PERFECTLY!! I literally just journaled this exact thought out of nowhere the other day. I didn’t know there was a term for it either, I just have always naturally thought this way.
It’s like what if one day we found “the simulator”, or “god” or the “reason” why everything exists. Okay...but using that logic... something would’ve had to create the reason that we exist.
Like you said:
Human 1: “I’ve found the reason we exist! it’s A!
Human 2: “Ok but what is the reason A exists?
Human 3: “I found the reason A exists! It’s B!
Human 4: Ok but why does B exist?
Human 5: I found the ULTIMATE REASON! THE GOD OF ALL GODS! ITS C!!!!
Human 6: Ok. wow ummmmm but why does C exist?
And so on and so forth for all eternity. We can logically never find “god” or the “reason” or the “why” anything exists. “Why” is an illogical question in itself.
to perceive life as meaningful or meaningless is a choice. it's subjective...it's alllllll subjective. but to embrace the subjectivity--now that's full of meaning!
If you don't believe in god, you certainly realize how deeply mysterious existence, nature and our conciousness is!
Why isn't there nothing? How could intelligence and conciousness emerge from inanimate physical matter? What is the larger context beyond our observable cosmos? How come our universe is so finely tuned for life and explorable for thinking apes e.g. through mathematics? Where do mathematics and their power of creating universal truths live and come from? Do randomness and free will exist or is everything already written?
These are just a few questions unlikely to be answered, at least in the world we live in.
The human condition (including the experience of nihilism) can appear absurd or say remarkable, rather than meaningless. In a certain sense we are living in a "I know, that I know nothing!" world. With limited access to the larger picture, our reality is part of. An optimist would hope this life is just a state of transition to a higher form of existence, revealing a larger part of the picture. Stay sceptic. Purpose can't be ruled out, just because purpose is not apparent.
Few people have the time and courage to really engage in nihilism. It means that you had the freedom of thought to reach certain harsh conclusions, other people will never reach in their whole lifetime, because they are content with their old ways.
Even a sad nihilist should not envy people running after some delusion or following a ready-made life blueprint. And who said nihilists have to be sad? As a nihilist you can be agnostic - arguably much more sensible than being atheist! Agnostic not only to god, but to whatever concept you want. Last, but not least, when a nihilist comes to the conclusion suicide is pointless, he just got +1 free life.
For me nihilism is thinking and feeling the void. A valley of deconstruction, allowing freedom to take new paths. Paths like curiosity and hope!
Freedom, hope, and curiosity are all human constucts.
+Pax Eris yes does that make it pointless. Maybe that is the point of the world we life in who knows.
Purpose is inapparent, so for now I will continue in my belief that there is none. Who knows, though, maybe someday nihilism will just be another dead philosophy and I will have been disproved.
Btw, you are very well versed. I really enjoyed what you had to say!
BROOO THIS IS WHAT I THINK ON A DAILY BADIS
consciousness is a bunch of chemical reactions which abide to physics, even if you find out why this universe was even there it doesnt matter , you wont even find out why in this timeline of yours , even if you do, then what?
'There is no meaning to life' doesn't have to mean anything negative. It implies that we are essentially free (to create our own if we want one) which should be the highest concern for any individual rather than expecting the universe to have some purpose and fixed meaning as perpetuated by religious groups. 'Nothing matters' too is a positive. This is a thing we can call cheerful nihilism.
from my point of view, to clearly understand the meaning of any concept including 'nihilism', one ought to trace it back to the ( its-giving- birth) context where it appeared for the first time, then we can really grasp its underlying uses and the purpose (s) and the conditions behind using it . Having this in mind, one thing can be can be clear to all of us, the fact that 'nihilism' was nothing more than a strategic response of the revolutionist movements to the intimidating political systems in the West in time of dehumanizing political states and the relative traditional body of values and thought that these systems used as Prozac to control people. Therefore, ' religion' or rather Church was the major enemy according to those revolutionary movements..since it had been associated with the dictator..obviously, 'nihilism' was the answer to that dogmatic statuesque.
Thank you for this. As a beginner to philosophy, this nicely, and in an interesting way, introduces the study
Holy shit, I believe in existential nihilism.
+cheshire cat yeah me too but there are a lot of people in my life who are trying to force "meaning" in my life and I'm getting sick of it. If only I could get my hands on a gun to take them out.
+Jonathan Parham Excuse me?
Yeah I don't care for the world or anyone in it.
+cheshire cat Good 4 u
Lol...huh ???🤔
The meaning of life must be legacy. There is nothing else. For most people legacy is children.
“Y tho” - Nihilists
I feel like life is a series of thoughts, decisions, and moments. Those 3 components make a cocktail of feelings, and our ego wants to be assured those feelings will be relieved if we can identify a passage through life with the ultimate meaning of these events. I've recently chosen not to put stock into what the events are for, if anything. I can acknowledge that I exist in a physical form and spend the moments letting everything be everything and making the best out of the moments. Well?
I fucking hate people who assume Nihilists are depressed, I think the meaninglessness of life is extremely freeing its fucking bullshit that you get to tell me that Im sad. Im a really fucking happy person I just don't believe my life or anything I do say or see has any meaning. It isn't depressing its fucking freeing, I live in the moment I have my subjective moral code, as long as you accept that your beliefs and morals are meaningless who cares if you have them. Nihilism doesnt make you into the hateful guys from the Big Lebowski.
+Hibothy
I agree that its freeing to an extent. Unfortunately we live in a universe where it all comes down to the physical and i dont know if you noticed but those men and women who carry guns and try to punish us for disobeying their unimportant preferences dont exactly make me feel "free" It SUCKS that everything is meaningless but I cant even do what i want in this temporary shit-hole? Why even live?
+Sam Jenkins I'm afraid you don't quite get it, what is it that you want to do that the people with guns prevent you from doing? why are you scared of consequences if it doesn't mean anything anyways. just enjoy the ride or not, do what you want or not, try or not.
"The wall" some never get beyond.
But for those who do...
That silly question "What's the meaning of life" is transmogrified into "What's the meaning of your life"
and if "life is what you make of it"...make sure it's a good one...however you define that to be.
"looking up at the stars i know quite well, that for all they care i can go to hell"
This has been the most helpful and educational channel for me!!!!!
Not even to mention the fascinating art. I wish I have found it years ago. I share with as many people as possible. THANK YOU!!!!
I love this channel. Thanks for making it for us.
damm! it's so good to convey my thoughts those I was thought to be in recent
Convey this ratio
individuals define meaning for themselves,and only themselves,since there's no universally ptoven "meaning to life"
Dear: your videos have opened my mind... I just simply have to start to watch from your first video..thanks!!
Life is meaningfully meaningless :P
Life is meaningfully meaningless meaning
THANK YOU FOR PRONOUNCING NIETZSCHE RIGHT
Meaning is subjective, so objective meaning doesn't make any sense...
Is it objectively meaningful that meaning is subjective?
The feeling of Nihilism begins when you acept your weakness as human, face the suffering and don't try to find an illusory escape. The questions vanishes and your views of purpose in things, including yourself, become flat and clear as glass.
Meaninglessness is liberating. Go be as hedonistic as you want without suffering any moral consequences
There is definitive purpose in life, which means you can create your own purpose.
The purpose of Christianity is not to enter heaven, this "second realm" or "second reality" as the video calls it. The purpose of Christianity is in the name itself: to know Christ. The ultimate goal of Christianity is Christ. Paul says, in direct opposition to most everything being said here, that "to live is Christ, to die is gain." The meaning of life for Christians is not so that we could "die speedily" and enter heaven, it's for Christ, it is Christ. Heaven is just a bonus.
yes!!! this 👆🏼🤗💕👏🏼👏🏼
So here's this. I experienced so much death through out my life thus far. Suicides, overdoses or just unexplainable accidents. What all of this has done has desensitized me when it comes to death. I hadn't really given it much deep thought until recently when my daughter's friend (15) committed suicide. My daughter was so, so sad. As I remember being say when one of my friends did the same (13). My point is that this information is so wonderful to me because I could never really put into words how I feel about death today, verses way back then. It has shaped me to this understanding that there is no meaning. We are all just very lucky to be able to experience what we have while we're here. Controlling a human body looking through two eyes is pretty fucking amazing.
Most nihilists are smart af
One of my favorite parables involves the Norse God Odin, who in his thirst for knowledge, traveled to the roots of the world tree where he stumbled upon the being Mimir and his well. Drinking from the well would grant one knowledge of all things, but in order to do so, Odin must sacrifice something of himself. So without hesitation, Odin plucked out one of his eyes and drank from the well, granting him the knowledge he desired. He saw the past, the present, and even the future, all the way to Ragnarok, the end of the world. After drinking the well, Odin was unable to smile ever again.
In short: ignorance is bliss.
I've kind of viewed Nihilism in a more positive light. How I see it, the universe is stupid big! We are so small and insignificant, that there is actually a little bit of freedom that comes with that. Like the burden to do something important is lifted from our shoulders. For instance, If I do something incredibly embarrassing today or get rejected tomorrow, in the massive scheme of things, it really doesn't matter. The universe doesn't care if we fuck up because we aren't important. I'm not saying completely abandon all morals and stop being a nice person, but if you're someone who stresses about life or has cringeworthy flashbacks from all the times you fucked up, it's kind of a good way to view things from time to time.
There is no meaning to life, no purpose in life. It is all meaningless, and purposeless. Nothing in existence has any meaning. No one matters. Not even you or I.
But does what you just said have meaning?
The realisation that nothing matters is like setting down a big bag of bricks. The fact that there is no such thing as morality in the absolute sense hasn't really made me any less "moral". I feel freed by my nihilism because, hey, nothing matters!!
After long thinking i came to this conclusion: Even as a nihilist we breath cause we want to survive.
There is no reason or ultimate cause to anything, the one certainty is that consciousness is fleeting and its up to you to make the most of it
“Living is naturally hell, you have to work to put a smile on.”
-Hopsin
it is Nietzche's influence in which all the raw materials and ground work become an antidote through the writings of Carl Jung, Viktor Frankl, Maslow, artist like Picasso, Dali and still counting to get us back in shape to our humanity.
Nihilist teens in the 2008's: Life has no meaning 😓
Nihilist teens in 2018: Life has🙅♂️no meaning😎🤙.
Your sense of humor sucks ass.
I've noticed that most of people here seem to believe "Humans have no significance in the Grand Scheme". I'm quite different; I believe "The Grand Scheme has no significance".
Thanks so much for these lectures! They are brief and to the point.Very informative!
The fact that life may have no meaning is quite entertaining and hopeful. Erases every stupid man made law.
Nihilism is pure art.
That zoom into Nietzsche's head to show his quote was beautiful
love this channel
+Rosario Coronado :)
Yea it's a gem.
It's so funny how people who claim to be nihilist still find it necessary to comment on the subject. If you care to do such thing, you are automatically admitting the existence of some kind of meaning, whether you admit it or not. You act as if life is meaningful, and that's a much better indication for what you actually believe but claim otherwise
Nihilism often gets a bad rep. I tried explaining it to my mother and why I'm a nihilist and she viewed it as a very negative mindset and philosophy. I view nihilism for the most part as simply acknowledging at base level everything is meaningless, it's a concept not something that you have to reflect in the way that you behave although you can. We create our own meaning in our lives but that meaning is not innate, it's created by us which is where the idea that everything is meaningless comes from. In a way being a nihilist is liberating. You aren't limited by the things you are brought up to believe because you know that those things are created and really they are meaningless. For example when you feel guilty about something, realising what you feel guilty about is meaningless can help you not to feel guilty about it. Honestly the idea of nihilism really isn't that hard to wrap your head around, I think the issue is more so that people feel that the idea of meaninglessness is negative however that thought is informed by a society that tells us it is negative. Hopefully I've explained my thoughts in a relatively easy to understand way although I'm sure 90% of you completely understand what I'm saying.
i believe the same we need to talk you wanna talk about this on insta?
Money is meaningless. Send me all your money.
@Nnc How is money meaningless?
Death doesn't create search for meaning of life, if i was mortal i would search for meaning even harder
I'm a nihilist because we are all gona die so let's do stupid shit cuz nothing actually matters !!!!!
allan mckinney bro it's really crazy like what am I in right now?
A goal to avoid pain or suffering is as good meaning of life as any.