Discussion How do you live knowing life is meaningless?

[Alexander Neumann]

I don't live... at least not voluntarily. I'm only alive because the consequences of a failed suicide attempt is too much for me. Everyday is pure misery and agony for me

That's pretty reasonable. Personally, I think many methods are consistent enough to alleviate this fear, but I understand where you're coming from.

My personal take always was that if I see no purpose in the universe it doesn't mean there is no purpose to life in the universe, but that I failed at finding one.
I believe that life justifies itself, it is its own purpose. We live in such a magnificent, beautiful world, so many people are just blind to the beauty there is. If a tree falls over in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Should life die out there is no one listening to the universe, so absent of anyone percieving it the world might aswell not exist at all.
The preservation of life is the preservation of reality, we should do it to honor everything that all the beings before us suffered through to bring us here and give us what we have, and we should see that future generations are able to experience this world and fully see it for how beautiful it is.
From the first self-replicating molecules in the oceans of primordial earth to whatever comes millions of years after us, we are part of an unbroken chain of life.

There's definitely some truth to this. I feel as if a person continually just works all day, not taking any time to contemplate the world that they live in, they really aren't living at all. After all, they are essentially working for nothing. The fact that we are even existing is a stroke of luck. Every ancestor, especially those who lived far in the past had to survive long enough to create a new generation, and it would truly be a shame to end it right here.

Of course, there's some arguments about not wanting responsibility to create a new generation. Or the downsides to having a biologically-programmed instinct to live, but that's a topic for another comment.

 

[EmptyHeaded]

The objective meaninglessness of life has no bearing on you as an individual. You make your own meaning, or you don't. Absurdism and Existentialism deal with that.

 

[Alexander Neumann]

The objective meaninglessness of life has no bearing on you as an individual. You make your own meaning, or you don't. Absurdism and Existentialism deal with that.

Good point. The main distinction in humans is that we can create meaning deeper than what is physically there—that's why we were able to write books, paint abstract art or write poems. To create meaning for oneself other than just reproducing is absolutely a human attribute.

 

[dreamscape1111]

Nihilism doesn't go all the way.

Meaninglessness means that you're free to create any meaning you want, 'negative' or 'positive'.

It's the ultimate freedom.

Psychedelics and meditation show you that nothing has "a meaning" other than the meaning you're giving it, everything just is, prior to thoughts or meaning.

Go enjoy life, you're free.

** the full episode this clip points to helped me get out of nihilism, check it out.

 

[AnonThinker]

I'm sure many of the people here consider life to be generally meaningless. My question is: how do you live your lives with that belief? Do you just drift around without any objectives? After all, everything that people obtain is going to disappear in due time. I'm certainly struggling with what to do with my life. I don't think I'm depressed, my life is decent; I'm mainly confused on what to make of myself.

Thanks for any responses. This is my first post by the way !!

Fake it until I make it. I'm high functioning depressed. I worked high stress in the hospitality industry for almost 20yrs. Now I've got a chilled job. The only reason I'm alive is because my mom is. I couldn't do that to her. But the minute she dies, all bets are off. I've tried to do research and ironically I'm on an antidepressant that is try something (they mention it in pph) yet the clinic is more worried about my other tablet I take. I can't get more than 28 days worth of that one. Yesterday I tried to get my prescription upped and got turned down. I wanted to do what I did with my last meds that I'm not on anymore and that's to ask for an upped dose and then take less and hoard the rest. But no luck.

 

[anastenka]

There is no point to existence yes, but doesn't that make it all the more interesting? We are all going to die one day, so that gives us more ought to live as we like, freely I suppose.

Once you accept that the universe is fundamentally meaningless, you have to the ability to create your own meaning. So do as you like, nothing matters! Whether that be spending your days in misery or enjoying life and trying to be happy, nothing is a preeminent canvas.

If you are truthful to yourself that adveristy is inevitable, you would be able to welcome whatever reality throws at you head on.

I started rambling but to sum up; life is meaningless, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing, and you can still enjoy life on the ride down. Acknowledge suffering and live, it's just a part of existence after all :)

 

[Alexander Neumann]

Nihilism doesn't go all the way.

Meaninglessness means that you're free to create any meaning you want, 'negative' or 'positive'.

It's the ultimate freedom.

Psychedelics and meditation show you that nothing has "a meaning" other than the meaning you're giving it, everything just is, prior to thoughts or meaning.

Go enjoy life, you're free.

** the full episode this clip points to helped me get out of nihilism, check it out.

"If you're using meaningless as a reason to do something, that's not meaningless, it has meaning." What a great insight.

There is no point to existence yes, but doesn't that make it all the more interesting? We are all going to die one day, so that gives us more ought to live as we like, freely I suppose.

Once you accept that the universe is fundamentally meaningless, you have to the ability to create your own meaning. So do as you like, nothing matters! Whether that be spending your days in misery or enjoying life and trying to be happy, nothing is a preeminent canvas.

If you are truthful to yourself that adveristy is inevitable, you would be able to welcome whatever reality throws at you head on.

I started rambling but to sum up; life is meaningless, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing, and you can still enjoy life on the ride down. Acknowledge suffering and live, it's just a part of existence after all :)

This sentiment is pretty common and I think it's because of the exact reasons you summed up! The whole point of the universe being meaningless is that it allows you to do whatever you want, so there's really nothing more to it.

Fake it until I make it. I'm high functioning depressed. I worked high stress in the hospitality industry for almost 20yrs. Now I've got a chilled job. The only reason I'm alive is because my mom is. I couldn't do that to her. But the minute she dies, all bets are off. I've tried to do research and ironically I'm on an antidepressant that is try something (they mention it in pph) yet the clinic is more worried about my other tablet I take. I can't get more than 28 days worth of that one. Yesterday I tried to get my prescription upped and got turned down. I wanted to do what I did with my last meds that I'm not on anymore and that's to ask for an upped dose and then take less and hoard the rest. But no luck.

That's empathetic of you to care about your mother like that. When you say you're "high functioning depressed," does that mean you're able to work like a person without depression, but you have it? Just curious, what do anti-depressants feel like to you after you take it?

 

[BlackEyedDog]

Agreed, why does society frame life as so achievement focused...

This is a great question and our economic system, aka zero-sum life, has a lot to do with it. We are taught that our lives are primarily about work and productivity. If you are not productive you are less, your life has little to no meaning. Even though much of productivity revolves around merely accumulating, often to help others accumulate far more, doing work we dislike.

I'm sure many of the people here consider life to be generally meaningless. My question is: how do you live your lives with that belief? Do you just drift around without any objectives? After all, everything that people obtain is going to disappear in due time. I'm certainly struggling with what to do with my life. I don't think I'm depressed, my life is decent; I'm mainly confused on what to make of myself.

Thanks for any responses. This is my first post by the way !!

The meaningless hit me hard many years ago. I bought into what Camus wrote about rebelling, for a while. But then I kept seeing all the suffering around me in the world near and far. It became harder to want to live. Now I am just tired.

I think once you are hit with this feeling and understanding of meaninglessness, that that door can't be closed. People will argue or try to reframe ones thoughts and perspective but it's merely distraction. There is some regular medicine i feel could help, and that is to just do. Do not give the mind too much time to think, keep the self busy. Find things to care about, especially other humans and pets even. That can help to varying degrees and depending on circumstances.

 

[Ww42]

I binge drink 3-4 nights of the week. The other nights are spent sleeping 16 hours daily.

 

[escape_from_hell]

Meaninglessness would be a gift if you had the ability to 'make it your own' and live however you like and all that.
Some of us are just shit. Total shit. People hate us. We have chronic pain. I'm sure, on top of that, someone would also say we're "whiners" just for making that observation.
But the point is, we can't just make it magic. It sucks ass for some of us, nihilism or not.
If you are charismatic, got it going on, mad skills, mad money, etc. then nihilism is beautiful.

 

[xinino]

I live with my head cut off, like Acéphale, where there is no what or why.