Why Nihilism Sucks: and Why You Shouldn't Care

THIS IS AN OPINION PIECE, THE OPINIONS OF THE AUTHOR DO NOT REFLECT WHAT THE INQUIRER BELIEVES AS AN ORGANIZATION.

What is the meaning of life? This question has plagued humanity for so long that when we started pondering this question, writing hasn’t even been invented yet. Do you want to know the answer? Oh… you do? Well, I don’t know, beats me. 

For those who are religious, the meaning of life might be to do good, follow what their deity or prophet says, and go to the afterlife. Such an easy way to think of things, just follow the rules and you’ll be fine. I respect that… don’t get me wrong. For people like me who do not believe in a god or superstition, the meaning to life is harder to find. As scientific thought began to spread throughout Europe and the wider world, a new philosophy emerged: Nihilism. 

Nihilism in the most simple terms is a philosophy of denial. Nihilists do not believe in any god, any purpose to life. They believe that we are born in this world, a world where the meaning of life is ultimately null and void, and denies the existence of any real moral truths and values. This rebellious way of thought should be commended. To be able to identify the brutal truths of the universe and stubbornly embrace it is harder than you think. I quite agree with what Nihilism has realized: the fact that all that we are and do will eventually be destroyed, thus it never really had any meaning, any intended universal use in the first place. We will all die one day–and we can’t really do anything about it. 

Just because a philosophy is brave and bold does not mean it is a good philosophy. Nihilism lacks one of the purposes of philosophy: a solution. This ‘doomer mentality’ although true, can bring untold harms to believers. A true nihilist who rejects the existence of loyalties, values and existence itself can develop an impulse to destroy. 

What Nihilism fails to realize is that although nothing really matters, things can still be important–whether it is the bond between a parent and a child, one’s love for an ultimately fictional nation, or the pursuit of happiness, these things still affect us deeply in untold but profound ways. Why do we have to stop loving, to stop caring about everything just because these things that we prioritize wasn’t meant to be? The only evidence that is required to prove that something is important is the reaction that humans have when these things cease to exist. For example, if a parent were to be executed right in front of a child, then of course that child would start to cry and mourn the parent and probably vow to shoot the guy who shot their mom. This in and of itself means that we do indeed care. Sure, worrying about your loved ones is cosmically insignificant, but it means the world to all of these individuals. 

Nihilism succeeds at building the foundation on which we can base our ideas, but it can never be used practically without the complete collapse of healthy relationships, economies, and society as a whole. Then how do we live life when believing that everything is ultimately meaningless?

My answer is: that you are already living that life. Sure, morals are fake and are only a tool used by individuals in a society to regulate themselves, but why can’t we pretend that they are important? Everyone follows morals, keeping us from mercilessly killing and beating each other off at the sight of frustration. Why can’t we believe in lies to enhance the quality of our lives? Take money for example. No one really believes that money has any value. At the end of the day, they are pieces of metal and bills of paper printed with weird symbols with random people’s faces, and this means that they can buy things. Wow, that’s weird. Yet, everyone ignores this mental confusion for the benefit for a medium of exchange, allowing everyone to purchase what they want, when they want, where they want. Without embracing these existential inconsistencies, most of the systems put in place in the world would not run. Love is not really real. It’s a bunch of hormones and chemicals in your brain tricking you into stalking their instagram and cuddling with them in bed, yet billions of people do this every single day. Things have been happening as a chain reaction of the big bang for billions of years, and these events will continue to happen as a result until the end of time itself (which is also a chain reaction). 

If you want to live a happy life, learn to embrace the randomness of the universe, and understand that no one will create your happiness.

Go ask out that girl or boy. Go do that project. Go tell your mom and dad you love them. Take that new job. Travel to that country you want. Try that sport you think you’re gonna be bad at. Be crazy. Be different. Be absurd. You’re gonna die anyway–and people will likely forget you after 3 generations, so why not? 

After all, only fools treat the world like it’s the weight of the world. 

-From my meaningless words