Overcoming Nihilism
Meaning and purpose have been part of human existence for as long as we know ourselves. Diversity of meaning has been one of the most crucial factors in the separation and division of human societies throughout history. Questions surrounding the subject have been discussed by philosophers for millennia's establishing it as the core denominator of all religions, political movements, and social revolutions. The capacity of a person to accept and respect the fact that different people have different meanings and purposes in life has been the foundation of democracy, allowing the West to prosper and reach its current stage. Christianity and monotheism, in general, are based on the need of humans to have a clear, articulated, and applicable purpose. Creating meaning for each person based on their personality. Such a frame allows societies and the people in it to concentrate on other social matters as a generally comfortable framework accepted by everyone participating in the community.
Our current Western society is evolving toward Nihilism. It is reflected in many places in the West. Making it one of the most concerning developments of the last decade. The implication of such a philosophy is destructive to any society that seeks to cooperate and evolve constructively. At its core, it contradicts the idea of society to start with. The Oxford definition of Nihilism is "the rejection of all religious and moral principles, in the belief that life is meaningless." If I need to put it in my own simple words, I will define it as follows: The belief that our existence has no more significant meaning or importance than a rock, ant, or a tree. It is an equality of nothingness, making humans not only not important but, in many cases, less relevant than the trees in a forest. The term nihilism emerged in several places in Europe during the 18th century, notably in the German form "Nihilismus." However, it was also used during the Middle Ages to denote certain forms of heresy. The concept first took shape within Russian and German philosophy, representing the two major currents of discourse on Nihilism before the 20th century.
The recent increase in Nihilism is not surprising. The fall of Christianity, the fear of Nationalism, and the deconstruction of the historical family structure all contribute to this movement. Another factor is the recent doom day extinction rebellion that the media and our government constantly push in our faces. Concepts such as the alarmist Global Warming, Covid, the last 20 years of economic instability, and the aggressive liberal call to cancel everything we used to be proud of all bring people to the unavoidable conclusion that life is meaningless. Loneliness in big cities and the advance of social media do not help either, as it diminishes our interaction with real people, diminishing our social skills and our need for accountability. Nietzsche saw it coming and warned us about it. His full quote about the death of god goes around the lines of – "If people stop believing in god, they will start to believe in anything presented to them." Not very optimistic at its core.
The subject of Nihilism is very close to my heart, as I have fallen deeply into its shadow. It was not a voluntary choice but seemed like an unavoidable logical conclusion at the time. At first, there was something very comforting and liberating to the idea that there is no meaning or purpose in my life, as it freed me from any responsibility or demands I had from myself. The idea that there is no point as there is no meaning meant that accountability or true responsibility is needed. I was free to be nothing and do everything. A true childish dream of a dreaming Peter Pan. Unfortunately, this comfort very fast changed into darkness. The more I dug into it, the less meaning I had. The more I tried to get out of it, the more I found around me good reasons that pushed me back down. It is a hard place to be and to be honest, it almost killed me.
An interesting thing about being part of the Nihilist clan is that it reinforces itself in circles. As more people join in, less meaning things start to have around. After all, if nobody cares, many things truly become unimportant. Moreover, I noticed that for some people, The idea that they are not alone in this dark place makes them feel more powerful and important. It gives them a reinforcement and, in some way, a new meaning – To spread the gospel of Nihilism and meaning in a half-prophetic way. Funnily enough, it is a paradox, as a Nihilist who believes he has a mission by itself makes him unconsciously believe in his own importance, making him a believer in meaning itself. Maybe, it is our inner need to have a purpose for meaning or our unconscious mechanism that cannot avoid it over a long enough period.
In our current day and age, most of our environment promotes hopelessness and meaningless existence. It is everywhere. From the "end of the world" movies to the futuristic TV shows that show us how we destroy ourselves. The promotion of alarming global warming that is mainly based on twisted statistics (and no, I'm not a global warming denier), the neo-feminism that explain man they are primarily a toxic unneeded aberration of woman, and the general deconstructive movement that scream we are all bad in our core and that we should all be ashamed and disgust from our history. It is a relentless propaganda that feeds on itself—evolving as a social chimera infecting every aspect of our life.
The ease with which this idea spread seems almost too natural. It pops up from nowhere and seems to resonate with many young people in the West. I came across many young and old people explaining that there is no meaning and that any trial to create one is artificial and based on hypocrisy. After reflecting on the subject for some time, I believe that the rise of Nihilism has two requirements that allow him to flourish. One is the aggressive push for Doom mentioned above, and the second is that many people no longer have a clear and solid value proposition to hold onto in difficult times. For millennia, religion, Nationalism, and social structures were taken as an obvious given. It made everything easier as it dictated its core meaning: one that framed people's life, purpose, and role.
Many spokespersons in our current age explain that the reason for our increasing Nihilism is based on the push for Doom propagated around us. They normally pick one specific reason and make a short career out of it. Some blame the church, others the government, feminism, or the economic stagnation of the last 20 years. I have no doubt in my mind that this approach is excellent for a career, but I believe it is an easy and unsatisfactory path to take if we are to find a real solution to our problem. All the reasons mentioned above are justified. They can explain to lost souls what is happening around them. It answers the question of "What is happening?" convincingly, allowing people to repeat to themselves and the people around them. Regardless, I believe that concentrating on these issues becomes part of the problem over time, not the solution. After all, explaining why reality is problematic without outlining a real solution is no different from any other doomsday they complain about.
Following long reflections, I believe there is one denominator to all these social movements and the rise of Nihilism. It is a meaning crisis. We lack purpose, and we are told there is none. We are explained that all the ancient purposes betrayed us and that believing in one brought only misery to humanity and our world. On many levels, it is true. Many values we had have brought violence that benefited a small part of the population at best, in the price of the suffering and sacrifice of the many. Ignoring or denying it is not helpful and easy to prove. Regardless, the solution is not to get rid of it altogether.
My biggest issue with Nihilism and the reasons I believe we do not have a real constructive discourse about it is that, at its core, the ideas behind it are right. They reflect a scary truth. One that we just called bigotry and heresy for millennia. The idea is that, in the most simplistic and basic manner, there is no fundamental meaning and purpose to our life. It is a hard pill to swallow, but one we should address if we are to move forward. I genuinely believe that the only reason we wake up in the morning is because we open our eyes, and here we are. It is an unavoidable truth that we never really manage to contradict without creating tales about the afterlife, gods, and nationalist folklore. Our actions are temporary, and on a historical level, only a few people are remembered. It is all true regardless of how it makes you feel, but it is missing the point. The only point that really matters, and what I believe to be the solution to our problem, have nothing to do with why you wake up in the morning but all to do with what you do with it now that you are here. It is not an obligation; it is a choice. Which probably is the reason it is so complicated and demanding.
Meaning is a classic example of something we can do without but shouldn't. It is not given or inborn by the universe. It is created in our minds. It creates purpose, cooperation, happiness, and joy. It helps us overcome hardship and bring out the power we never believed we had inside of us. Making it the most powerful force in the human arsenal. A person can pass an entire life without meaning, holding to the idea that there is none. But in that case, his life is unimportant, and his actions are irrelevant. A person that believes in Nihilism is just waiting to die. In case the nihilistic person in question has some form of benevolence, the person will wait for its end, trying to hurt or damage his surrounding as less as possible, making him psychologically more of a disease on earth than part of a bigger interconnected cosmos (Sounds familiar Greta?). We can all live like this or just die in mass suicide altogether tomorrow. After all, there is no point. I find it to be a miserable way to live a life. One that I will not wish for any person I love. Not because it is wrong but because we can do much better.
Meaning is there in abundance if one is searching to have one. It is found in beauty, art, and music. It is there and affects all humans regardless of their culture, age, or race. The fact that we find a universal joy in music can prove that meaning exists irrespective of our conscious effort. It uncontrollably moves something in all of us. It is done without any conscious effort. Music is sound. It is the combination of sounds we enjoy hearing not for reaching its end but for the sake of the process of listening to it. It has no purpose, but it has a deep meaning. It is different for each of us, but it exists in all of us. This by itself shows meaning is there. We can ignore it and live without it. But if we wish and want, it is there for the grab. Most importantly, it is nice and adds to our lives. Making it a better place and giving us a good reason to live another day.
We are currently experiencing a crisis of meaning and purpose on a mass scale. We became addicted to holding into problems, making them the depressing center of our reality. Peaceful solutions require effort and a messy process of trial and error. Something many people will be reluctant to engage with as they are exhausted from the fear-mongering of the loud minority of extremism that took over our perspective. It is a challenging path that we are reinforcing and solidifying. It is a race to the bottom. Jordan Peterson said while talking to a crowd that: "There's this idea that hell is a bottomless pit, and that's because no matter how bad it is, some stupid son of a bitch like you can figure out a way to make it a lot worse." It is true and somehow became a sport some people are proud to partake in.
Meaning, at its core, is a solution. Not a perfect one, but a solution at its essence. It is what makes life count. It is a subjective purpose based on beauty and promotes the creation of more of the same beauty. We can live without it on an individual level, but on a social level, we cannot. Order is based on meaning. Love is a manifestation of our willingness to have meaning. Hope builds on the meaning we choose to allocate to our future, creating purpose. It doesn't have to be grandiose or fancy. It just needs to exist. I believe that at our core, we would all wish for health, security, and happiness for the people we love. I believe we would all prefer to be happy and not sad. That love is better than hate, and that trust is better than mistrust.
The hardest part about it is that having a purpose and holding into it is a choice. One that requires discipline and mental strength. Life is long, complicated, and usually not what we tough it will be. Living constantly tests our conviction and strength. Giving us all the reason in the world to give up and cave to Nihilism. Being alone and isolated hinders our capacity to hold onto our meaning as it puts all the weight on our psyche that weakens over time. Regardless, if we are to create a better life for ourselves, the people we love, and the future generation, we need to believe we have a purpose. Not because it is a must but because it is the only path that creates hope.
I believe in my capacity to create a better future as I believe in the capacity of humans to wish for prosperity. Some people call me naïve, and they might be right. But I would prefer every day to live in a naïve way with meaning, rather than a life based on a realistic, depressing way that will bring me nowhere good. Meaning is a choice and a responsibility. One that we can help each other hold. Not because it brings us to a known end but because the alternative is clearly getting us nowhere.
Check out my latest books or post if you want to learn how these ideas can be implicated in an educational system.