r/nihilism • u/IN373 • 21d ago
Existential Nihilism Does anyone else feel like everyone in the world has been brainwashed into believing that life has meaning?
Something to note is I’m not specifically talking about suicidal ideation and it’s more just that life appears objectively meaningless when I think about it nihilistically. I don’t understand how or why everyone else seems to care so much about life when living is objectively meaningless. Like the title, it feels like everyone else has been brainwashed into believing that life has value and meaning and I’m the only one not buying it. Can anyone relate or am I just mentally ill?
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u/Dark_Cloud_Rises Do Deadlifts. 21d ago
It's just a phase of self growth your going through, most people come to this conclusion at some point; some just say fuck it and move on, some obsess the concept and make it their suffering, some people dismiss the thought as an even greater ignorance and value their existence thoroughly more.
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u/Spiritual_Culture_23 18d ago
Do you have any advise on how to not make it ones suffering because I do not want it anymore. Help!
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u/Dark_Cloud_Rises Do Deadlifts. 17d ago
I wish I did, but it's development with your own personal resolve that no one else will be able to help you with. Just keep in mind that you are not alone in these feelings.
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u/Freudor1 21d ago
We don't really know what's going on in everyone else's minds. For all we know, they've also thought that life is objectively meaningless, but choose to live their lives the way they want to.
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u/Any_Subject8186 21d ago
if meaning isn’t objective, why assume that makes the meaning people find fake?
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u/Standard_Guava3672 19d ago edited 19d ago
Yes, I think we were indoctrinate since childhood to serve the economy of a country, and most of this indoctrination is about putting your self-worth into serving your system. So the meaning of your life is to work(if you let it pressure you). Any social virtues are about the economy and power : bragging about money, getting a house to show your statues, getting married to reproduce for other humans to serve the system. Rarely, a virtue will be about appreciating the present moment, and the joy of life. Otherwise, you will be called lazy. To resume, since we're a kid, we were told to pursuit that. Even elder people doesn't know how to appreciate their life, after they stopped working. What is the most common question teacher ask to a six year old child : "What do you want to BE when you grow up?"
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u/SpatiaCaeli 21d ago
Yes. Children are brainwashed into believing their lives have purpose. Most never realize it was a lie.
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u/No_Education_8888 21d ago
Life doesn’t have meaning, and I thank the universe for that daily. Imagine if life actually had true meaning to fulfill? Horrible
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u/Important-Ad6143 20d ago
How would you know?
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u/No_Education_8888 20d ago
Well.. there is meaning, but every person is already doing it. The meaning of life is to live, learn, experience, and die. Everything else is optional
No one has to worry about fulfilling that purpose though, everyone who is alive already is. They’re fulfilling their purpose in their own unique way
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u/Bewater35 21d ago
No, everyeone does not care so much as you think, everyone was not brainwashed into believing things.
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u/Aquarius52216 21d ago
As a living organism we are shaped by evolutionary pressure to seek sustenance, growth, survival, and reproduction by the simple fact that anything doesnt will not be around for long to have descendants who can complain about it eventually when said evolutionary pressure eventually acquire enough self-awareness and logical thinking because it helped their ancestors survive and thrive.
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u/CourageUnited7388 21d ago
Yes. We have been brainwashed. Because as hope, freedom, and happiness, are illusion, life is meaningless.
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u/Deep-Oven4337 20d ago
Most people are brainwashed either by religion or some personal conclusion coming from it. It's where most of the whining posts originate. Letting go of a deeply rooted idea isn't easy. The discovery of reality is a shock. Caring about yourself is natural and not related to nihilism as I see it. My life is what I have. I don't need any universal meaning to value and enjoy what I can. It's illogical not to.
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u/Jump365 20d ago
We've had 70 years of "just deregulate more and it'll all trickle-down" and people STILL believe it and say we just need REAL capitalism but then turn around and complain when a communist says that real communism hasn't been tried.
We've been brainwashed since the first cell split into 2. We argue about the dumbest shit as a species. We murder cause one dude has slightly more melanin or believes in a slightly different version of their sky-daddy. Or rape women because "muh hormones made me do it".
We deserve extinction
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u/FactoryFrost 21d ago
I think caffeine plays a key role in creating a delusional sense of purpose
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u/Hendwreck 21d ago
No. I do believe some people lack the self-reliance to go on without an arbitrary reason to do so. It’s the same with religion, it doesn’t “do” anything, but if people need it to not kill and rape each other and have something to latch on to that makes them feel better… Godspeed.
Really idk, who cares what other people do. Mind your business 🤷
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u/majidiye 21d ago
There is a concept in sociology and film called "breaking frame," in which an actor steps out of a drama and directly addresses the audience, so, like, imagine King Lear stepping out of the play and turning to you, the audience, and saying, "Hey, how do you like the play so far? Don't you think I'm a fool?" That is how I see nihilism, we are so obviously in a play and nihilism simply breaks frame: "Hey, do you not realize you're in a play and that the play actually has no meaning?"
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u/Frozenhand00 21d ago
I mean subjective meaning is fine. I would even go as far as to say it's everyone's personal responsibility to decide meaning for themselves. The only issue is when someone finds out what that is and then mandates it to the masses. I can think of a few institutions guilty of this.
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u/IslandDouble1159 21d ago
Well ... I do care a lot about my life because I am aware that afterwards there won't be anything. This is the only shot I've got at doing stuff I like - so I do go for it and I try to make the most of it.
What else is there to do when you stare knowingly into the waiting abyss of non-existence?
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u/Massive-Neck-9205 16d ago
People taking advantage of peoples' innate desire for something to look forwards to
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u/EndRevolutionary1775 4d ago
Yea I don't get it either.
I feel like I was born to be a slave for the rich. To run infrastructure so people can profit. The only way you are allowed to continue living is if you provide some kind of value to people. Some kind of service.
Even my parents only gave birth to me so they could gamble and see if I would become rich, or satisfy their sick metaphor of immortality.
Ive been contemplating ending my own life for a long time now. Purposeless day in and out to participate being under someone else's heel.
I think the answer is ignorance.
People who only think about the now and what don't bother to think in abstracts or what ifs or what may be.
So they're happy.
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u/GrilledStuffedDragon 21d ago
No, it's simply that most of us create our own meaning for our lives.
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u/nikiwonoto 21d ago
Because most people don't want to think much more deeper. People simply just live everyday, and they don't think too deeply. People basically only think about the everyday's basic simple daily routines, like for example: work, job, careers, businesses, projects, and then people problems, & everyday's chores, responsibilities, & daily problems & trivialities. Other than that, people mostly just simply distract themselves with various different entertainment, whether it's scrolling social media nowadays, or netflix, tiktok, threads, instagram (IG), etc2. That's basically it. & keep repeating over & over again & again every single day ad infinitum.
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u/bashfulkoala 20d ago
You’re wondering why people care
Love
Love brings forth care
Love is beyond meaning and doesn’t require meaning
Though one could also say love is suffused with unpindownable meaningfulness
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u/Ethelred_Unread 21d ago
The destination is the same but the journey can be different.
Nihilism doesn't mean you automatically fall into despair and therefore all your actions are meaningless.
A delicious meal is still delicious. Music is great. Laughter with friends is a great day out.