Svenman87   United States. Aug 20 2008 20:55. Posts 4636
Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing) is a philosophical position which argues that existence is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. Nihilists generally assert some or all of the following:
* Objective morality does not exist.
* No action is logically preferable to any other in regard to the moral value of one action over another.
* In the absence of morality, existence has no intrinsic higher meaning or goal.
* There is no reasonable proof or argument for the existence of a higher ruler or creator.
* Even if a higher ruler or creator exists, humanity has no moral obligation to worship them.
The term nihilism is sometimes used synonymously with anomie to denote a general mood of despair at the pointlessness of existence.[1]
Movements such as Dada, Futurism,[2] and deconstructionism,[3] among others, have been identified by commentators as "nihilistic" at various times in various contexts. Often this means or is meant to imply that the beliefs of the accuser are more substantial or truthful, whereas the beliefs of the accused are nihilistic, and thereby comparatively amount to nothing (or are simply claimed to be destructively amoralistic).
Nihilism is also a characteristic that has been ascribed to time periods: for example, Jean Baudrillard and others have called postmodernity a nihilistic epoch,[4] and some Christian theologians and figures of religious authority have asserted that postmodernity[5] and many aspects of modernity[3] represent the rejection of God, and therefore are nihilistic.
Finally something that actually describes my feelings about life. Kinda depressing I know but so fucking true :
0 votes
1
Svenman87   United States. Aug 20 2008 20:57. Posts 4636
Oh Friedrich Nietzsche where the fuck have you been all my life?
1
sniderstyle   United States. Aug 20 2008 21:03. Posts 2046
KIEFFER
His girlfriend gafe up her toe! She
sought we'd be getting million
dollars! Iss not fair!
WALTER
Fair! WHO'S THE FUCKING NIHILIST
HERE! WHAT ARE YOU, A BUNCH OF
FUCKING CRYBABIES?!
Genginho: lose today 100 dollar only because of fishs they called and had luck on river
4
Baalim   Mexico. Aug 20 2008 21:05. Posts 34305
Nietzche is more existancialist than nihilist.
Nihilist did all the thinking process right, almost every postulate seems correct but it seems that in end they didnt focus on a conclusion rather than a justification of the sorrow that the tought process and introspection caused in them.
Indeed, life is absolutely pointless... and that is what makes it so mother fucking awesome!.
Ex-PokerStars Team Pro Online
1
SemPeR   Canada. Aug 20 2008 21:09. Posts 2288
Hey, man. Another latecomer? Shit. Hurry up and join the party. @_@
I've found acknowledging the pointlessness does not necessarily require one to have a mindset of "despair". Chill out, laugh at all the bitching and whining people do. What the fuck else can you do?
Fuck depression. ^.^
1
Svenman87   United States. Aug 20 2008 21:10. Posts 4636
Baal you should read "The Will To Power" By Nietzsche
1
Svenman87   United States. Aug 20 2008 21:11. Posts 4636
On August 20 2008 20:09 SemPeR wrote:
Hey, man. Another latecomer? Shit. Hurry up and join the party. @_@
I've found acknowledging the pointlessness does not necessarily require one to have a mindset of "despair". Chill out, laugh at all the bitching and whining people do. What the fuck else can you do?
Fuck depression. ^.^
I've felt this for a few years. Just interesting that there is an actual 'ism' to my thought process ;P
Although I still struggle on NOT being depressed feeling this way. But idk : it'll probably take more introspection to really determine wtf I want to do.
Last edit: 20/08/2008 21:16
1
Svenman87   United States. Aug 20 2008 21:18. Posts 4636
I'm finding it harder and harder to bite my lip at work when everyone talks about religion and I get at least 1 'religion' chain email a week...
1
asdf2000   United States. Aug 20 2008 21:27. Posts 7709
nihilism is silly
if there is no "point" then what the fuck is it that you are experiencing
nihilism is just intellectual depression
Grindin so hard, Im smashin pussies left and right.
1
SemPeR   Canada. Aug 20 2008 21:28. Posts 2288
It's all in your perspective. I honestly don't understand, with a mindset like this, how one can get irritated by anything. I mean, sure, you're a person, shit can bug you, but chain mails and religious cooler-talk should be soooooo "meh" by now.
1
asdf2000   United States. Aug 20 2008 21:30. Posts 7709
nihilism is jsut like, people wanting more than they are getting
because they don't realize that they are the source of what they are getting in the first place
Grindin so hard, Im smashin pussies left and right.
1
Svenman87   United States. Aug 20 2008 21:33. Posts 4636
On August 20 2008 20:28 SemPeR wrote:
It's all in your perspective. I honestly don't understand, with a mindset like this, how one can get irritated by anything. I mean, sure, you're a person, shit can bug you, but chain mails and religious cooler-talk should be soooooo "meh" by now.
Ofc and it is... But I'd love to try to open some other people's minds up. I like having intellectual conversations especially when another person challenges my side ;D
Last edit: 20/08/2008 21:38
1
Svenman87   United States. Aug 20 2008 21:35. Posts 4636
On August 20 2008 20:30 asdf2000 wrote:
nihilism is jsut like, people wanting more than they are getting
because they don't realize that they are the source of what they are getting in the first place
We don't 'want' anything. Why would we want something when it doesn't matter what we had when it's over with?
Last edit: 20/08/2008 21:38
1
Svenman87   United States. Aug 20 2008 21:37. Posts 4636
On August 20 2008 20:27 asdf2000 wrote:
nihilism is silly
if there is no "point" then what the fuck is it that you are experiencing
nihilism is just intellectual depression
I am still struggling with the point of wtf am I here anyways if nothing matters. That's why I hope after I educate further I can get into a mood much like Semper's. And Nietzsche's view as well. Content with Nihilism.
Last edit: 20/08/2008 21:37
1
Svenman87   United States. Aug 20 2008 21:40. Posts 4636
I'm going to crash for the night but if there are a few more responses I'll probably make a topic in the gen forum tomorrow This looks like it could have some good responses.
1
asdf2000   United States. Aug 20 2008 21:51. Posts 7709
On August 20 2008 20:30 asdf2000 wrote:
nihilism is jsut like, people wanting more than they are getting
because they don't realize that they are the source of what they are getting in the first place
We don't 'want' anything. Why would we want something when it doesn't matter what we had when it's over with?
Well I think that you do want something, because everyone wants things. And nihilists tend to suffer from depression, even if it's kind of light and in the background (you know what I mean).
I don't see how permanence would change the "point" of anything. If anything, there is more of a point in impermanence.
The fact that you have the question hanging around in your mind of "what is the purpose of all of this" shows that you are a step ahead of most people, you are not nearly as attached.
If you take an active interest in your experiences and start asking "why" to everything, you can come out of this nihilistic view.
nihilism comes about because u are seeing the world from a materialistic perspective. who can blame you, science is religion in the west.
but what comes first, your experience or the physical realm? which one do you truly know, which one are you composed of?
start analyzing the experience and not the material. There may not be an intrinsic point to existence but that doesn't mean that nothing is worth doing.
live in the now, be mindful, free yourself and all others from suffering. your stream of experience isn't going to end when your body dies.
experience is in and out, in and out. why do you think it is limited to just your physical existence in some body?
I hope I don't sound condescending. You are just obviously a deep individual so I am attempting to convert you to the path
Grindin so hard, Im smashin pussies left and right.
1
R_I   New Zealand. Aug 20 2008 22:02. Posts 682
So it's a matter of perspective for everyone.
Take a knife and try committing suicide by stabbing yourself in the throat a few times.
I'm hoping your current perspective tells you that pain and dying is "bad" even though logically it seems like there's no difference and everything goes.
Once you're past that, i.e. you have considered Camus' big question of whether to commit suicide, take your time with the others.
Try downloading some stuff from Alan Watts and watch his video series on Youtube starting with this vid:
The vid series is not really related but his "Out of Your Mind" audio series is pretty damn good and might provide some answers.
1
RonK1337   Australia. Aug 20 2008 22:14. Posts 268
The reason for the current views on life are merely consequential as to the society that one has been brought up in. So obviously at the moment you think stabbing yourself in the throat a few times is bad because thats what we are lead to believe. If you are locked in a room since the day you are born, fed and taught to stab throats then that is all you know and so you would do it with wanton abandon. I feel this is main detriment to nihilisitc point of view, the fact that everyone is so settled into society that they believe that the things that society thinks matters must therefore matter. EG we all need to save the sick baby whale that floated into Pittwater in Sydney - why the fuck does anyone care about some sick whale? Nihilism would allow you not to be pissed off obviously if you could fully come to terms with it - but being brought up the way we are in society - this is simply not realistic so one has to go for the least "giving a fuck" as possible imo! (see ROFL thread with ROFL in title for some not giving a fuck instructional videos).
1
R_I   New Zealand. Aug 20 2008 22:29. Posts 682
There's a big difference between stabbing someone else and stabbing yourself to death.
My point was that Sven's perspective atm is hopefully one where suicide is somehow "bad". Once he establishes that, he can (perhaps must) rethink his nihilism and go from there.
If he comes to the conclusion that he wants to check out of life, that's fine too.
1
Motiva   United States. Aug 20 2008 22:39. Posts 104
Hmmm, well I\'ve been considering myself a Nihilist for years now. Though nihilism is kind of silly, as it is also almost contradictory to call yourself a nihilist. I used to say that I was just agnostic with nihilistic tendencies.
I do disagree with a lot of what people are saying in this thread. As in nihilism is just depression and ect. No it\'s actually a philosophy with a lot of good, and profound logical observations about the human condition. Sure it shouldn\'t be taken in 100% and accepted, but to deny a lot of it\'s truths is just silly as well. I think there is a major misconception about the purpose or truth of nihilism. It really isn\'t very different than existentialism.
Absurdism is the philosphy that you can find in The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus. And is actually what I identify with the most these days.
Camus didn't agree with existentialism pretty much because it says meaning is essential. Nihilism pretty much says that it's impossible for there to be any meaning to life.
Absurdism is where it's at.
There is a such thing as a meaning to life.
God is irrelevant to that meaning.
It's possible to create your own meaning. (Religion, Life's work, other "vanities" as nihilism would have it)
In attempting to find meaning for your life it's possible that, in attempting you create a meaning.
Does it really matter if your purpose/meaning is really meaningful? The means justify the ends?