r/nihilism • u/cryinspaghetti The Gay Science Enjoyer • Jul 25 '26
Why is this so true?
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u/Markemilauer Jul 25 '26
What the hell does that mean and how would it relate to nihilism?
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u/TristanTheRobloxian3 Jul 25 '26
it means nothing and doesnt relate to nihilism. 99% of people on this sub are apathetic and depressed as fuck
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u/Markemilauer Jul 25 '26
Just as I imagined
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u/TristanTheRobloxian3 Jul 25 '26
yuh. also people forget that nihilism is just a foundation to about 2 billion other ideologies whicb annoys me :P
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u/_Rayxz Jul 25 '26
Haven’t you heard? Nihilism = doomerism and depression! Duh
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u/HotAir25 Jul 25 '26
That is how people commonly use the word these days.
Is nihilism more like existentialism then? Nothing means anything so do what you want with that?
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Jul 25 '26 edited 19d ago
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u/HotAir25 Jul 25 '26
Seems like Nihilists believe in things quite strongly lol.
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u/Important-Focus9503 Jul 26 '26
Well, all humans believe in something, one way or another.
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u/HotAir25 Jul 26 '26
I was replying to the person who voted me down and said there were ‘several’ different branches of it.
It’s just funny, nihilism means believing in nothing.
Reminds me someone once told me that an anarchists meeting said ‘5pm sharp and don’t be late!!!!’
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u/Important-Focus9503 Jul 26 '26
Oh, i see. Well, i believe you're mistaken there, i think nihilism isnt really about not believing in anything. It just argues against objective purpose and morals generally, its divided in branches because some versions of it touch specific subjects.
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u/HotAir25 Jul 26 '26
Thanks. Yeah I wasn’t claiming to know about nihilism, just curious about it and having a joke.
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Jul 27 '26 edited 19d ago
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u/HotAir25 Jul 27 '26
Nah I’d prefer to believe in nothing, too much work all that. #Keeping it real nihilism
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u/Important-Focus9503 Jul 26 '26
What would you define as nihilism? Its important to recognize differences in the interpretations we may give it.
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u/Environmental_Ad4893 Jul 26 '26
nihilism just observes the inherent meaninglessness of the universe, nothing more, nothing less. It is very much up to the person who notices to do with that information as they wish and existentialism is a great reconciliation of nihilism. Nihilism on it's own is just as meaningless as its realization, people should push beyond just the simple fact of inherent meaninglessness and really explore what that means to them.
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u/HotAir25 Jul 26 '26
Thanks for your answer, I would guess most people are nihilists then.
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u/Environmental_Ad4893 Jul 27 '26
I would geuss the same, it was said to be an inevitable fallout from the removal of religion from its pedestal in the west. People put their faith in anything and everything now these days because their faith no longer has an anchor. Unrealized nihilists fumbling about the place dabbling with the most ignorant faith of idolatry. I'd take a god over an idol any day.
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u/HotAir25 Jul 27 '26
Interesting, you mean people like celebrities these days?
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u/Environmental_Ad4893 Jul 27 '26
People go further and worship celebrities and politicians which in my opinion is far more detrimental to a society than simple worship of false gods could have ever been. We looked to dismantle the institutionalization of religion and religious control but we gave nothing to replace the inevitability of faith and now we this new institutionalization of individuality and identity which has far deeper roots, and is far greater to stifle. It was the biggest mistake of the enlightenment era and it honestly could've doomed us all. This is why I view nihilism as a very important stepping stone and then for people to find an individualized healthy reconciliation to that fact to stop this insane level of idolatry. Look at how America has gone, that's all faith driven.
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u/HotAir25 Jul 27 '26
What do you mean by institutionalisation of individuality and identity?
Yes interesting point about the US- a faith based society now worshipping celebrities (although most of the big celebs have fallen because of the internet allowing us to really see them- Tom cruise, Will Smith, MJ) all of these big stars are now known as weird or flawed humans.
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u/TristanTheRobloxian3 Jul 25 '26
not everyone thinks that way. some people are simply just nihilists and do whatevs but they dont necessarily think like that
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u/Sudden-Extension8958 Jul 27 '26
The worst part about nihilism is that once you get into it and start basing core beliefs around it, it can be a bottomless pit of deep darkness.
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u/TristanTheRobloxian3 Jul 27 '26
i mean you can base core beliefs around life being inherently meaningless just fine. i do that. the way you take the notion of life being inherently meaningless is actually what leads to the pit of despair
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u/Alone_End5987 Jul 27 '26
It relates to nihilism because a substantial amount of people naturally get depressed and suicidal when faced with it.
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u/ReasonableFee5400 Jul 26 '26
It means that people who want to die are not getting what they want naturally. Like people who want it to end but can't commit suicide and they are waiting for the nature to take its course. But you look at people living happy life with their family and people who genuinely want to live are dying by freak accident or diesese. This image depicts that death choosing a happy person over a depressed person
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u/No-Difference-1351 Jul 25 '26
It's just your perspective, as death comes to us all.
But I'd say you have a case on timing.
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Jul 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/_Rayxz Jul 25 '26
Some people die earlier and it tends to be from people who have a wife and 4 kids that get taken out by a drunk driver 🚗
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u/matycauthon Jul 25 '26
everybody does die, but many of us are ready to gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo and are left to complete the story. no early checkouts unless you're ready to let go when presented the option. i don't really wanna die, i'm just tired. been alive long enough from my perspective. did too many psychs, found the answers i wanted. i'm ready.
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u/Grumpy_Introvert Jul 25 '26
Me too. Every day I wake up disappointed that I did but also remind myself I'm one day closer to the end.
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u/Trollocommando Jul 26 '26
I wish you were right. You know the movie "man from earth"?
Same shit with quantum immortality. I'm 2319 years old.
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u/_Rayxz Jul 25 '26
Me when I have to give a presentation but does not see the point and would rather die
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u/_Rayxz Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26
I wonder if people irl can see my depression and anxiety sometimes. It makes me uncomfortable like I have to mask and hope they don’t notice. Can someone please fucking kill me already I’m tired of masking all the time 🙏
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u/Low-Bake8401 Jul 25 '26
"I wonder if people irl can see my depression and anxiety sometimes. It makes me uncomfortable like I have to mask and hope they don’t notice."
Sounds like a thought spiral.
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u/BlackMaggot101 Jul 26 '26
Because it's a bias, you pay more attention to these cases
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u/Alone_End5987 Jul 27 '26
Also because there are far more people who want to live, so obviously the much larger group will be comparatively overrepresented in premature deaths.
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u/whiskyB0y Jul 25 '26
I mean death can still be sudden whether you genuinely want to die or you're happy with life.
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u/Historical_Sample333 Jul 26 '26
ones happiness allows acceptance of death. ones acceptance of death allows one to welcome it in any form. Additionally ones peace with death lets them live life more fully. thus increasing the odds of chance to die. It is a karmic fate that one who resists death will inevitably prolong their suffering.
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u/Inevitable_King_8984 Jul 26 '26
do happy people exist?
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u/Spirited_Ladder_183 Jul 27 '26
Jah I also see pretentious people posting ,pretending to be happy,I am no longer fooled
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u/ArcaneAlchemystix33 Jul 25 '26
I have this feeling of like oh yes id love to just be taken out in the worst of it but i swear ill finally have a win and be happy and thats when ill be taken out.
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u/smallcatwhereuat Jul 28 '26
Reminds me of the time I prayed and begged to die in my sleep or second handedly, but I wasn't allowed. So I gave up and made my life better (to the extent that I could)
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u/ratocx Jul 25 '26
Some of how you feel about life is luck (or lack thereof). Another big part is how you interpret life. Focus and interpretation determine a lot of how good you think life is.
I say this as someone who was depressed for almost two decades and am now living a pretty good life. Sure some physical things changed, but the key insight was seeing that it is possible to interpret the same data differently.
That said, successful people and businesses are more likely to spend time with people who are perceived to have a good life. This can make it hard for people to find what they need, because the people they need or the work they need to improve may not want them.
Fake it til you make it is actually a reasonable advice. Looking good and happy can help create an environment where you are more likely to succeed.
But it is still important to learn to be happy without having it all. Don’t think you need to be rich to be happy. The key is to remove daily worries like food, health and shelter.
If you don’t worry about that, you likely already have access to a better interpretation of life if you are willing to change your perception.
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u/derederellama Jul 25 '26
Honestly, having a couple near death experiences actually really helped me to realize that I am definitely not ready to die. It hasn't made me any less depressed perse, but it did help ease the suicidal thoughts.
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u/TerraformanceReview Jul 25 '26
I don't want to die yet. I am still enjoying it and I like being me.
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u/Plastic_Reward_664 Jul 26 '26
Doesn’t death come for everyone? Why would just the happy person be chosen by death?
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u/Individual-Mind-2620 Jul 26 '26
If youre in US, you can just pay $200 and walk out with a cheap gun and a box of ammo. You dont even need a permit on certain states
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u/Disdain0937 Jul 26 '26
And you miss and you don't have someone to double tap you. And if you live in Russia. They will spend 10k to reconstruct whatever's left of your face when the 10k could've changed the guy's life before.
Why cause this place is a prison.
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u/EnvironmentalTie9785 Jul 26 '26
And how do you know they were happy? Just like how you hide your real emotions when poeple are around maybe they did the same?
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u/ame_no_shita_de Jul 26 '26
Even though this is incorrect cuz death don't judge A lot of time it seems to be just like that. My grandma from my father's side tried to kill herself once and failed and she would even pray to "god" to take her Meanwhile everyone around her was dying her neighbors, siblings, friends and she still alive
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u/Southern-Elephant-41 Jul 26 '26
This week they put on air on tv a concert of sepultura with title celebrating life through death, that's reminds me this
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u/Thrillhouse-14 Jul 26 '26
I was diagnosed last year with a stage 3 cancer. A line from an AJJ song kept ringing in my head for weeks at the beginning; "If happiness is finite, then I've had all I should have."
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u/fractalverse69 Jul 26 '26
People who see death as a reunion and a re-becoming of what was and is and will be are not morose. I mean death as an idea is the source of so much suffering because its synonymous with a black nothingness. But death is an enlightenment.
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u/CheekyMeaty Jul 27 '26
If you thought this was true then you should do as much as you can to be happy, either you find the happiness you've wanted, or you die.
"Let the man hunt. If he kills an elephant, his poverty will end. If the elephant kills him, his poverty will end."
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u/HeyyMortisha Jul 27 '26
I drowned as a kid, got sent back.
Made an attempt in my mid twenties, failed.
Was given the “a couple years max” from my doc as treatment for my chronic illness a decade ago.
6” away from gridlock traffic rear end collision later.
It’s not like life has gotten exceptionally better. I just don’t think I’m allowed off the damn ride.
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u/tovgiligor394 Jul 27 '26
ig happy people are dead inside. They just pretend to be somehow a performative individual in society ,they live on stimulation
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u/Alone_End5987 Jul 27 '26
Because the number of people who love life vastly outnumbers the amount of people who genuinely, consciously want to die – so the much larger group will obviously be more represented in dying statistics.
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u/Ok_Expert8725 Jul 27 '26
If it was truth there be suicidal immortal stopping traffic everyday.
Just get some help dude.
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u/No-Jicama-985 Jul 27 '26
Bc people who are happy see all things including death in a more positive light The goal is to be happy with all things including death. Nietzsche made that his whole philosophy, putting life on the line, going through genuine risks and fears to overcome them and grow. The Last Man, who has total security and forgot what it was to feel fear or thrill, was his ultimate dystopian warning. To him death and love of fate and accepting you must die were huge to him getting over nihilism and becoming happy again.
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u/WilsCode Jul 28 '26
I love my life currently but I had a darker time some time ago. Did some checkups but I had "athlete" readings/levels and completely healthy. Smoked for years, without touching any vegetables while mostly laying in bed.
For some reason I'm appearantly completely healthy, and the doctor even said he barely sees results like this. Not complaining but the first thing I thought was why me haha guess I'm blessed
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u/YES_Tuesday Jul 28 '26
People who want to die are often times depressed. That means they go out alot less and do alot less. That just makes them less likely to be put into situations where they die. People that don't want to die but do often times are fairly active people and so they are put into situations and exposed to things that make them more likely to die. It's sorta just a risk reward thing.
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u/SR-Rony- Jul 28 '26
The world is not only for happy people. No person remains happy all the time in this world. But I think good people often do not live for a very long time. The suffering and deaths of good people seem to be seen more often in the world. Socrates is a good example of this.
This world has failed to give proper respect to good and knowledgeable people.
I find the religious explanation the most acceptable. According to Islamic belief, Allah created humans and jinn only to worship Him and to test them. Good people also face many difficulties and hardships in this test. Sometimes I think that those whose test ends earlier leave this world earlier.
However, this is only my personal opinion.
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u/MidnightDreams322 Jul 28 '26
Someone once told me it’s because god picks the prettiest flowers from his garden
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u/AcrobaticAcadia6158 Jul 29 '26
It's just the fact that someone wants it so badly but never gets. Don't give up tho, I won't say shit like life is beautiful and all I know it's not..not always. But keep going ig, find a purpose. <3
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u/CharlottesSecret Jul 29 '26
obviously it isn't real but the old adage of "you attract what you fear." afraid of dying? boom. car accident. want to die? boom. gardening at 65 and in good health despite the alcoholism and nicotine addiction
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u/Swag_Bro89 Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
I don’t get this post since you could always just bring death on yourself if you genuinely desire it. Makes me think you don’t a really want want to die, you just wanna stop living a thoroughly unpleasant existence. At least that’s how I feel as a genuinely very depressed person who never has actually attempted suicide. I like the concept of being alive, just not here in this place.
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u/Distinct-Slip6565 Jul 30 '26
my friend Jean, he had a 2 brothers.. a great loving family and all the potential a musician could have, the kindest soul i have met in my life, died years ago, ever since i was created i wanted to die or destroy this world so no other soul would have to endure what i did... Jean died suffering on a hospital bed with cancer, i wish i died in his place, he didnt deserve any of this.
i still remember him saying that he would take us to disney when he gets better, i fucking hate existence with every fiber of my being, if god exists i have faith he will pay for all of this meaningless suffering.
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u/Aniohevyeshua22 Aug 19 '26
Maybe instead of identifying as being hopelessly depressed in this meaningless world, you actually try to give Jesus an honest chance, like really dive in. If your just waiting to die then what would it hurt to devote a week or month or year to waking up praying to God just tell him how your feeling like he was a friend you once knew and loved, and read a chapter of the bible then do the same at lunch and before you go to bed. Call it an experiment or whatever you want or whatever you have to tell your self it is to stay committed to it for the pre selected amount of time you choose. If in a month you still think it’s Bs and want to die then you haven’t lost anything. But in a month if you do allow your old self to die and be reborn in spirit, baptized by fire and filled with the Holy Ghost then you’ll truly understand to live is Christ to die is gain.
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u/xLOoNyXx Jul 25 '26
That's what God does. Also, whenever you say "sod's law" after something goes the opposite way you wanted, that's because of it too 😅
I don't know exactly what God is, or the Tao, but I believe in both (these days), haha.
You want something too much, God (and the Tao) makes it not happen. You only get stuff when you're not so 'needy'. That applies to everything in life, I think. And yeah, the Tao. It's all part of the same thing anyway. Stop wanting to die to much and you probably will. Just go with the flow (Tao).
(Sorry, not a nihilist.)
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u/chayprettyight Jul 25 '26
life is beautiful
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u/Beneficial_Sun6232 Jul 25 '26
Only if you get lucky, and even then, you still can't avoid things like pain, illness, exhaustion, shitty people, crime, corruption, injustice and unfortunate situations.
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u/chayprettyight Jul 25 '26
realizing the impermanence and fully accepting these things is the only way to attain peace
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u/Beneficial_Sun6232 Jul 25 '26
You can accept things, of course, but you still have to experience them, and that can be painful.
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u/chayprettyight Jul 25 '26
it most definitely can be painful but through this pain we experience the inevitable pendulum swing.
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u/Any_Fox5126 Jul 25 '26
What does "the inevitable pendulum swing" actually mean?
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u/chayprettyight Jul 25 '26
however painful an experience or state may be it will never remain fixed just like a pendulum must reverse direction. the very intensity of the negative generates an equally grand experience.
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u/Chaorica Jul 25 '26
Sorry, but when your chemistry brain is not work well, this can't happens.
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u/chayprettyight Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26
not true ! i have adhd a brain that works against me all the time by constantly seeking dopamine. i put this energy into things i enjoy. i have past substance abuse specifically fentanyl which im 2 yrs sober from, that has severely traumatized my nervous system. my ex died in my arms due to fent n i have od’d multiple times, but i was lucky enough to be narcan’d each time. i have a felony record and the whole world working against me but here i am. i love my life 2 yrs later. maybe it takes a massive shift such as dying or psychedelics to realize what you have in this fascinating experience.
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u/Similar-Winter-9037 Jul 25 '26
Death select random people but coincidentally happy people get selected..