Discussion Comfort through nihilism..

[Soulstax]

Does anyone feel like nihilistic thinking actually provides comfort?

The evidence is that when we die, we die for good. Our brains will die, and therefore anything we want to experience now while living will disappear, and so will our memories no matter whether we die now or later. Our friends and family might be sad if we commit suicide, but they too will eventually die, and thus their memories will also fade and become meaningless.

Since everyone eventually dies, and all evidence points towards the fact that literally everything will eventually die in billions of years, our existence is ultimately meaningless. That means we're free to create our own meaning (existentialism) or end ourselves at will, and in the end it won't really matter either way.

I feel like this actually provides me with comfort, since I know all the suffering I feel, and the suffering of others when I die will ultimately not matter in the long run anyway. In fact, when I eventually ctb, I will no longer have a sense of time, so ultimately the death of the earth through the expansion of the sun and eventual heat death of the universe will happen without me having any knowledge of it, just like things happened for billions of years before I was born. Suicide therefore is a completely rational decision with no negative effects that will ultimately matter.

 

[Deleted member 1465]

I have tendencies towards this way of thinking from an observational and logical point of view. However, I am what I am, an animal with imagination, subject to the psychological vagaries of the species. My intuition informs my observation and suspects that there is so much more than we could ever figure out. This leaves me with conflicting views. I tend to think it's pointless but for which you derive your own reason, but I want there to be a point to life like we all do. My lack of faith and flawed understanding give me no comfort either way. Or maybe that's just my pessimism.

 

[reapandsow918]

Yeah death is basically no brain stimulation and unconsciousness so by the time you are dead, so is your universe, and your problems.

 

[voyager]

Yes, I have taken some comfort in the idea. For a long time I asked myself why the universe was out to get me. Not saying my life was worse than others, on the contrary, but from my perspective it felt like there had to be some deeper meaning as to why this was happening. But when I realised that I was stuck and couldn't switch to a happier state anymore the whole concept became absurd. I mean, what good is it continuously punishing someone if they can't redeem themselves or put the knowledge they've acquired to some use? It's pointless. As is everything that follows from here on. In fact waiting about for things to get worse seems dumber than just moving on.

Of course in the broader sense it never did mean anything. But on a personal level, imho, there is meaning to how we perceive our lives and the world around us, in particular how we feel in the present. Suicide itself seems to be a meaningful act. If nothing really mattered anymore we'd literally have to shut down, and die in our own excrements from hunger and thirst. The nihilist virtuoso. But that's not me. So while I entertain the idea I'm not completely disillusioned with life. I still have respect for the consciousness we all feel and past editions of myself who didn't perceive existence this way. Because no matter what one believes or which state one is in, no one has ever managed to explain our existence or that of the universe. Maybe there's more, maybe not. So, without all the facts and that includes living out our lives till we die, the answer is probably premature. One which we may only obtain when we can't answer anymore, heh. Thus, I'm presuming death is in fact the missing transition of state.

Also agree with what @reapandsow918 said, unless there's something after death we immediately pass into infinity, which of course could also mean we might end up conscious again before we know it.

 

[strawberrypug]

It both comforts me and provokes feelings of anxiety at the same time.

On one hand, it is reassuring that nothing really matters in the end. At some point, everything and everyone we know now will stop existing. All the horrible people in the world won't be able to abuse or murder or commit any other heinous acts anymore. They will become equal to those they caused pain to. In death, we will all be the same.
But on the other, right now, it isn't the end, so everything still feels like it matters. Assuming this life is all we have, then this life is all that matters, mostly regarding our actions towards others and how they affect them. I don't like knowing that I have the power to both make someone happy or make them hurt, and I think I've unintentionally caused a lot of hurt along the way. Additionally, it kind of makes me feel even more that everything was for nothing. All the hours I've worked, all the time in class, all the tears and distress, etc etc. And I want to think I'll have a good, lasting impact, although it may be too late. It's weird because I want to be forgotten but at the same time, it makes me sad. I want to feel of importance, as I think any given person would. However, I'd say it makes me feel worse about the people I love. I don't want to think about their existence ending one day, even though it is bound to happen.

I think it may be more comforting in defense of ctb. Might as well end it now because it'll end no matter what. So what's the point? Or I guess you could argue it in defense of living: we only get such a limited time on earth, as far as we know. Might as well make the best of it while we're still here.

I feel like I can't quite get a grasp on nihilism, and that may reflect in this reply. It can be argued in many different ways, despite the one constant of it all. Everything will be over. You can give that truth as much weight as you want.