Practical Nihilism and the Nihilistic Epiphany

[Saul]

Would you personally be depressed as a nihilist or happy about it?

You can choose to become either, that's what makes nihilism the ultimate freedom.

When I first signed up to this site I had kind of fallen out of my nihilistic tendencies and began becoming an idealist. Becoming more concerned with what could be instead of what is, and this lead to me being pretty pissy most of the time. This usually happens to me once every few years until I have what I call a "nihilistic epiphany". I hit an emotional rock-bottom and then like a punch to the face everything sort of "clicks".

It's the point where the absurdity of the universe hits you like a brick in the head. It's a small glimpse of the universe in a mostly objective way instead of a subjective way. It's seeing objects as less than the sum of their parts. Looking at a human being and seeing atoms, not a person.

Emotions make us less objective. This 'nihilistic epiphany' as you call it when you 'hit rock bottom' can only be less objective than the epiphanies you get when you are simply apathetic about the whole thing.

Also it is a common aspect of mental disorders to believe that you are 'seeing the world for how it truely is' when you are in some form of depressive, manic or schizophrenic episode. That's not to say that this is the case in your circumstances, but it is worth thinking about.

As an existential nihilist I somewhat agree with you. However as a student of psychology I would take issue with this link you seem to experience between an emotional state and a 'realisation.'

 

[Don-Sama]

Nihilist to the bone, but if nothing in a deep sense matters in the end, then why bother about it. There is no deep reason for life and there surely is no deep reason for dead. I will just go on being who I am and everything happens as it will happen. Don't get me wrong I do not deny Nihilistic thoughts nor do I ignore them, I think about them automatic as the thoughts in my brain rambles on and on. These Nihilistic thoughts are human and humane and are part of me. Loving caring me

Real Nihilist I think have misunderstood it. missing live, the world or basicly everything there is.


And jeez ArthurWilborn your like one of them creationists booing at yet another discovery that defies what his beliefs. completely ignoring it.

 

[PAB]

hmmmm,
of nihilism i have had to personally discredit the concept recently.
Based on the following:
Meaning or meaninglessness are concepts obviously held exclusively to the human being, formed on the conditions of the existence of the human. Therefore applying these concepts to the universe and 'existence' is a gross abstraction, placing the human at the centre of the universe. The concepts simply don't apply to everything, they only apply to things in relation to the human specifically. So, following, meaning or meaningless is defined and determined in relation to the humans interpretation to his or her existence. Nihilism is only a question of humanity not the universe and existence in general.

 

[devilsadvocate]

I'm a nihilist in the primary quality of reality. That some object emits electro-magnetic radiation at 450 Thz is utterly devoid of any meaning. However, in the secondary quality where I am seeing red, it isn't nearly so pointless at all.

To me a nihilist is someone who wouldn't disagree stomping on and burning Mona Lisa because it's just molecules arranged in a pattern. The plunder is, in order to be a nihilist, one needs to completely ignore and escape human nature they are trying to please. If someone says "I'm a nihilist and it gives me great freedom" (presumably enjoying said freedom), that person is an (oxy-)moron.

 

[obsidianavenger]

I'm a nihilist in the primary quality of reality. That some object emits electro-magnetic radiation at 450 Thz is utterly devoid of any meaning. However, in the secondary quality where I am seeing red, it isn't nearly so pointless at all.

To me a nihilist is someone who wouldn't disagree stomping on and burning Mona Lisa because it's just molecules arranged in a pattern. The plunder is, in order to be a nihilist, one needs to completely ignore and escape human nature they are trying to please. If someone says "I'm a nihilist and it gives me great freedom" (presumably enjoying said freedom), that person is an (oxy-)moron.

i am beginning to consider myself a moral nihilist and somewhat of a pragmatist... but nihilism as you've described it seems self defeating. i have experienced what you describe (a feeling of absurdity and seperateness from the universe) but it doesn't seem to follow from that that life is "meaningless". in a broad sense it is, since meaning requires a meaning-giving entity. but thats what we humans are. why on earth are you justified in discarding that fact? as i think somoene already stated, "objectivity" in the sense of a view from nowhere in completely contradictory. "objectivity" in the sense of "as free from bias as humanly possible" is a much more workable conception and perfectly compatable with the idea that our desires and goals, as well as our nature, can create a sort of meaning for each of us.

in the end i would still agree with the statement that we should "do whatever the f*ck we want" (while clearly respecting other's rights to do the same in order to avoid retaliation and further benefit ourselves in the long run of course) but the path you took to get there seems flawed to me.

 

[devilsadvocate]

Seems you have misunderstood me, and from reading my last post again I'll take responsibility for that (I was in a hurry and wanted to keep my post as short as possible.)

What I tried to say is that I'm only nihilist in the Locke's epistemological primary quality of reality. Primary qualities are those that are independent from observer, ie. 450 Thz electro-magnetic radiation is reality, while colour red is subjective quality interpreted by the brain. The rest of the post was directed against nihilism, trying to point out some people's paradoxical attitude in completely ignoring the secondary qualities (everything is meaningless) while still arguing that nihilism is somehow good for you.

I think we're pretty much in agreement here.

 

[Jotto999]

I think there's an important difference between rationalizing the universe to be pointless, and feeling that the universe is pointless.
The first seems fairly logical to me, and as already linked, is simple absurdism. The second is a symptom of depression, and isn't really a philosophical issue but one of health.
Just make sure you're that first kind of nihilist. If you're the second, consider your mental health. If your "nihilism" seems to be a cyclical thing that comes in "bouts"...well, yeah. Look into that.

 

[Nicodemus]

"Existential nihilism

Existential nihilism is the belief that life has no intrinsic meaning or value. With respect to the universe, existential nihilism posits that a single human or even the entire human species is insignificant, without purpose and unlikely to change in the totality of existence." -Wikipedia

This i can positively agree with. But I would point out that there is a big difference between meaning of life and meaning for living. I don't belive we will have any lasting effect or meningful additions to the universe, except for our part in it. Regarding everything we as a species have the ability to affect or be affected by I am a 100% Saganist.

So, as someone already pointed out. Its usless to appoint meaninglessness to something that is meaningless, that would be meaningless.

Sorry for the phrasing and spelling, my english might be a bit rusty.

 

[CosmicJoghurt]

There's a brighter way of seeing nihilism. You can make your life goal, the meaning of your life, whatever you wish. And that, L&G, is extraordinary.