How To Tackle Nihilism
Learn to embrace the wind within your existential sail.
The Nihilist
The human mind is truly the most captivating entity within our known universe.
The foundations of a delicately and systemically cultivated society, all stemming from the depths of every human mind to ever exist. Our consciousness has allowed us to navigate the human species into the upper echelons of existence.
The need for exploration and creation has been forever ingrained into us, from our primordial Homo Sapien predecessors. Human determination and ingenuity have since carried us forward to remarkable modern achievement.
Accolades of this include the successful moon landing of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 and the incredible creation of the Internet. As we move forward into a digital revolution, (although subjective), we begin moving into an age of opportunity, possibility and unlimited information. We, in theory, should be more positive than ever before.
However, despite the continuing ascension of mankind, many of us are still doomed by the philosophical perspective of Nihilism.
What is Nihilism?
“Nihilism is a philosophical perspective that posits the belief in the inherent meaninglessness, purposelessness, and lack of intrinsic value in life and the universe.”
Nihilism presents itself in different forms. In my opinion, from a philosophical outlook, it is not always condemning.
Existential nihilism, which refuses any objective meaning to life. It describes life as having no purpose. This may be perceived with the negativity that nothing is real, everything is temporary and there is no point in sustaining our futile existence. That the decisions you make ultimately equate to the same, uncompromisable end. Additionally, epistemological nihilism challenges the notion of objective truth, suggesting that all knowledge is ultimately subjective and contingent.
We are not always motivated to think differently, however. The consistent nature of broadcasting suffering children in ‘Third World’ countries exemplifies how the media wants us to be reminded of how painful existence is.
Despite the obvious acknowledgment of the positives of charity, the addiction to misery is a systematic approach by the government’s media. New’s stories regarding success and positivity are rarely published or broadcast. Well, not by mainstream media sources anyway. Keeping people in a constant state of how life could be ‘worse’. This allows the delicate infrastructure of society to remain resolute and to reaffirm the appreciation of our current situation.
Through my own personal experience of working a typical 9–5, I found myself seeing the same common dejection in my fellow co-workers. Many people found pleasure and unity through talking in nihilistic ways. It is a plague which easily contaminates through words, body language and actions. They felt somewhat connected through the misery of the job they hated, rooted in place because of the need to provide an income for themselves and their families.
One man always peaked my curiosities with this behaviour. If negativity was a crime, he would be a serial offender. Always finding himself overwhelmed with the stress of life, work consistently reigniting his resentment of the world. He was a heavy smoker. I would watch him roll three unfiltered cigarettes, which he would get through in a fifteen-minute lunch break.
He would also drink every night, explaining how he would drink rapidly on an empty stomach after a work shift. He needed short overloads of serotonin to reconcile him with the harsh realities of his perceptions. The repercussions caused him to constantly feel in a poor physical and mental state. The remedy to this was to administer himself with more cigarettes and drink.
However, when the disease is also the cure, you are subjective to a loop of degenerative circumstance. His habitual use of these destructive addictions seemed to be the only thing giving him order, allowing him to have structured escapism carrying his lifeless body onwards.
He was a tyrant, with a short temperament caused by his impatience. This was an often a self-proclaimed tyrannical persona. He felt it gave him a certain power or control. Merely trying to reassure him that carrying himself in this way was acceptable.
“This is how I am. I don’t care what people think.” He would often state.
However, the interesting concept in all of this was that he acknowledged and rationalised his own behaviour, paradym’s and belief system. Despite how toxic they were to himself and others. He would download multiple self-help apps and suggest solutions to stop his alcoholism.
Thus, despite his degenerative actions, he tried to prevent them. He knew he needed to change his nihilistic mindset, as it was evidently causing detriment to his physical, mental and social well-being. Despite his awareness of his nihilism, he could not overcome it.
It is a sad reality that many humans acknowledge the need to change but previous pain, trauma or poor self-discipline trap us into the prisons of our own minds. Shackled by our unshifting Paradym’s and belief systems.
Yes, everyone has a past but preventing ourselves from a fulfilling present and prosperous future is the real defeat. We can choose to face it and change our ways or let it slowly consume us until there is nothing worth turning back to.
Mortality contributes to what makes us human. The precious acknowledgement that we are limited to one life, with the freedom of finding our own purposes. Whether this be through companionship or following the compass of our curiosities throughout our turbulent existential journey. If the notion of truth is subjective and contingent, then our lives should not be contained by either idealistic or realistic beliefs.
We can follow our own paths tailored to our own perceptions, paradym’s and belief system, subjectively neither right nor wrong. Ultimately, existence is a compilation of all that we are, thus it should be celebrated not harrowed as burden. I don’t think Nihilism should tell us there is no meaning to life, it exemplifies but the contrary.
Nihilism, a very interesting philosophical perspective. It is something that will always loom over us, this fear of meaning and purpose. But maybe we should learn to embrace it as a spectral wind within our existential sail, carrying us through the unpredictable seas of our own journeys. The world is what we make it.
Liam Adcock • December 20, 2024
The Nihilist
The human mind is truly the most captivating entity within our known universe.
The foundations of a delicately and systemically cultivated society, all stemming from the depths of every human mind to ever exist. Our consciousness has allowed us to navigate the human species into the upper echelons of existence.
The need for exploration and creation has been forever ingrained into us, from our primordial Homo Sapien predecessors. Human determination and ingenuity have since carried us forward to remarkable modern achievement.
Accolades of this include the successful moon landing of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 and the incredible creation of the Internet. As we move forward into a digital revolution, (although subjective), we begin moving into an age of opportunity, possibility and unlimited information. We, in theory, should be more positive than ever before.
However, despite the continuing ascension of mankind, many of us are still doomed by the philosophical perspective of Nihilism.
What is Nihilism?
“Nihilism is a philosophical perspective that posits the belief in the inherent meaninglessness, purposelessness, and lack of intrinsic value in life and the universe.”
Nihilism presents itself in different forms. In my opinion, from a philosophical outlook, it is not always condemning.
Existential nihilism, which refuses any objective meaning to life. It describes life as having no purpose. This may be perceived with the negativity that nothing is real, everything is temporary and there is no point in sustaining our futile existence. That the decisions you make ultimately equate to the same, uncompromisable end. Additionally, epistemological nihilism challenges the notion of objective truth, suggesting that all knowledge is ultimately subjective and contingent.
We are not always motivated to think differently, however. The consistent nature of broadcasting suffering children in ‘Third World’ countries exemplifies how the media wants us to be reminded of how painful existence is.
Despite the obvious acknowledgment of the positives of charity, the addiction to misery is a systematic approach by the government’s media. New’s stories regarding success and positivity are rarely published or broadcast. Well, not by mainstream media sources anyway. Keeping people in a constant state of how life could be ‘worse’. This allows the delicate infrastructure of society to remain resolute and to reaffirm the appreciation of our current situation.
Through my own personal experience of working a typical 9–5, I found myself seeing the same common dejection in my fellow co-workers. Many people found pleasure and unity through talking in nihilistic ways. It is a plague which easily contaminates through words, body language and actions. They felt somewhat connected through the misery of the job they hated, rooted in place because of the need to provide an income for themselves and their families.
One man always peaked my curiosities with this behaviour. If negativity was a crime, he would be a serial offender. Always finding himself overwhelmed with the stress of life, work consistently reigniting his resentment of the world. He was a heavy smoker. I would watch him roll three unfiltered cigarettes, which he would get through in a fifteen-minute lunch break.
He would also drink every night, explaining how he would drink rapidly on an empty stomach after a work shift. He needed short overloads of serotonin to reconcile him with the harsh realities of his perceptions. The repercussions caused him to constantly feel in a poor physical and mental state. The remedy to this was to administer himself with more cigarettes and drink.
However, when the disease is also the cure, you are subjective to a loop of degenerative circumstance. His habitual use of these destructive addictions seemed to be the only thing giving him order, allowing him to have structured escapism carrying his lifeless body onwards.
He was a tyrant, with a short temperament caused by his impatience. This was an often a self-proclaimed tyrannical persona. He felt it gave him a certain power or control. Merely trying to reassure him that carrying himself in this way was acceptable.
“This is how I am. I don’t care what people think.” He would often state.
However, the interesting concept in all of this was that he acknowledged and rationalised his own behaviour, paradym’s and belief system. Despite how toxic they were to himself and others. He would download multiple self-help apps and suggest solutions to stop his alcoholism.
Thus, despite his degenerative actions, he tried to prevent them. He knew he needed to change his nihilistic mindset, as it was evidently causing detriment to his physical, mental and social well-being. Despite his awareness of his nihilism, he could not overcome it.
It is a sad reality that many humans acknowledge the need to change but previous pain, trauma or poor self-discipline trap us into the prisons of our own minds. Shackled by our unshifting Paradym’s and belief systems.
Yes, everyone has a past but preventing ourselves from a fulfilling present and prosperous future is the real defeat. We can choose to face it and change our ways or let it slowly consume us until there is nothing worth turning back to.
Mortality contributes to what makes us human. The precious acknowledgement that we are limited to one life, with the freedom of finding our own purposes. Whether this be through companionship or following the compass of our curiosities throughout our turbulent existential journey. If the notion of truth is subjective and contingent, then our lives should not be contained by either idealistic or realistic beliefs.
We can follow our own paths tailored to our own perceptions, paradym’s and belief system, subjectively neither right nor wrong. Ultimately, existence is a compilation of all that we are, thus it should be celebrated not harrowed as burden. I don’t think Nihilism should tell us there is no meaning to life, it exemplifies but the contrary.
Nihilism, a very interesting philosophical perspective. It is something that will always loom over us, this fear of meaning and purpose. But maybe we should learn to embrace it as a spectral wind within our existential sail, carrying us through the unpredictable seas of our own journeys. The world is what we make it.
Liam Adcock • December 20, 2024