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It's sad that many nihilists think like that life is meaningless, there's no point in trying. Nihilism suggests our lives don't have inherent purposes defined b

by hamasho 11mo ago

It's sad that many nihilists think like that life is meaningless, there's no point in trying. Nihilism suggests our lives don't have inherent purposes defined by religion or culture. That means we can define our own purposes and values of lives, not by following a god packaged with harmful commandments. Many people feel fulfilled when they notice small improvements or helping others for tiny things, and they're grateful for that. You can simply appreciate those feelings instead of being sarcastic. Younger people tend to have nihilistic ideas like this. And it's understandable, because it's true that the reward for being hard working, loyal, or honest is decreasing, so we think why bother trying? But the decrease of those values is just a small amount at a time. It doesn't suddenly change life from are full of joy and meaning to a complete waste of air. You can still improve a lot of things by taking small effort. Not much as it was in many ways, and yes, definitely there are someone who are born lucky or can improve a lot with far less effort than you put in. But it's still possible. I spent a lot of time thinking like this, but slowly realized I can make my life better just by trying. That time wasn't a waste cause it made me a little bit more sympathetic to others, but some people spend their entire lives in that way. It hurts them, and it's sad they miss the chance to improve a bit. It accumulates over years and decades, and ending in an unhappy and regretful life. We can't be the full potential version of ourselves without huge effort, but can still be much happier by a small, consistent effort over time.

exoverito 11mo ago
The obvious problem with nihilism is that ultimately everything is ungrounded and there are no moral truths. Some people are naturally altruistic and feel fulfilled when helping others, others are naturally sadistic and feel fulfilled when torturing others. Nihilism means these are fundamentally equal impulses. This is why humans invented various religious systems and philosophies to provide grounding for absolute moral beliefs. There's also probably an evolutionary factor at work, where nihilistic societies imploded or were outcompeted by confident cultures which believed absolute moralities. This is being seen today in Europe, with nihilistic progressives having few children, supporting mass migration, resulting in being demographically replaced by absolutist muslims.
- hamasho 11mo ago
  Yes, there are people who are sadistic but still fear divine punishment like karma or hell. And religion may be the best way to force them to stop harming others. But our society prioritise freedom. We don't arrest suspicious people without warrants, allow people secret and secure communication on the Internet (I mean I'm not sure those things will continue but still), and even freedom of religion itself. We should accept the risk of increased immoral activities due to not forcing people religious restriction just because they are born in such family or culture. And I think society collectively can have morals, especially we are financially and socially fulfilled. So we need to aim that direction, even though currently it's going to the opposite. with nihilistic progressives having few children, supporting mass migration While it makes sense to think that nihilists don't value culture and don't mind mass migration, AFAIK most nihilistic communities are often racist. Actually most communities, including leftists, don't welcome immigrants. The only group is the rich and corporations who just want cheap labor while don't need to face cultural conflicts and deterioration of security. We can restrict migration and still treat current immigrants like humans by electing politicians who aren't sensationalists, greedy populists backed by corporations and continue mass migration after they grab the power. This is why humans invented various religious systems BTW, I personally think the biggest factor for religion exploding, especially after social orders were developed and the gap between social classes were polarized, is the anger against unfairness and those exploiting others, manipulating social structures for personal gain, being assholes just because they were born lucky, and facing no consequence. It's almost impossible to see justice served, or be rewarded for living humble and honest life. So we needed to invent "heaven and hell", which brings justice for "us" and "them" after death.
- cess11 11mo ago
  You should read Nietzsche.
- fellowniusmonk 11mo ago
  Moral truths are a lesser form of truth. There are truths that bind god itself in every possible universe (modally.) There are grounded, binding falses/truths from which man cannot escape, things so wrong that to call them "value" wrongs is to try and reduce the universal wrongness of the action. Actions that are wrong for everyone, even God, god or gods, for all time, in all possible universes. Value wrongs are different than other kinds of wrongs, we make them for ourselves, they can also be true without a god, there is a lot written on this topic. But man doesn't need god for absolute truths that govern their lives and weighs their actions to exist, doesn't need god for eschatological consequences, etc.
profsummergig 11mo ago
> Younger people tend to have nihilistic ideas One of the strangest phenomena (to me) is the phenomenon of young people stealing cars, then driving them around in circles, in the middle of some city no less, until they burn out and catch fire. Apparently it's fun for some. They're called "street takeovers".

by hamasho 11mo ago

exoverito 11mo ago

The obvious problem with nihilism is that ultimately everything is ungrounded and there are no moral truths. Some people are naturally altruistic and feel fulfilled when helping others, others are naturally sadistic and feel fulfilled when torturing others. Nihilism means these are fundamentally equal impulses. This is why humans invented various religious systems and philosophies to provide grounding for absolute moral beliefs. There's also probably an evolutionary factor at work, where nihilistic societies imploded or were outcompeted by confident cultures which believed absolute moralities. This is being seen today in Europe, with nihilistic progressives having few children, supporting mass migration, resulting in being demographically replaced by absolutist muslims.

hamasho 11mo ago
Yes, there are people who are sadistic but still fear divine punishment like karma or hell. And religion may be the best way to force them to stop harming others. But our society prioritise freedom. We don't arrest suspicious people without warrants, allow people secret and secure communication on the Internet (I mean I'm not sure those things will continue but still), and even freedom of religion itself. We should accept the risk of increased immoral activities due to not forcing people religious restriction just because they are born in such family or culture. And I think society collectively can have morals, especially we are financially and socially fulfilled. So we need to aim that direction, even though currently it's going to the opposite. with nihilistic progressives having few children, supporting mass migration While it makes sense to think that nihilists don't value culture and don't mind mass migration, AFAIK most nihilistic communities are often racist. Actually most communities, including leftists, don't welcome immigrants. The only group is the rich and corporations who just want cheap labor while don't need to face cultural conflicts and deterioration of security. We can restrict migration and still treat current immigrants like humans by electing politicians who aren't sensationalists, greedy populists backed by corporations and continue mass migration after they grab the power. This is why humans invented various religious systems BTW, I personally think the biggest factor for religion exploding, especially after social orders were developed and the gap between social classes were polarized, is the anger against unfairness and those exploiting others, manipulating social structures for personal gain, being assholes just because they were born lucky, and facing no consequence. It's almost impossible to see justice served, or be rewarded for living humble and honest life. So we needed to invent "heaven and hell", which brings justice for "us" and "them" after death.
cess11 11mo ago
You should read Nietzsche.
fellowniusmonk 11mo ago
Moral truths are a lesser form of truth. There are truths that bind god itself in every possible universe (modally.) There are grounded, binding falses/truths from which man cannot escape, things so wrong that to call them "value" wrongs is to try and reduce the universal wrongness of the action. Actions that are wrong for everyone, even God, god or gods, for all time, in all possible universes. Value wrongs are different than other kinds of wrongs, we make them for ourselves, they can also be true without a god, there is a lot written on this topic. But man doesn't need god for absolute truths that govern their lives and weighs their actions to exist, doesn't need god for eschatological consequences, etc.

profsummergig 11mo ago

> Younger people tend to have nihilistic ideas One of the strangest phenomena (to me) is the phenomenon of young people stealing cars, then driving them around in circles, in the middle of some city no less, until they burn out and catch fire. Apparently it's fun for some. They're called "street takeovers".