Positive nihilism

[Ironman5000]

I need this clearing up.

 

I challenge the description of nihilism - why do humans assume the denial of man-made theorized existential determinism is a construct for (possibly destructive) negativity? I am beginning to think I am that contradiction.

 

• I don't believe religion - any god, or their doctrines as global position presents huge contradiction
• I don't believe in the "big bang" theory - there is no sense to assume existence is built from a point in space of non-existence, when the point in space would need to exist...to exist.
• I don't believe in social culture - they are ALL stupid and forces humans into mundane repeated patterns (which IMO are the real cause of negativity), and culture/tradition are pretty much focused on my first point.
• I don't do popular culture, I am an alien in my own world and my theories of perception are always met by despondency or contempt...because people are puppets of life and challenges are observed as a threat.

So there you go, I am thinking that I am a nihilist. What do you think? Keep in mind I don't come to this decision lightly, I am intelligent and have done my research into pretty every aspect of what I described so please don't condescend. Also I should point out in relation to the negativity apparently linked to nihilism, I am one of the most laid back guys you will ever meet and and can't remember the last time I ever did anything negative without outside provocation, and ONLY in ALL those cases was due to persistent ignorance or stupidity or intolerance of other people.

 

If I get no informative responses I will just assume I am right and you are wrong.

[Tidus44]

What I think is that you sound more existentialist than nihilist, but whatever. It doesn't matter really, label yourself with what you feel comfortable with, it's just another artificial concept used to subjectively categorize individuals within a society's culture in order to judge and to be judged.

I did find your reasoning slightly confusing, contradictory if you will, but every belief, every considering something true, is necessarily false because there is simply no true world; but then, who am I to judge how you see yourself or to provide validation of your beliefs. Liberate yourself and in that show others the ways and means of overturning their limits.

[Ironman5000]

Maybe you're right there, and does fit into my despondency to popular observation and opinion. Can't say i'm surprised that the response would be met with a certain amount of disdain which is fair enough however I should point out that I raised the topic for no liberation, I don't actually care. I am content with how I feel, and it is everyone who are at war with themselves and each other but that realization is not liberation for myself it is merely a pragmatic observation of the world around me.

 

If I sound contradictory then please feel free to point it out, I am not the best at communicating my thoughts into words I tend to try harder to project concept rather than think about the linguistics. Having said that contradiction is around every corner IRL so it's hardly surprising for me to adopt a little bit eh? ;)

 

I should mention that this isn't about ME and my feelings and thoughts and crap like that, i'm not like that at all. I just thought I would raise something which I have been thinking about and there aren't many outlets for intellectual discussion these days. I don't feel anything positive or negative about how I think, nor do I care how others think or even if they care.

 

This actually originated from a discussion with a friend the other night which resulted in the suggested possibility that I might be nihilist, which made me think but i'm no scholar and wouldn't even try to challenge such a claim or pretend to know any better.

[Tidus44]

Well…… I might have been a bit too subtle in attempting some humour in my previous post, but at least I am convinced you are neither nihilist nor existentialist.

I roomed with a nihilist for 2 years when I was stationed in Germany and have a pretty good grasp on the philosophy. The Wednesday night get-togethers he and his contemporaries held to discuss life, liberty and the pursuit of the proletariat were always rather eye-opening. Good times…

 

Honestly, your post makes me think you are just another bored individual living a life of privilege who has questioned the objective values placed upon them by society and who despairs over the alienation and dehumanization of the postmodern first world. That doesn’t make you a nihilist, it just makes you a thinking person who is sensitive to and wondering of the world around them. And that isn’t a bad thing or something I would disdain.

 

The difference is, those who truly embrace the philosophy rely upon it as a means for personal development and I don’t particularly see that as a negative aspect, nor would I be disdainful of someone who has honestly adopted the philosophy or its doctrines.

Unfortunately, most individuals who think they are nihilists believe it’s about political anarchism when its moreso about their feelings of futility and intellectual aimlessness and use the label as an excuse for being lazy and stupid and depressed. Whereas nihilists use the philosophy to view life’s situations free of the preconditioned suppositions forced on them by social conventions thus opening their mind clear of the unnecessary clutter of “proper thought and behaviour” in order to further their own intellectual development.

 

I guess my thought is that if you are to embrace the philosophy, do so to achieve intellectual honesty within yourself rather than dwelling on what is “right” or “wrong” or “positive” or “negative”.

[Vagrant0]

And this is why we don't discuss religion here. If you're actually curious, there are better places than this to get your information.

 

 

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