Nihilism. How did you beat it?

Question

Im trying to be more optimistic about how i see things but i just cant. i cant just forcefully adjust my brain like that. Ive tried Pavlov (condition) my brain by little positive stimuly but in the end i failed too... Any thoughts?

Dustin · Accepted Answer

Don't do medicine. Work out get out of your head. Hit the gym focus on your gains. If you don't like that. Bike. Get outside garden. Plant a tree.

Will · Answer

That's not nihilism, that's depression.  Therapy and medicine.

Knight Steele · Answer

Personally, I don't think Nihilism is something you can "beat". Once you acknowledge that nothing has any intrinsic value, it's hard to go back, and I don't think you should. I say be forever skeptical.

So how does one find any value in a world with no intrinsic value? By concocting it. It doesn't mean you have to force yourself to be positive. It doesn't mean you have to force yourself to believe in God or the supernatural. All it means is you must find your own value in the world you've been placed in. There may not be any intrinsic purpose to our existence, but we are here whether we like it or not. So let's do what we want with it, because if after death it's endless nothingness, might as well attempt to enjoy this life.

How you learn to enjoy your life and feel happiness is something you'll have to figure out. In fact, I think only you can do so. Educate yourself in all that you can and it should come to you.

Also, thanks for posting something actually related to philosophy. Most posts here are boring ass inspirational quotes or mindnumbingly mundane post about God.

John · Answer

For the love of God whatever you do don't become a philosophy major. After graduation the only conclusion I came to is they don't have an answer for it. Absurdism is bull, Existentialism side steps it, Dadaism is a joke. Postmodern philosophy seems to collectively decide to look the other way. Or worse, blame you and call you depressed for not being content and well adjusted in a sick society. Buddhism and Daoism made sense to me but at the bottom of the pit always is the Nihilism.

You can't defeat it anymore than you can defeat the vacuum of space. Most of the universe is empty space, an endless void of nothingness. But knowing that doesn't kill you. Realize you don't want to be in that. You want to be on Earth. Find the things that are your oxygen, your water, your Goldilocks proximity to a star. You need a place to live, you need friends, family, a sense of community. You need something you can do that gives you fun, something that gives you validation, you should be able to eat food that you enjoy and get a reasonable amount of sleep.

The void will always be there but to dwell there is to die, and though we all will in time, the opportunity to experience other things is wasted if that's flame we moth to. We are just a speck in the blink of the eye of the universe. That just makes the world bigger. Stay alive. Explore Earth.
Nothing really matters. Everyone is going to die. Come watch TV...

JJ · Answer

I’m something of a nihilist but it doesn’t get me down really. All of your actions are irrelevant anyway, so you might as well do things in pursuit of health and happiness.

Tea · Answer

I tend to see first things I don’t like..be it a born character or trauma response doesn’t matter..but that’s also needed like when people build a plane optimistic thinks cool it can bring us faster somewhere and the pessimistic thinks about failure but than parachute is build etc 
We need both in order to survive so if you tend more to be negative you have to embrace it but if your own thoughts are drowning you than you need some healing to make it bearable

Dandan - Not Not Dan.. The Real Dan. · Answer

Try nihilistic gum. They don't believe in flavor.

Marcus · Answer

God is what helped me, I know in the end he’s there for me and has my best interest at heart. No matter what happens to me there is a reason and it is always the best reason. Just putting that out there.

Mehdi · Answer

Its not that gonna happen in one day it takes time  and you don't need to be optimistic all the time you are a human after all we all have bad thoughts the main goal is to be optimistic and if u had a bad thought its ok just dont let it be in your head 
Sorry for the bad english

Yamil Gonzalez · Answer

Sometimes it helps to look at the same thing from a different perspective. Here's mine.Nothing matters. So do good for the sake of good and laugh when you want because no one will for you. It's your life to live so do something a little crazy like get a weird flavor of ice cream.

Dustin · Answer

Just want to say! If you need someone to talk to. Before you do anything tell me. I've been in state care forcibly. It's not fun.

Bahaa Alden · Answer

In my case the antidote was existentialism you just accept that it is how it is and start find your own meaning instead of seeing only the dark side, read camus

Nick · Answer

I fell into absurdism eventually I learn to laugh at everything, pity those white knuckling meaning, valuing the life of a roach, smiling at acts in whole hearted goodness, and finding God* in everything.

You have too learn to dance.♥️☮️

🌀🔄⚖️

S.stax · Answer

Ask yourself the same question right now, its three days ago - has anything changed? Does nihilism itself be stuck or does time change it at all...

Aless · Answer

Go to church, pick up hobbies explore different ideas, but most of all start listenjng to Allan Watts.

Nihilism. How did you beat it?

Philosophy Community

I’m something of a nihilist but it doesn’t get me down really. All of your actions are irrelevant anyway, so you might as well do things in pursuit of health and happiness.

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