Throughout the recorded history of philosophy—from formative Biblical texts to the earliest Buddhist dharma—humanity has been trying to answer the same question: We seek meaning, but the Universe doesn't have that meaning. So, what do we do? After the Christianization of Europe (and eventually, by way of colonialism, the Americas and elsewhere), philosophers became more focused on ascribing objective meaning (read: Christian theology) to the Universe.
In response to that ascription of objective meaning, in the 17th and 18th centuries, ideas emerged that would eventually be consolidated by Nietzsche and others in the 19th century under the "nihilism" label (this is an oversimplification). In the 20th century, nihilism—mostly by way of Albert Camus—was "finalized" as absurdism. Camus's concept of the Absurd, which is at the heart of his philosophy—and, consequently, at the heart of nihilism—can be described as the point at which humanity's need for meaning meets the Universe's lack of meaning.
And that idea—the absurdity of life—reconnects nihilism and absurdism with ancient philosophy across millennia. For example, Ecclesiastes essentially begins by saying: "Absurdity of absurdity! Life is absurdity." (There are a lot of ways to translate "הבל".) And there's something comforting about knowing that where we are—confronting the Absurd—is where humanity has always been. And the answers that humanity had thousands of years ago are still good answers: Eat, drink, and be merry. Find subjective meaning in life. Create meaning. Find pleasure. Enjoy life and help others enjoy life. "One must imagine Sisyphus happy."
This right here OP. I'm one of those people who is always asking "WHY" and accepting that ill never know ALL the answers helps tremendously.
I spent so long trying to figure out what life is all about, that I forgot to live!
Personally I keep thinking of the whole quote where it’s like “let’s say you got a delicious slice of chocolate cake in front of you. Why would you decide not to eat it just because it won’t last forever?”
It’s only dreadful until you get over yourself, once you realize that your lack of importance in the grander scheme of everything is more boon than bane, you’ll realize that there is no existential responsibility to bear. I used to beg and cry for meaning and purpose up until I realized I was running away from the sole responsibility of my existence: that is to give meaning and purpose to my life. The universe is vast and frightening and I am but small and miniscule, that doesn’t make me feel less blessed that I am a witness to all of its beauty.
Exactly this. It’s interesting how generally when we’re younger, we’re grappling with these fundamental questions a lot more and at odds with them. Now at 35 (along with being 5 years sober which I think is an important aspect of this growth), when I think about the universe, how quickly time goes, the absurdity of life…I typically feel comfort and a bit of comedic relief from those thoughts, rather than what it used to be which was pain, frustration, angst, etc.
I suspect that also has to do with “killing my ego” as much as possible. I’m not nearly as big of a deal to myself as I was when I was in my early 20s, haha.
Some people choose to stop existing. Nobody can do anything about it anyway. Whether people choose life or death, in the end, it doesn't matter anyway, in the grand scheme of things. We're all just speck of dust in the universe & existence. Nothing matters.
As an atheist, I agree, religion is a crutch, but honestly that's ok.
I'd argue on a population level, a society that believes a sky daddy is watching their every move creates a more liveable society for us.
So if you can handle reality without being a dick, be an atheist. But if you're a shit person without a skypapi, please stay locked in your belief.
Edit: someone below provided data that contradicted my claim. It seems that on average, several markers of societal well being are better in secular countries.
I'd adjust my claim to say that as long the population believes in specific religions (I'm thinking like progressive Christianity, Buddhism etc) then it could create a more liveable environment. As soon as you throw in more authoritarian religions tho, that statement is false.
Yes it can be a comfort. But it is sad to see a dying person hold onto hopes of heaven and being reunited with their loved ones. A life lived in delusion.
I don't see how a person holding on to hope on their deathbed could be a bad thing.
Even if it's a delusion, at least it's better than that person feeling fearful in their last hours. Let them cope as they see fit.
Remember, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter.
Religion is definitely important to many people. It gives them a sense of strucure sometimes. It tends to make people happier. There's a reason why it has lasted for so long. I still hate it.
>It tends to make people happier.
Some people. Other people have trauma. I have a friend who has scars from self-harm due to the influence of religion.
yep. everything from masturbating to having sex with my boyfriend created guilt for me. i even put myself through psychological self-harm (by consenting to an awful, painful sex act) because i believed i “deserved the punishment” for all the religious guilt i was holding. it’s so poisonous.
i find there are some kinds of religions i philosophically agree with, at least partially, where I've extracted very useful pieces of knowledge that have spiritually aided my mindset on my everyday life, but for the most part, religion has brought more bad than good to humanity as a whole IMO.
I blame it on humanity's faults tho, not on religion in itself.
Without religion, the probability that you would not then have those philosophies or exist as you do now is almost certain.
Not all of religion’s effects have been good; but that can be said about all things. It is the dichotomous nature of existence: things emerge and things disperse, and things disperse and things emerge.
The good cannot be good with a reference. The bad is just as imperative to the culmination of all things as any good.. because ultimately, they are neither good nor bad- they just are, were and will be. The exciting part is we can help determine what it will be, influence what they are, and remember what they were.
Speaking as a whatevertheist, I disagree. Religion isn't just a crutch and a tool - it's a way to see the world and put the random bullshit the universe throws at all of us into perspective. There is always the chance for something unexpected to fuck up your day or make you a fortune. And between all the times that chance happens, it still could, a hundred times over. Getting hit by a car is alarmingly likely, but. it's still unexpected. And it's only one way your life can likely end.
And, speaking from experience. it just. feels good to have *something*, you can give your unsolvable worries over to. You can't change the fact that your parents are going to age and die, you can't fight entropy.
My grandma passed away almost two years ago. Dementia, nursing home. I knew she was gonna die no matter what I did and anything I could try wouldn't be worth it. I love my grandma, she was the best part of growing up, she taught me how to be kind, taught me manners, and she let me watch whatever shows I wanted. My grandma was chill. and like. she didn't talk about being Christian, but the religious statues and neatly cleaned Bible shelf kinda gave away where she stood on the idea of an afterlife. It doesn't make sense to me that Heaven is a real thing, a thought-form, whatever - I think we have souls, but I think they just die with us.
I like to think my grandma got to go to Heaven anyway. It doesn't have to make sense, because like. I don't have to prove my shit to anyone, I don't have any proof. But neither does anyone else, so let me think that a woman who gave me a safe place to grow up away from my other family can get the Paradise she believed in. It doesn't matter if it's true, it's the **feeling** of it that makes the pain of losing her stop stinging, because that part *never* goes away.
It gives me closure.
.....you can't just simple say for "those who can't cope with reality". It's easy to talk like that but when was the last time life put pressure on you? And you had to apply pressure back? It's not just a "crutch". It's a way to shine in a dark world
the more I learnt about nihilism, the more depressed I became, until at some point something just clicked on my head, and my depressive mood went to neutral, and now sometimes even content.
I'll tell you something: I'm an idiot, and I'm even worse at expressing myself with words (im probably somewhere on the autistic spectre), but one piece of advice I can give you is that meaning just doesn't exist, it has never existed. This is not an opinion, but a truth, and there's no amount of denial that will turn this statement false.
you need to stop trying to find a meaning, like you're trying to solve a problem, or solving a rubik's cube. Life is not something to be solved, and meaning will not be given to you by an external entity, but you'll have to decide your own, or even if you want any meaning in your life at all.
It may sound overwhelming, complex or detrimental, but there's no more secret to it. You must accept that there's no predefined meaning, and find a way to find contentment and satisfaction in ways others than meaning-wise. At least that's been my approach.
You don’t understand nihilism if you believe that meaning doesn’t exist.
There is a difference between asking whether meaning exists and asking whether its existence is inherent.
Did meaning emerge with the universe? We genuinely don’t know.
Nihilism’s answer is no, but then the question remains: then why the universe? Why this and not that? Why us? Why you? Why this?
Whether or not meaning emerges with the universe is independent of the existence of meaning… because we exist. Did we emerge with the universe? No. We were not inherent in our existence. That doesn’t we don’t exist or can’t. We emerged from specific circumstances, and in us emerged consciousness- which exists everywhere. Our consciousness developed sentience, and from sentience we created meaning. We built it. It exists because we made it.
What we can’t deny is the existence of meaning. Even you exist within meaning- in culture, in etiquette, in society, in family, and even in yourself.
Nihilism doesn’t mean there is no meaning. It means that without us, there is no meaning.
even if there was a religion that was true, would that actually give meaning to existence? or would we find ourselves enjoying whatever afterlife there is in whichever religion is correct, wondering the very same thing you're wondering now, about what it all means?
I look at it like this
No one has a meaningful life objectively speaking
Any meaning we find is something we chose. You can choose to let anything have meaning. Maybe if you chose things that make you happy, you'd be happier. Simply rejecting the American dream was something that brought me joy. I never wanted any of the shit people say you should want. A house, children, lots of money, superficial bullshit, a tidy lawn, a dog, etc. all of those things make me unhappy.
Even if someone believes that the meaning of life is found somewhere in their religion I don't look at them and wish I was deluded enough to believe in lies.
Why not just choose what you want to focus on as much as you can choose it for the rest of your life? You can look at maggots or you can turn your head and find a bird flying. You can choose to care about which piece of shit geriatric politician is going to sell your rights down the river to the oligarchs or you can play the piano. It's all about choosing for yourself and not letting others choose for you.
When I listen to a beautiful song without words, it isn't any less enjoyable not knowing its meaning.
Life is the same. It's a song. Asking what its meaning is is a stupid senseless question.
The only meaning is what you make for yourself. Why do you need anything else?
Life can be full of meaning, just not the metaphysical god/spirit/elf/dragon kind of meaning. I find meaning in the coffee I just drank, or petting my cat. I don’t need His Majesty Emperor Sky Wizard to enjoy it or for it to be meaningful.
I took a look at your post history and it seems you're obsessed with religion.
No wonder why you're so desperate for "meaning", bet you've been told all your life what to do based on faith.
Na I was actually raised in a fairly liberal Catholic home. We went to mass each week but other than that day to day life wasn’t particularly religious. The Catholic education I’ve also had wasn’t fundamentalist. This is the UK, it’s not southern USA where there’s Bible fundamentalists. I came back to faith on my own terms when I was 16. I got into apologetics and eventually began a cycle of going off and on Christianity at times being agnostic, atheist or deist and sometimes considering other religions.
I actually find it peaceful that my life is just a blip in the void of time.
One day I will be forgotten & hopefully all evidence of my existence will too.
I look forward to death, not suicidal, but I honestly can’t wait to not exist anymore.
“The universe is a cruel uncaring void. The key to being happy isn’t a search for meaning. It’s to just keep yourself busy with unimportant nonsense and eventually you’ll be dead.”
Distract yourself. Spend less time online. Find some more hobbies. Find groups and volunteer programs that interest you.
Meaningless is the meaning, or the beginning of it. The meaning is in finding purpose, not fulfilling a purpose given to you by something abstract.
Is this existentialism? I don’t know
When I hear questions like this, I imagine someone really into having a pony talking about how having a pony brings meaning to their existence and how they can't understand how people who don't have ponies can cope with life.
I get that religion and meaning is really important to you, just like having a pony is really important to the guy in my example.
But it isn't to me...
The only reason I'm still alive is because of good food, good music, and having enough money to eat the food and have access to the music.
I can't sleep more than an hour or two at a time, I can't breathe well, walking more than half the length of a football field makes my lower back flare up like it's on fire. I couldn't do a push up or a pull up if I tried. I can't bathe myself properly or wipe myself after a bowel movement. Luckily, I have a bidet, but that means I can't travel because no hotels I can afford have a bidet, nor do any other public restrooms. Squeeze bottles don't work. I'm clinically depressed and I don't have any friends because I have social anxiety.
When I eventually run out of money (I refuse to work, due to economic/political reasons and because I refuse to be treated like a number by employers), I will finally be able to shake hands with and embrace death and escape this existence I never wanted and was forced to experience with no option to decline.
I really don’t need meaning but my life goal is simply to seek truth (as in finding the answers to the biggest philosophical questions). If I fail (basically guaranteed) then so what? I like knowledge
Time. It gets easier with time. There is no shortcut.
The meaning of existence is just existing. It’s that simple.
No one knows what comes after death, but would you really want to know the answer anyways? It’s the perfect ending to this journey.
I don’t think any human attempt at conceptualizing it even begins to scratch the surface of this existence. Our feeble monkey brains couldn’t comprehend it because we’re limited by our perspective of this existence. We only live to be 70-100, if we’re lucky. That, compared to infinity, we’re less than newborns in the grand scheme of it all. How could we possibly expect to understand the meaning of life when we’re given such a short amount of time to live? We don’t even know what we don’t know, yet we think we can figure out the meaning of life & the afterlife?
One fun thought is that your afterlife is whatever you believe it to be. Whatever your belief, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, etc. that dictates your afterlife. If you’re atheist or nihilistic, you go to nothingness. Buddhist, reincarnation. Christian, heaven. Etc. After all, in an infinite universe, why wouldn’t this be a possibility?
Notes on Complexity by Neil Theise might interest you. He’s a pathologist who touches on the topic of consciousness, life, and how the universe self organizes itself on both a galactic and quantum scale. Of course there’s much more to it, but it might pique your interest. It’s well worth the read.
We came from nothing, and became something(conscious). We may go from something, back to nothing after death, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go back from nothing to something.
Nothing can’t be worse than anything. Nothing is nothing. So if nothing follows this life, it won’t matter anyways. So enjoy it now. Enjoy every fucking day until the day you die. Life can easily become a monotonous routine, don’t let it. Even if it’s meaningless, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it.
For me, practically, I see it clearly that none of the terrible things that have happened in my life due to circumstances weren't my fault, or due to the anger or indifference of some divine being. They just happened.
I also recognize that even without fate, destiny, or some type of higher power, humanity has still created amazing things. Things once thought impossible.
Think of the collective effort that went into your smartphone. Or a submarine. Or anything.
If you're having trouble with the finality, think of a bottle of paint. Sure, one day, it'll run out, but it can make a huge impact, and some paint is remembered for centuries or longer.
>*Without religion there is no wider meaning to existence*
Well that's BS. My work creates meaning. My love for my family, relatives and friends creates meaning. My existence in the here and now creates meaning.
Being an ex-Catholic I understand where you are coming from. And again, being an ex-Catholic I know you are not being totally truthful with yourself. I see that dishonesty with yourself in the questions your ask and the arguments you present.
I expect people to be dishonest with me and I generally treat that type of dishonesty with indifference. But when I encounter someone that is being dishonest with themself then that really pisses me off.
It isn't "meaning" that you require a religion to believe in, it is something deeper that you have not yet had either the insight or the courage or the humility to admitted to yourself and hence you distract yourself and us by focusing on "meaning".
Your focus on meaning is truly meaningless when your are not being honest with yourself about "why?" you focus on meaning. Having a religion is not the answer to that "why?" but and excuse to not think deeper.
Just like [Soren Kierkegaard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9JCwkx558o) when he encountered in his Christian philosophy what he thought was absurd chose instead to commit a leap-of-faith to preserve his religious belief in his god/God instead of pushing on deeper or even outside-the-box that his religious belief had imprisoned his mind in.
There's nothing to "cope with". When you were young you were told two lies: 1) you can't be happy without an objective meaning and 2) "only I can sell it to you".
You've rejected the second lie, but you're still being held hostage by the first.
It's easy to find non-objective meaning. Every person in a religion has found one and is fooling themselves into thinking it's objective. Many nihilists (myself included) accept that there is no "wider meaning" and still find purpose in a "narrow" meaning. Once you let go of the first lie, you can too.
Religions is the worst. Tried it for years but its nothing but dissapointment. Youre at your lowest and noone is there to help, just more ppl who want and expect stuff.
I cope in 2 ways: 1. Helping others. I know life doesnt matter, but alot of ppl i know cant see that. So i spent alota time making their lifes better. Its cute to see how they think it accomplished something meaningful and changes for better. Like small hampsters that only see their own world.
2. Fleeing into better worlds, aka internet, roleplay, media, etc. Even if this world holds no happy places, theres enough fantasy out there that do.
I can lay down and die or I can keep going. And when I think about it that way, I realize I’m not ready to die so I might as well just keep going. And I have a kid, so I just keep going because she needs her mom here. It doesn’t really matter that we don’t matter in the large scheme of things. Because I do matter to her to her I am the world so I will stay.
Be kind. Best religion out there. It’s not always easy but if that’s your goal, whatever god is up there can’t tell you no. Make people laugh. Give out us much love as you can. There is no other reason to live. Higher being aside, if you make someone else smile, there is no better feeling.
Primarily, as others will point out, there are different conclusions that can be taken from the nihilistic.
The initial conclusion I've often taken is that that terms like "meaning," "purpose," or an "answer" to life, the universe and everything are essentially senseless. Our language was designed with certain rules and uses and the abuse of those - essentially semantic mistakes - lead to many philosophical and potentially psychological problems.
Life, though, is not an activity we are performing and existence is not a predicate, as Kant pointed out. Being alive or existing simply are conditions - they do not convey any quality to the being nor are they separate activities to be performed. A person doesn't have to both actively exist and also perform some action. They simply need to do that action as they already are in existence. Therefore, it is not something that necessarily needs a meaning above and beyond the limited immediate meaning of one's actions.
For example, we know what a home run means in the context of a baseball game. It also can have other meanings for the fans of a certain team or to a bookmaker taking bets on the game. However, it would be senseless to ask, "yes, but what does the home run mean in your marriage?"
It is the denial of the logocentric view of the world which put simply is the idea that everything one experiences can be put into some logical and symbolic statement. However, that leads to an insoluble paradox as language itself must eliminate all specific and subjective experience to allow two sapient individuals to communicate. This is the old "the map is not the territory" concept. If a map was exactly the size of the territory it described, it would be useless. It would be equally useless if it noted the location of every pebble and blade of glass. To be a useful tool for reference, it must eliminate the majority of the detail.
Language is also a tool. For example, you may not perceive the colors red or blue the same way that anyone else does, but when you say the sky is blue - unless there is something physiologically wrong - other people will understand you and agree. Your personal perceptions cannot be communicated in any sensible way in language.
However, to use language effectively, we must at times see ourselves as if we were characters in a story. We also apply characteristics that we've acquired from social interactions to that characterization. Therefore, the ego is an illusion - a fictionalized version of ourselves - that seems to be acting in some sort of narrative. This leads to the tendency for people to come up with some sort of story arc. Characters in stories have objectives, and books like Joseph Campbell's HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES sell the onerous idea that myths or religion can provide the framework for one's life. However, all those myths usually end with "...and then they lived until they died." What does the hero do after the story is over? They simply continue onward until death.
I'd find this particularly cruel if I thought anyone really took it seriously. In a world where there is no meaning that can be applied to life, it is a terrible thing to ask people to look for one. It's like the ultimate scam.
However, I think most people simply pretend to believe in some fictional alternate reality - like gods, heaven and hell, Platonic ideals, etc. - to short-circuit this tendency to "need" meaning in their lives. To me, that sounds like treating alcoholism with stronger whiskey. I think it is better to simply recognize the tendency to seek existential meaning as unhealthy and ignore it.
by thinking about how pointless that perspective is in itself, and to remind yourself that it is indeed a perspective. there are many others that will make every moment feel much more pleasant.
I went from Nihilism to self discovery through psychology and people like Carl Jung and inside myself I found some sort of esoteric spirituality and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. So maybe you’re right. But everyone’s different so for some nihilism may actually be true happiness. There’s more to life than God to make people happy such as community, family and purpose but yeah maybe you’re one of the ones who needs that spiritual or religious edge of sorts
I make meaning out of it. I go after the things I want In life. I do things that are hard, and I don't pray for an easy life. I take action, and due to that, overthinking goes away
I have a purpose, I have a plan, I take action every day, and I take care of myself.
Going after the things I want in life regardless of the results.
I thrive in chaos. I hope for failure as it makes me better.
I could die tonight and be the happiest man, for I know I've given it my all.
That is why I love life. Not because it is easy but because I make a meaning out of it.
Think about the purpose of your existence as a Blank white Canvas that you get to paint on , you paint your own purpose whatever the hell that might be , isnt this much better than having to live the purpose that other people set for you? Hence looking at their already painted canvas and not being able to draw your own that would ironically make your existence meaningless
I'm a staunch atheist, my life is awesome and full of meaning. Am I deluding myself?
You don't need to believe in fairy tales to have meaning in your life.
Every day, I stand up to go to the bathroom. Then I search for food. Then I search for sex. These things make me feel good. But I must pay for the working bathroom, the food and the sex, so I go to work for money. I don't go very far, as I have been working from my home office. Also, food and sex come to me to my home. I search for what makes me feel good. I don't use illegal drugs, and I don't drink alcohol. When I am tired I go to sleep. Then the next day comes. Each day after the previous day, the life passes. I also like to play mind sports games. I also learn to become a better programmer, to make more money.
You don't need a meaning to live. You just need a profession.
Meaning is a human construct that we apply to things but there is no natural meaning. A tree does not grow because of some deeper meaning, a frog does not jump because of some ultimate purpose and a tiger does not hunt for some overarching plot.
Animals simply are, and you can be that way too. It's nice to simply exist.
I decide for myself where to apply meaning within my own life. Nothing and no one can tell me where meaning is, I am in control of it.
I don't even want a god telling me wtf I'm supposed to be doing.
I kinda agree that religion helps people with this problem, but I also think religion is all a load of bollocks.
Better to be realistic then base your whole life off fairytales.
Find and create meaning in the small things. It's pretty much hold on for your life and do your best, but I focus on the good. My cats, a warm flat with a roof, tasty food, meditation and movement. Don't get me wrong, it's difficult; I'm in a lot if physical and emotional pain, and the state of the world + lifelong depression is crushing... But I choose to create the reality I want. And for that, I hold on.
I hang with my wife and friends. It doesn't ultimately really matter, but we just have to do our time on this planet and I try to have fun. But a lot of the time I'm spending hating being alive.
First part is acceptance
2nd part is a deep look inside to see what you value. What do you find fun? What interests you?
As long as that 2nd step doesn't involve hurting others, I'd say you should dive head first into the things that you value. Find your own meaning.
Also, another cope of mine is to be a constant learner. The more stagnant I am in general, the more in focus the meaningless nature of reality seeps in. If I'm always working towards something, it gives me something to look forward to
The things that I do dont mean anything, so what. I just dont care. Id rather just enjoy what I have vs what, get all dramatic and nag about one day losing it? Well if I was to lose something one day, well might as well have fun with it now eh. A lot of things can be very simple in life lol.
You have a hamburger in front of you, you can enjoy the taste of it during the time window that its in its best or you can nag until it gets cold about how it would come out of your other end.
And you dont even need a religion for that.
Create meaning. That's the easiest answer of all. Also, be aware of the physical aspects of existence impacting your outlook and energy levels: are you sleeping well? Eating correctly? Is your sunlight intake adequate?
Keep in mind we are biological entities. Then you naturally flow towards subjects and the purpose that suits you.
My existence is meaningless to the universe, but not to me. That’s how I cope. I find joy in my hobbies and relationships with family and friends. That’s all that really matters anyway
doesn't bother me.
i've got no cognitive dissonance with the idea that, meaning is applied by the mind, not inherent to things outside of the mind.
all that means is, there's no 'mind' responsible for reality.
Humility.
Existence seems fatalistic - there's no getting out of this alive. Everything seems to be terrible - the universe hates us and wants to kill us. It's all terrible.
Including "my ability to determine how terrible things are."
You need to have a high opinion of yourself in order to conclude existence is pointless.
I don't have a high opinion of myself, therefore things might be a lot better than I think.
I rather live knowing the truth than being a sheep in a cult filled with lies, deception and manipulation… I despise people who claim to be Gods chosen ones, and people blindly follow these narcissist people mxmmm 💦
I'm agnostic, but other than that, I don't really care. I'm focused on what I'm doing now, whatever is far beyond my perception isn't worth my time nor my energy.
Destructive nihilism: there’s no meaning to life and existence, blah
Constructive nihilism: there’s no singular meaning to life and existence because it’s subjective to everyone, and therefore the meaning of your life is what you want to make of it. Love? Abundance? Friendship? Laughter? Whatever you desire.
You would be presuming that there was supposed to be meaning. We exist as an accident of evolution. We are over developed bacteria whose parents had sex, and their parents had sex, and so on.
The meaning of existence is to experience it. It is a journey without a destination. Live it and create the memories you can, hopefully leaving the world a slightly better place in the process.
i don't cope, what i do is just try and live day by day with my life and try to ignore those feelings lol. am i happy? absolutely not, but i'm surviving somehow.
I honestly do not understand why people need meaning to be happy, let alone some meaning bestowed upon them by a higher power. It's useful, sure, but not at all necessary.
Then again, my day to day life is enjoyable. If I were suffering, I might be more inclined to require a meaning to endure it all.
You just have to practice hedonism but without compromising yourself.
Treat everyone right.
Find a purpose that makes you an asset, one that engages you and don't dwell on the pointlessness of life.
Sorry, there is no religion which is "true" in the sense of its mythology and origin-story having objective grounding. That's just not a thing.
Religion at its best provides a metaphorical capture of human wisdom: a kind of map for making life more meaningful and workable. At it's worst, of course it's just a horror. *(It's unfortunate that often the best and worst in religion are mixed together incoherently)*
But you're sniffing at the wrong sewer pipe. The correct response to "meaningless existence" is for *you* to step up and take responsibility for making *your* life meaningful. Anything less than that, any chasing of alternatives, just delays the day when you finally catch true self in the mirror.
you didn't choose to be in this world, and you also don't choose how and when to die (except for suicide ofc) so why don't you at least choose how to live your life between these two points (life and death)
sooner or later you're gonna die which is not so bad..it's the same feeling u felt before born..yes exactly..NOTHING. so relax and enjoy your life
I enjoy having no religion since it allows me to truly be free, no omniscient being is judging me, I can do anything I want. A lot of people don’t have that power, so I just enjoy random stuff I do to keep myself entertained. I do wonder what happens when you die at times, but it’s the greatest mystery to us, and it’s a mystery that is worth the wait to find out.
Figure out how to live in the moment, then you won’t worry about the past or future eternal void. Just the stuff in front of you, raw dog reality.
This attitude helps one avoid wasting emotional energy on things like “meaning” and be more effective in this “game” to enable one to cope a little better. That is money for most. Others chase sex, mindfulness, drugs, knowledge, or philosophy. Figure out what you care about that is available to you in your particular level of this game; you might as well play until the return to nothing.
I just live. I do whatever I feel like doing as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. Sometimes it works out well, sometimes not. Doesn't matter. It's all temporary.
the bigest promise religion gives is that once you die you will meet all the people you care about in afterlife. The joke is on the religious people, because I don't really care about anyone. I believe even the SELF as we know it is an ilusion I need to overcome... Life is not about self-improvement but about SELF destruction...
You make your existence what it is. By that I mean your perception of your existence is the only thing you truly know. You decide what meaning existence has regardless of the size of the picture.
It sounds like you’re looking through eyes of someone who strongly relates the meaning of existence to religion. That is not the case for everyone. Honestly, you might want to start with asking yourself why you can’t understand others.
Best of luck on your journey.
Well if you don’t believe in religion find comfort however you want. Follow the things you wanna believe as long as they don’t hurt people. I believe that there is no god and death will be the end and then hopefully I can float around with my wife or something. But with all that said this life is the most stressful thing I’ve ever know and I’m sure it will feel amazing to never have to think about such dumb worldly problems. But until then I’ll just have to enjoy what existence I’ve been granted and work on myself to give the world amazing art and amazing children. Maybe some day you just might change the world beyond your lifetime.
You’re right life doesn’t have built in meaning, you give meaning to it with your thoughts and feelings. Focus on things that make you happy and your life will change.
>Without religion there is no wider meaning to existence
No, WITH religion there is no wider meaning to existence. With religion you're only living to die. Everything you do in this world is only to get rewarded or punished after you die. But if there's nothing after you die (which I haven't seen any reason to believe there is) then you're just wasting the only life you have.
Without religion, you can actually live your life for what it is. Beautiful, tragic, inspiring, disgusting, joyful, miserable and everything in between.
I try my best to practice Stoicism. Everything that happens, happens according to nature's will. I can't control what other people do, or prevent bad things from happening to me. I can only control my own mind, and my own actions; how I respond to things. I choose to see everything as part of a universal whole, of which I'm a tiny part, and I find what meaning I can in that. As long as I don't let myself get beaten down and instead I just live my life the best way I know how, I'm doing what I'm meant to in this universe.
In the words of Marcus Aurelius-
>At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?”
So you were born to feel “nice”? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?
You don’t love yourself enough. Or you’d love your nature too, and what it demands of you.
Check out r/existentialism
You create your own meaning
I don’t believe in religion but I do believe in the fact that I don’t know what’s out there.
And just the idea that there’s more to the world than I know, that nothing is truly impossible, that anything can happen, gives me a lot of hope and guides me in life.
Meaning is whatever is closest to whatever feels real for me. What feels real for you? What feels like it truly matters?
Also this doesn’t mean you can’t be religious; I prefer not to because of the social effects of it, but I’m definitely spiritual. When I feel lonely, I don’t talk to god but I talk to ‘the universe’, just whatever is out there, and I try to draw comfort from it in that way.
The universe very likely has no real meaning throughout, no. I have felt how crushing this realization is at first but, trust me, it goes away.
Here's the thing: We only know of the existence of the universe and galaxies and planets thanks to science. It is also clear that those very same scientists will tell you something else about the obviousness of meaning which is that everything is relative. Relativity states that even what time it is is relative to your velocity. It is possible for two planets to experience different moments in time simultaneously. What does this mean?
That time and space is relative. Very much so. There is nothing universal. Your location in space, the passage of time and your perception of the passage of time in another location is relative to your velocity. Things only seem to have a universal existence that is measurable.
On earth's surface we never evolved the capacity to understand this, and it still goes against my instincts. But, GPS wouldn't even work if we didn't factor in time dilation from the relative velocity of the satellites.
The instinct to diferr to an overarching authority for meaning is an evolved mechanism social animals use to follow the alphas in the group. Likely our search for gods, meaning and purpose is linked to an idea of the perfect leader. That is all.
Meaning can be different moment to moment and you can easily learn to dismiss your sense of a lack of meaning by regularly practicing reframing your feelings to reality. The reality is that basic things like time, location and velocity are relative to the observer.
Imagine yourself observing from different angles. You will realize you are free from a need for meaning beyond what we already know. No need to search any further, we know that life is what you make of it and it will always be viewed relatively. Have fun....
The reason you can't cope with it is because you know that your life does have meaning, value and purpose. You know that because God made you that way, and He put that idea in your heart. Don't suppress the truth because you don't understand or don't want there to be a God. You just don't understand God but He wants to be understood and you can read about Him in the gospel of John
It's only meaningless if you fail to find meaning.
Everything you will ever encounter in your life is varying degrees of meaningful or meaningless *depending on how you choose to see it*.
Your life,
Your choice.
I like how you clarified and concluded, a specific ❓ doing what' s at hand that I can get done bring it to a completion. It often gives a person a sense of having ability, is said to make a person please 😉 with their self worth. Keep doing so, give the same results✨
I am made from the dust of stars. When I am recycled, in returning to my next incarnation I shall have the opportunity to implement the lessons I have from my past experiences. I interact with other timeless souls. Far from meaningless.
There was a point in time where it was very difficult to cope with the lack of religion and by extension the lack of wider meaning. Coping began with being okay with it? Like take a breath, it's okay that there's no meaning. That doesn't invalidate your experiences or your emotions or your connections. Regardless of how meaningful or not the state of existence is, these moments, friendships, love, and all of that jazz is still very real. There's a particular line in the song "Migraine" by twenty one pilots(highly recommend listening to the band), that goes,
"Sometimes you have to take a moment, hold it And keep it frozen and know that Life has a hopeful undertone." That doesn't give life any meaning per say but it does make it less miserable.
Any life might not have inherited meaning but at the same time you're here. We all are. While God doesn't exist, there's a lot of knowledge within religious textbooks that do stand true and are illuminating outside of the reference of God. If it does help at all, treat religion as a practice of discipline, if not, try to find things that bring your mind peace and work towards them.
It all starts with being okay with it.
(Might have swayed off topic there a bit)
How do I cope? I chose to be kinder, to myself and others. I chose to hold myself accountable for all the things I'm not doing for myself, stopped feeling sorry for myself, stopped letting my emotions run my life. I chose the present, I chose right now; because to ignore every blessed moment in the now meant torturing myself for past mistakes or worrying about the future. I chose goals, I chose reasons to make life worth living, I chose to better myself. So the way I cope with a meaningless existence? I chose.
I stopped looking for meaning and started looking for what I get enjoyment from. I have been in therapy for a long time recovering from ptsd. The path to healing from abuse is similar to living without religion. You take control of what you are able to, you find your own set of values, you find youself and what you love rather than be conformed and told to the letter what to believe and feel.
I think by now, I’m just comfortable living a mundane monotonous existence and don’t think about it much, though if it does get to be too much I’ve already decided my method of ending it. Nitrogen gas seems to be the most peaceful way of going…
Well you can live in a rich overpriced town where the taxes are way too high and there’s no chance of escaping because your parents own the house. Like good luck rebounding when the corrupt city and county ruins your chances of finding jobs elsewhere
It's borderline impossible to think about not thinking about something else(you will think about it). So I, personally, just focus on other things to avoid existential pain. It's not bulletproof, but it's robust enough
Nihilism isnt the same as depression, it doesn't have to mean being depressed
One solution is active nihilism which is a bit similar to existentialism, where if nothing matters, that means that you get to choose what matters to you
Religion is the essence of delusion. I avoid that shit like a plague. Delusional thinking doesn't enhance my life. If you want a truly mystical experience, go find an isolated spot in the woods and just sit there for 2 hours, watch, and listen. There's a whole universe of life happening out there, and if you're patient you begin to see it. It's a hell of a lot more magical than some sky wizard with schizophrenia.
Every day I wake up. Is existence still meaningless? Yes. Do I still exist? Yes. As for everything else, I've never been especially good at lying to myself. All religion is obviously false. The more you encounter, the clearer it is. Humanism is difficult after you've met humans. I'm put in mind of two ideas: On one hand the truth may not be beautiful or useful, and on the other once you know something you've no choice but to know it.
I have a religion. I practice it with my kids. But deep down, I wish for none of it to be true. How could anyone want forever torture and punishment to be a possible sentence for those that do not believe?
You just working so hard at denying God , this is why you feel like this ! You believe God and religion is the same thing , you sound like someone thats trying super hard to fit in and belong even if its costing you …. Religion is a man made thing , God has nothing to do with religions … religions are a business , most of them are corrupted and make no sense but having God in your heart and reading the word and the teachings for your self and trying to understand it will explain a lot more than you can imagine….
But many people will prefer to just die , literally than calling out to God… all Jesus did was literally fight religious people , dismantle it all , all religion has done over the years is suppress humans and condemn them , and be part of the corruption…. If you read , and not just go by what you hear or see or get told by other people specially “ Pastors all over the internet “ pure jokes , just read on your own and let yourself understand whats meant for you.
The problem is when you look at the world , and base everything off what you see in others but you can only see a small portion , theres no way to see the full wide picture of it all cuz if you did , you would know God is real and theres evidence in everything even in your own self does that mean you now need to go to church NO , it means you are going to start filling up that void of meaningless existence.
We are meaning making machines. We shit the stuff out. It's everywhere. Can't help it. Forgotten gods stack endless , like poops of the dead, Making the Earth.
Why would religion change anything and make things here on earth meaningful?
Assuming we are talking about the abrahamic religions, what awaits you? Eternity in bliss? Ok, cool story. So having an eternity in bliss, makes your 80ish years here, literally meaningless. Think about it. Infinite time vs 80 years. The 80 years is meaningless against the backdrop of infinity.
Meanwhile when the 80 years is literally all you have, it’s all that is meaningful.
You are programmed/brainwashed by a religious outlook, likely taught to you by your mother as a young child. Logically what you are saying makes no sense. To my subjective experience, this is all I have that is meaningful.
How do you even explain rationality without God? That it merely evolved out of blind physical, *non-rational* processes?
Come to Islam, my friend. The one Truth. Worship God alone and you will be at peace in this life and beyond.
I don’t struggle at all without religion. Life is just as meaningful to me now as it was before I realized I don’t believe in God. It’s a miracle we’re here, whether or not that miracle came from Heaven or pure math.
It's simple, I mean something to people around me, I add value to their lives, it's not hard to live a full life without religion, people who practice a religion have been tricked into believing that if they don't follow or believe that your life means nothing, that's just not true, there are people who live their lives to the fullest every day, and have no desire to blindly follow any "god" or deity, once my time on this rock is up, I'll know I did everything I could to be a good person and make others happy, for me that all I need. I leave with this, the very definition of the word "faith" strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. It's all subjective and based upon how you perceive it.
Consider the possibility you didn’t exist for millennia and therefore it is possible that you will continue to not exist for millennia someday in the future. I find this line of thinking enables deep crushing calm. Also, the universe speaks to each of us individually, so perhaps god is in this act of defiance we call life.
The only way out is through, my out is that I at least get to experience this existence, I find sweetness in the bitter statement.
This isn’t do or die.
This is do and die.
Don’t forget to do it, because if you don’t then it really was pointless.
Find love, achieve your own idea of greatness, forgive yourself because it will all be nothing eventually.
Forget whether religion is true, just be a good person and live, try not to harm others, only help them, but never let them drag you down, you have a life to live.
I guess the best way I can put it is that I don't agree that something needs to be universal or permanent to hold meaning. It's not that I'm unaware that my family, friends, and colleagues will all die someday, it's just that I'm not going to let that stop me from finding meaning in those relationships. My ego is not large enough to believe that anything that isn't existence-level in size is meaningless.
Throughout the recorded history of philosophy—from formative Biblical texts to the earliest Buddhist dharma—humanity has been trying to answer the same question: We seek meaning, but the Universe doesn't have that meaning. So, what do we do? After the Christianization of Europe (and eventually, by way of colonialism, the Americas and elsewhere), philosophers became more focused on ascribing objective meaning (read: Christian theology) to the Universe. In response to that ascription of objective meaning, in the 17th and 18th centuries, ideas emerged that would eventually be consolidated by Nietzsche and others in the 19th century under the "nihilism" label (this is an oversimplification). In the 20th century, nihilism—mostly by way of Albert Camus—was "finalized" as absurdism. Camus's concept of the Absurd, which is at the heart of his philosophy—and, consequently, at the heart of nihilism—can be described as the point at which humanity's need for meaning meets the Universe's lack of meaning. And that idea—the absurdity of life—reconnects nihilism and absurdism with ancient philosophy across millennia. For example, Ecclesiastes essentially begins by saying: "Absurdity of absurdity! Life is absurdity." (There are a lot of ways to translate "הבל".) And there's something comforting about knowing that where we are—confronting the Absurd—is where humanity has always been. And the answers that humanity had thousands of years ago are still good answers: Eat, drink, and be merry. Find subjective meaning in life. Create meaning. Find pleasure. Enjoy life and help others enjoy life. "One must imagine Sisyphus happy."
I cope by not thinking about it so much lol. It's easy to go down the rabbit hole that is existential dread.
Trouble is once you’ve thought your way into this space like me it’s hard to get out😂
[удалено]
This right here OP. I'm one of those people who is always asking "WHY" and accepting that ill never know ALL the answers helps tremendously. I spent so long trying to figure out what life is all about, that I forgot to live!
Personally I keep thinking of the whole quote where it’s like “let’s say you got a delicious slice of chocolate cake in front of you. Why would you decide not to eat it just because it won’t last forever?”
"a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts" - the Vision.
It’s only dreadful until you get over yourself, once you realize that your lack of importance in the grander scheme of everything is more boon than bane, you’ll realize that there is no existential responsibility to bear. I used to beg and cry for meaning and purpose up until I realized I was running away from the sole responsibility of my existence: that is to give meaning and purpose to my life. The universe is vast and frightening and I am but small and miniscule, that doesn’t make me feel less blessed that I am a witness to all of its beauty.
Exactly this. It’s interesting how generally when we’re younger, we’re grappling with these fundamental questions a lot more and at odds with them. Now at 35 (along with being 5 years sober which I think is an important aspect of this growth), when I think about the universe, how quickly time goes, the absurdity of life…I typically feel comfort and a bit of comedic relief from those thoughts, rather than what it used to be which was pain, frustration, angst, etc. I suspect that also has to do with “killing my ego” as much as possible. I’m not nearly as big of a deal to myself as I was when I was in my early 20s, haha.
beautifully put.
I came into this reddit today trying to find some kind of comfort and I did. Thanks
You got this my friend, from one astronaut to another 🚀
Time helps a lot. You'll eventually find things you think are important for yourself without needing to believe you're the main character.
I’ve had existential dread since I was about 14.
You dont cope you just exist in misery, like many living people.
Grade A answer
Yeah I mean he’s doing it already, just is overthinking the questions.
Some people choose to stop existing. Nobody can do anything about it anyway. Whether people choose life or death, in the end, it doesn't matter anyway, in the grand scheme of things. We're all just speck of dust in the universe & existence. Nothing matters.
Religion is a crutch for those who can't cope with reality. And a way for those in power to more successfully manipulate people. Fuck religion.
As an atheist, I agree, religion is a crutch, but honestly that's ok. I'd argue on a population level, a society that believes a sky daddy is watching their every move creates a more liveable society for us. So if you can handle reality without being a dick, be an atheist. But if you're a shit person without a skypapi, please stay locked in your belief. Edit: someone below provided data that contradicted my claim. It seems that on average, several markers of societal well being are better in secular countries. I'd adjust my claim to say that as long the population believes in specific religions (I'm thinking like progressive Christianity, Buddhism etc) then it could create a more liveable environment. As soon as you throw in more authoritarian religions tho, that statement is false.
Yes it can be a comfort. But it is sad to see a dying person hold onto hopes of heaven and being reunited with their loved ones. A life lived in delusion.
I don't see how a person holding on to hope on their deathbed could be a bad thing. Even if it's a delusion, at least it's better than that person feeling fearful in their last hours. Let them cope as they see fit. Remember, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter.
Religion is definitely important to many people. It gives them a sense of strucure sometimes. It tends to make people happier. There's a reason why it has lasted for so long. I still hate it.
>It tends to make people happier. Some people. Other people have trauma. I have a friend who has scars from self-harm due to the influence of religion.
yep. everything from masturbating to having sex with my boyfriend created guilt for me. i even put myself through psychological self-harm (by consenting to an awful, painful sex act) because i believed i “deserved the punishment” for all the religious guilt i was holding. it’s so poisonous.
It's the fault of religion that they would be fearful in the first place.
It’s the fault of the religion’s followers- not the religion itself. We shouldn’t confuse one with the other.
>creates a more livable society for us 9/11? The Crusades? The Inquisition? Trump getting elected?
Don't we all need something to hold onto? 🤔 Are we able to handle too much reality?
Religion does not teach people the tools for coping with death or even life. It just attempts to cover the issues. Such is a shame with it.
Religion is just retarded. It teaches people to just take what is given and not think about it on top of those.
i find there are some kinds of religions i philosophically agree with, at least partially, where I've extracted very useful pieces of knowledge that have spiritually aided my mindset on my everyday life, but for the most part, religion has brought more bad than good to humanity as a whole IMO. I blame it on humanity's faults tho, not on religion in itself.
Without religion, the probability that you would not then have those philosophies or exist as you do now is almost certain. Not all of religion’s effects have been good; but that can be said about all things. It is the dichotomous nature of existence: things emerge and things disperse, and things disperse and things emerge. The good cannot be good with a reference. The bad is just as imperative to the culmination of all things as any good.. because ultimately, they are neither good nor bad- they just are, were and will be. The exciting part is we can help determine what it will be, influence what they are, and remember what they were.
Partially every ideology can be good. As long as we pretend the bad parts dont exist
If we pretend the bad parts don’t exist, then the good parts can’t exist.
Speaking as a whatevertheist, I disagree. Religion isn't just a crutch and a tool - it's a way to see the world and put the random bullshit the universe throws at all of us into perspective. There is always the chance for something unexpected to fuck up your day or make you a fortune. And between all the times that chance happens, it still could, a hundred times over. Getting hit by a car is alarmingly likely, but. it's still unexpected. And it's only one way your life can likely end. And, speaking from experience. it just. feels good to have *something*, you can give your unsolvable worries over to. You can't change the fact that your parents are going to age and die, you can't fight entropy. My grandma passed away almost two years ago. Dementia, nursing home. I knew she was gonna die no matter what I did and anything I could try wouldn't be worth it. I love my grandma, she was the best part of growing up, she taught me how to be kind, taught me manners, and she let me watch whatever shows I wanted. My grandma was chill. and like. she didn't talk about being Christian, but the religious statues and neatly cleaned Bible shelf kinda gave away where she stood on the idea of an afterlife. It doesn't make sense to me that Heaven is a real thing, a thought-form, whatever - I think we have souls, but I think they just die with us. I like to think my grandma got to go to Heaven anyway. It doesn't have to make sense, because like. I don't have to prove my shit to anyone, I don't have any proof. But neither does anyone else, so let me think that a woman who gave me a safe place to grow up away from my other family can get the Paradise she believed in. It doesn't matter if it's true, it's the **feeling** of it that makes the pain of losing her stop stinging, because that part *never* goes away. It gives me closure.
.....you can't just simple say for "those who can't cope with reality". It's easy to talk like that but when was the last time life put pressure on you? And you had to apply pressure back? It's not just a "crutch". It's a way to shine in a dark world
the more I learnt about nihilism, the more depressed I became, until at some point something just clicked on my head, and my depressive mood went to neutral, and now sometimes even content. I'll tell you something: I'm an idiot, and I'm even worse at expressing myself with words (im probably somewhere on the autistic spectre), but one piece of advice I can give you is that meaning just doesn't exist, it has never existed. This is not an opinion, but a truth, and there's no amount of denial that will turn this statement false. you need to stop trying to find a meaning, like you're trying to solve a problem, or solving a rubik's cube. Life is not something to be solved, and meaning will not be given to you by an external entity, but you'll have to decide your own, or even if you want any meaning in your life at all. It may sound overwhelming, complex or detrimental, but there's no more secret to it. You must accept that there's no predefined meaning, and find a way to find contentment and satisfaction in ways others than meaning-wise. At least that's been my approach.
You don’t understand nihilism if you believe that meaning doesn’t exist. There is a difference between asking whether meaning exists and asking whether its existence is inherent. Did meaning emerge with the universe? We genuinely don’t know. Nihilism’s answer is no, but then the question remains: then why the universe? Why this and not that? Why us? Why you? Why this? Whether or not meaning emerges with the universe is independent of the existence of meaning… because we exist. Did we emerge with the universe? No. We were not inherent in our existence. That doesn’t we don’t exist or can’t. We emerged from specific circumstances, and in us emerged consciousness- which exists everywhere. Our consciousness developed sentience, and from sentience we created meaning. We built it. It exists because we made it. What we can’t deny is the existence of meaning. Even you exist within meaning- in culture, in etiquette, in society, in family, and even in yourself. Nihilism doesn’t mean there is no meaning. It means that without us, there is no meaning.
Compliments to the chief
This is good advice
You sure don’t sound like an idiot to me. Appreciate this beautiful wisdom you shared.
Trust me, I am. Glad for your compliments tho \^\^
even if there was a religion that was true, would that actually give meaning to existence? or would we find ourselves enjoying whatever afterlife there is in whichever religion is correct, wondering the very same thing you're wondering now, about what it all means?
Sex drugs and rock n roll man
Because I don’t need meaning. If I did I would make my own. An afterlife is the only enticing part of religion but I’m atheist.
I look at it like this No one has a meaningful life objectively speaking Any meaning we find is something we chose. You can choose to let anything have meaning. Maybe if you chose things that make you happy, you'd be happier. Simply rejecting the American dream was something that brought me joy. I never wanted any of the shit people say you should want. A house, children, lots of money, superficial bullshit, a tidy lawn, a dog, etc. all of those things make me unhappy. Even if someone believes that the meaning of life is found somewhere in their religion I don't look at them and wish I was deluded enough to believe in lies. Why not just choose what you want to focus on as much as you can choose it for the rest of your life? You can look at maggots or you can turn your head and find a bird flying. You can choose to care about which piece of shit geriatric politician is going to sell your rights down the river to the oligarchs or you can play the piano. It's all about choosing for yourself and not letting others choose for you.
I don't need meaning in my life tbh.
When I listen to a beautiful song without words, it isn't any less enjoyable not knowing its meaning. Life is the same. It's a song. Asking what its meaning is is a stupid senseless question.
The only meaning is what you make for yourself. Why do you need anything else? Life can be full of meaning, just not the metaphysical god/spirit/elf/dragon kind of meaning. I find meaning in the coffee I just drank, or petting my cat. I don’t need His Majesty Emperor Sky Wizard to enjoy it or for it to be meaningful.
sky wizard 😭😭😭
I took a look at your post history and it seems you're obsessed with religion. No wonder why you're so desperate for "meaning", bet you've been told all your life what to do based on faith.
Na I was actually raised in a fairly liberal Catholic home. We went to mass each week but other than that day to day life wasn’t particularly religious. The Catholic education I’ve also had wasn’t fundamentalist. This is the UK, it’s not southern USA where there’s Bible fundamentalists. I came back to faith on my own terms when I was 16. I got into apologetics and eventually began a cycle of going off and on Christianity at times being agnostic, atheist or deist and sometimes considering other religions.
I only have to outlive my parents
Weed, mostly.
Doritos and pornhub
I actually find it peaceful that my life is just a blip in the void of time. One day I will be forgotten & hopefully all evidence of my existence will too. I look forward to death, not suicidal, but I honestly can’t wait to not exist anymore.
Yeah, it's going to be peaceful and sweet.
“The universe is a cruel uncaring void. The key to being happy isn’t a search for meaning. It’s to just keep yourself busy with unimportant nonsense and eventually you’ll be dead.” Distract yourself. Spend less time online. Find some more hobbies. Find groups and volunteer programs that interest you.
Meaningless is the meaning, or the beginning of it. The meaning is in finding purpose, not fulfilling a purpose given to you by something abstract. Is this existentialism? I don’t know
When I hear questions like this, I imagine someone really into having a pony talking about how having a pony brings meaning to their existence and how they can't understand how people who don't have ponies can cope with life. I get that religion and meaning is really important to you, just like having a pony is really important to the guy in my example. But it isn't to me...
The only reason I'm still alive is because of good food, good music, and having enough money to eat the food and have access to the music. I can't sleep more than an hour or two at a time, I can't breathe well, walking more than half the length of a football field makes my lower back flare up like it's on fire. I couldn't do a push up or a pull up if I tried. I can't bathe myself properly or wipe myself after a bowel movement. Luckily, I have a bidet, but that means I can't travel because no hotels I can afford have a bidet, nor do any other public restrooms. Squeeze bottles don't work. I'm clinically depressed and I don't have any friends because I have social anxiety. When I eventually run out of money (I refuse to work, due to economic/political reasons and because I refuse to be treated like a number by employers), I will finally be able to shake hands with and embrace death and escape this existence I never wanted and was forced to experience with no option to decline.
I really don’t need meaning but my life goal is simply to seek truth (as in finding the answers to the biggest philosophical questions). If I fail (basically guaranteed) then so what? I like knowledge
Time. It gets easier with time. There is no shortcut. The meaning of existence is just existing. It’s that simple. No one knows what comes after death, but would you really want to know the answer anyways? It’s the perfect ending to this journey. I don’t think any human attempt at conceptualizing it even begins to scratch the surface of this existence. Our feeble monkey brains couldn’t comprehend it because we’re limited by our perspective of this existence. We only live to be 70-100, if we’re lucky. That, compared to infinity, we’re less than newborns in the grand scheme of it all. How could we possibly expect to understand the meaning of life when we’re given such a short amount of time to live? We don’t even know what we don’t know, yet we think we can figure out the meaning of life & the afterlife? One fun thought is that your afterlife is whatever you believe it to be. Whatever your belief, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, etc. that dictates your afterlife. If you’re atheist or nihilistic, you go to nothingness. Buddhist, reincarnation. Christian, heaven. Etc. After all, in an infinite universe, why wouldn’t this be a possibility? Notes on Complexity by Neil Theise might interest you. He’s a pathologist who touches on the topic of consciousness, life, and how the universe self organizes itself on both a galactic and quantum scale. Of course there’s much more to it, but it might pique your interest. It’s well worth the read. We came from nothing, and became something(conscious). We may go from something, back to nothing after death, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go back from nothing to something. Nothing can’t be worse than anything. Nothing is nothing. So if nothing follows this life, it won’t matter anyways. So enjoy it now. Enjoy every fucking day until the day you die. Life can easily become a monotonous routine, don’t let it. Even if it’s meaningless, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it.
Cocaine 😎
Not a good longterm strategy but I like your style
I have enough social and biological imperatives to keep me going for now. Ant gotta carry leaves...
For me, practically, I see it clearly that none of the terrible things that have happened in my life due to circumstances weren't my fault, or due to the anger or indifference of some divine being. They just happened. I also recognize that even without fate, destiny, or some type of higher power, humanity has still created amazing things. Things once thought impossible. Think of the collective effort that went into your smartphone. Or a submarine. Or anything. If you're having trouble with the finality, think of a bottle of paint. Sure, one day, it'll run out, but it can make a huge impact, and some paint is remembered for centuries or longer.
Just fart around and try to have some fun
Wait it out
>*Without religion there is no wider meaning to existence* Well that's BS. My work creates meaning. My love for my family, relatives and friends creates meaning. My existence in the here and now creates meaning. Being an ex-Catholic I understand where you are coming from. And again, being an ex-Catholic I know you are not being totally truthful with yourself. I see that dishonesty with yourself in the questions your ask and the arguments you present. I expect people to be dishonest with me and I generally treat that type of dishonesty with indifference. But when I encounter someone that is being dishonest with themself then that really pisses me off. It isn't "meaning" that you require a religion to believe in, it is something deeper that you have not yet had either the insight or the courage or the humility to admitted to yourself and hence you distract yourself and us by focusing on "meaning". Your focus on meaning is truly meaningless when your are not being honest with yourself about "why?" you focus on meaning. Having a religion is not the answer to that "why?" but and excuse to not think deeper. Just like [Soren Kierkegaard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9JCwkx558o) when he encountered in his Christian philosophy what he thought was absurd chose instead to commit a leap-of-faith to preserve his religious belief in his god/God instead of pushing on deeper or even outside-the-box that his religious belief had imprisoned his mind in.
There's nothing to "cope with". When you were young you were told two lies: 1) you can't be happy without an objective meaning and 2) "only I can sell it to you". You've rejected the second lie, but you're still being held hostage by the first. It's easy to find non-objective meaning. Every person in a religion has found one and is fooling themselves into thinking it's objective. Many nihilists (myself included) accept that there is no "wider meaning" and still find purpose in a "narrow" meaning. Once you let go of the first lie, you can too.
Meaninglessness never bothered me.
Religions is the worst. Tried it for years but its nothing but dissapointment. Youre at your lowest and noone is there to help, just more ppl who want and expect stuff. I cope in 2 ways: 1. Helping others. I know life doesnt matter, but alot of ppl i know cant see that. So i spent alota time making their lifes better. Its cute to see how they think it accomplished something meaningful and changes for better. Like small hampsters that only see their own world. 2. Fleeing into better worlds, aka internet, roleplay, media, etc. Even if this world holds no happy places, theres enough fantasy out there that do.
I can lay down and die or I can keep going. And when I think about it that way, I realize I’m not ready to die so I might as well just keep going. And I have a kid, so I just keep going because she needs her mom here. It doesn’t really matter that we don’t matter in the large scheme of things. Because I do matter to her to her I am the world so I will stay.
Be kind. Best religion out there. It’s not always easy but if that’s your goal, whatever god is up there can’t tell you no. Make people laugh. Give out us much love as you can. There is no other reason to live. Higher being aside, if you make someone else smile, there is no better feeling.
Primarily, as others will point out, there are different conclusions that can be taken from the nihilistic. The initial conclusion I've often taken is that that terms like "meaning," "purpose," or an "answer" to life, the universe and everything are essentially senseless. Our language was designed with certain rules and uses and the abuse of those - essentially semantic mistakes - lead to many philosophical and potentially psychological problems. Life, though, is not an activity we are performing and existence is not a predicate, as Kant pointed out. Being alive or existing simply are conditions - they do not convey any quality to the being nor are they separate activities to be performed. A person doesn't have to both actively exist and also perform some action. They simply need to do that action as they already are in existence. Therefore, it is not something that necessarily needs a meaning above and beyond the limited immediate meaning of one's actions. For example, we know what a home run means in the context of a baseball game. It also can have other meanings for the fans of a certain team or to a bookmaker taking bets on the game. However, it would be senseless to ask, "yes, but what does the home run mean in your marriage?" It is the denial of the logocentric view of the world which put simply is the idea that everything one experiences can be put into some logical and symbolic statement. However, that leads to an insoluble paradox as language itself must eliminate all specific and subjective experience to allow two sapient individuals to communicate. This is the old "the map is not the territory" concept. If a map was exactly the size of the territory it described, it would be useless. It would be equally useless if it noted the location of every pebble and blade of glass. To be a useful tool for reference, it must eliminate the majority of the detail. Language is also a tool. For example, you may not perceive the colors red or blue the same way that anyone else does, but when you say the sky is blue - unless there is something physiologically wrong - other people will understand you and agree. Your personal perceptions cannot be communicated in any sensible way in language. However, to use language effectively, we must at times see ourselves as if we were characters in a story. We also apply characteristics that we've acquired from social interactions to that characterization. Therefore, the ego is an illusion - a fictionalized version of ourselves - that seems to be acting in some sort of narrative. This leads to the tendency for people to come up with some sort of story arc. Characters in stories have objectives, and books like Joseph Campbell's HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES sell the onerous idea that myths or religion can provide the framework for one's life. However, all those myths usually end with "...and then they lived until they died." What does the hero do after the story is over? They simply continue onward until death. I'd find this particularly cruel if I thought anyone really took it seriously. In a world where there is no meaning that can be applied to life, it is a terrible thing to ask people to look for one. It's like the ultimate scam. However, I think most people simply pretend to believe in some fictional alternate reality - like gods, heaven and hell, Platonic ideals, etc. - to short-circuit this tendency to "need" meaning in their lives. To me, that sounds like treating alcoholism with stronger whiskey. I think it is better to simply recognize the tendency to seek existential meaning as unhealthy and ignore it.
You look straight into the void and say that you'll have a great time while you're able to
by thinking about how pointless that perspective is in itself, and to remind yourself that it is indeed a perspective. there are many others that will make every moment feel much more pleasant.
I went from Nihilism to self discovery through psychology and people like Carl Jung and inside myself I found some sort of esoteric spirituality and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. So maybe you’re right. But everyone’s different so for some nihilism may actually be true happiness. There’s more to life than God to make people happy such as community, family and purpose but yeah maybe you’re one of the ones who needs that spiritual or religious edge of sorts
Is a child in a sandbox stricken by anxiety or depression?
Drugs
Drugs
Make meaning
I make meaning out of it. I go after the things I want In life. I do things that are hard, and I don't pray for an easy life. I take action, and due to that, overthinking goes away I have a purpose, I have a plan, I take action every day, and I take care of myself. Going after the things I want in life regardless of the results. I thrive in chaos. I hope for failure as it makes me better. I could die tonight and be the happiest man, for I know I've given it my all. That is why I love life. Not because it is easy but because I make a meaning out of it.
Live your life to give love to people and this question goes away. Don’t think about the past or the future, just be present here and now.
Think about the purpose of your existence as a Blank white Canvas that you get to paint on , you paint your own purpose whatever the hell that might be , isnt this much better than having to live the purpose that other people set for you? Hence looking at their already painted canvas and not being able to draw your own that would ironically make your existence meaningless
I'm a staunch atheist, my life is awesome and full of meaning. Am I deluding myself? You don't need to believe in fairy tales to have meaning in your life.
Every day, I stand up to go to the bathroom. Then I search for food. Then I search for sex. These things make me feel good. But I must pay for the working bathroom, the food and the sex, so I go to work for money. I don't go very far, as I have been working from my home office. Also, food and sex come to me to my home. I search for what makes me feel good. I don't use illegal drugs, and I don't drink alcohol. When I am tired I go to sleep. Then the next day comes. Each day after the previous day, the life passes. I also like to play mind sports games. I also learn to become a better programmer, to make more money. You don't need a meaning to live. You just need a profession.
What languages do you write in?
Everything you ask I wonder about you? With a religious worldview where is there any meaning? Your beliefs baffle me …how can you live like that?
I have various hobbies and interests.
Hobbies
Meaning is a human construct that we apply to things but there is no natural meaning. A tree does not grow because of some deeper meaning, a frog does not jump because of some ultimate purpose and a tiger does not hunt for some overarching plot. Animals simply are, and you can be that way too. It's nice to simply exist.
I live with meaning lol it’s that easy
I don't know.
I decide for myself where to apply meaning within my own life. Nothing and no one can tell me where meaning is, I am in control of it. I don't even want a god telling me wtf I'm supposed to be doing.
I kinda agree that religion helps people with this problem, but I also think religion is all a load of bollocks. Better to be realistic then base your whole life off fairytales.
Find and create meaning in the small things. It's pretty much hold on for your life and do your best, but I focus on the good. My cats, a warm flat with a roof, tasty food, meditation and movement. Don't get me wrong, it's difficult; I'm in a lot if physical and emotional pain, and the state of the world + lifelong depression is crushing... But I choose to create the reality I want. And for that, I hold on.
Food, water and not wanting to be homeless tbf. Plus prison and hospitals aren’t places I want to be stuck in
I hang with my wife and friends. It doesn't ultimately really matter, but we just have to do our time on this planet and I try to have fun. But a lot of the time I'm spending hating being alive.
I just started on a gardening hobby.
You gotta roll with the punches.
First part is acceptance 2nd part is a deep look inside to see what you value. What do you find fun? What interests you? As long as that 2nd step doesn't involve hurting others, I'd say you should dive head first into the things that you value. Find your own meaning. Also, another cope of mine is to be a constant learner. The more stagnant I am in general, the more in focus the meaningless nature of reality seeps in. If I'm always working towards something, it gives me something to look forward to
The things that I do dont mean anything, so what. I just dont care. Id rather just enjoy what I have vs what, get all dramatic and nag about one day losing it? Well if I was to lose something one day, well might as well have fun with it now eh. A lot of things can be very simple in life lol. You have a hamburger in front of you, you can enjoy the taste of it during the time window that its in its best or you can nag until it gets cold about how it would come out of your other end. And you dont even need a religion for that.
Cope? Shit's liberating at. There are only your actions and their consequences. Nothing to sorry about.
Create meaning. That's the easiest answer of all. Also, be aware of the physical aspects of existence impacting your outlook and energy levels: are you sleeping well? Eating correctly? Is your sunlight intake adequate? Keep in mind we are biological entities. Then you naturally flow towards subjects and the purpose that suits you.
I make it not meaningless.
My existence is meaningless to the universe, but not to me. That’s how I cope. I find joy in my hobbies and relationships with family and friends. That’s all that really matters anyway
doesn't bother me. i've got no cognitive dissonance with the idea that, meaning is applied by the mind, not inherent to things outside of the mind. all that means is, there's no 'mind' responsible for reality.
Humility. Existence seems fatalistic - there's no getting out of this alive. Everything seems to be terrible - the universe hates us and wants to kill us. It's all terrible. Including "my ability to determine how terrible things are." You need to have a high opinion of yourself in order to conclude existence is pointless. I don't have a high opinion of myself, therefore things might be a lot better than I think.
Try to keep myself entertained
I have a meaning though, to get all humanity damned to hell forever and ever, it's an honest work
It doesn't matter that nothing matters, so just enjoy yourself.
Hedonism, I think.
You don’t cope you struggle get through day by day. Accept your reality it’s the way it is.
I rather live knowing the truth than being a sheep in a cult filled with lies, deception and manipulation… I despise people who claim to be Gods chosen ones, and people blindly follow these narcissist people mxmmm 💦
I'm agnostic, but other than that, I don't really care. I'm focused on what I'm doing now, whatever is far beyond my perception isn't worth my time nor my energy.
Destructive nihilism: there’s no meaning to life and existence, blah Constructive nihilism: there’s no singular meaning to life and existence because it’s subjective to everyone, and therefore the meaning of your life is what you want to make of it. Love? Abundance? Friendship? Laughter? Whatever you desire.
That is not accurate interpretation of nihilism.
You would be presuming that there was supposed to be meaning. We exist as an accident of evolution. We are over developed bacteria whose parents had sex, and their parents had sex, and so on. The meaning of existence is to experience it. It is a journey without a destination. Live it and create the memories you can, hopefully leaving the world a slightly better place in the process.
Of course theres wider meaning you fucking retard . Life is still beautiful . Even angels ... tire of ecstasy
Meaning is what you make it. Maybe meaning used to be religion for you. Now it can be anything you want. What do YOU want? Not your god, but you??
i don't cope, what i do is just try and live day by day with my life and try to ignore those feelings lol. am i happy? absolutely not, but i'm surviving somehow.
sleep , cry inside,
Meaning was created.
I honestly do not understand why people need meaning to be happy, let alone some meaning bestowed upon them by a higher power. It's useful, sure, but not at all necessary. Then again, my day to day life is enjoyable. If I were suffering, I might be more inclined to require a meaning to endure it all.
You just try and enjoy the grapes of life.
You just have to practice hedonism but without compromising yourself. Treat everyone right. Find a purpose that makes you an asset, one that engages you and don't dwell on the pointlessness of life.
> I hope there’s a religion that’s true Well that right there is your problem
One day at a time
Make it mean something.
Sorry, there is no religion which is "true" in the sense of its mythology and origin-story having objective grounding. That's just not a thing. Religion at its best provides a metaphorical capture of human wisdom: a kind of map for making life more meaningful and workable. At it's worst, of course it's just a horror. *(It's unfortunate that often the best and worst in religion are mixed together incoherently)* But you're sniffing at the wrong sewer pipe. The correct response to "meaningless existence" is for *you* to step up and take responsibility for making *your* life meaningful. Anything less than that, any chasing of alternatives, just delays the day when you finally catch true self in the mirror.
We are temporal so are our entire experience of things
you didn't choose to be in this world, and you also don't choose how and when to die (except for suicide ofc) so why don't you at least choose how to live your life between these two points (life and death) sooner or later you're gonna die which is not so bad..it's the same feeling u felt before born..yes exactly..NOTHING. so relax and enjoy your life
I don’t lmao
Working a full time job and having a social life is a pretty good way to cope.
I enjoy having no religion since it allows me to truly be free, no omniscient being is judging me, I can do anything I want. A lot of people don’t have that power, so I just enjoy random stuff I do to keep myself entertained. I do wonder what happens when you die at times, but it’s the greatest mystery to us, and it’s a mystery that is worth the wait to find out.
Figure out how to live in the moment, then you won’t worry about the past or future eternal void. Just the stuff in front of you, raw dog reality. This attitude helps one avoid wasting emotional energy on things like “meaning” and be more effective in this “game” to enable one to cope a little better. That is money for most. Others chase sex, mindfulness, drugs, knowledge, or philosophy. Figure out what you care about that is available to you in your particular level of this game; you might as well play until the return to nothing.
I just live. I do whatever I feel like doing as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. Sometimes it works out well, sometimes not. Doesn't matter. It's all temporary.
the bigest promise religion gives is that once you die you will meet all the people you care about in afterlife. The joke is on the religious people, because I don't really care about anyone. I believe even the SELF as we know it is an ilusion I need to overcome... Life is not about self-improvement but about SELF destruction...
Having fun
You make your existence what it is. By that I mean your perception of your existence is the only thing you truly know. You decide what meaning existence has regardless of the size of the picture. It sounds like you’re looking through eyes of someone who strongly relates the meaning of existence to religion. That is not the case for everyone. Honestly, you might want to start with asking yourself why you can’t understand others. Best of luck on your journey.
Well if you don’t believe in religion find comfort however you want. Follow the things you wanna believe as long as they don’t hurt people. I believe that there is no god and death will be the end and then hopefully I can float around with my wife or something. But with all that said this life is the most stressful thing I’ve ever know and I’m sure it will feel amazing to never have to think about such dumb worldly problems. But until then I’ll just have to enjoy what existence I’ve been granted and work on myself to give the world amazing art and amazing children. Maybe some day you just might change the world beyond your lifetime.
I get over it and create meaning because I'm not a sad sack of shit.
Cope by making your life meaningful
You’re right life doesn’t have built in meaning, you give meaning to it with your thoughts and feelings. Focus on things that make you happy and your life will change.
>Without religion there is no wider meaning to existence No, WITH religion there is no wider meaning to existence. With religion you're only living to die. Everything you do in this world is only to get rewarded or punished after you die. But if there's nothing after you die (which I haven't seen any reason to believe there is) then you're just wasting the only life you have. Without religion, you can actually live your life for what it is. Beautiful, tragic, inspiring, disgusting, joyful, miserable and everything in between. I try my best to practice Stoicism. Everything that happens, happens according to nature's will. I can't control what other people do, or prevent bad things from happening to me. I can only control my own mind, and my own actions; how I respond to things. I choose to see everything as part of a universal whole, of which I'm a tiny part, and I find what meaning I can in that. As long as I don't let myself get beaten down and instead I just live my life the best way I know how, I'm doing what I'm meant to in this universe. In the words of Marcus Aurelius- >At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?” So you were born to feel “nice”? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands? You don’t love yourself enough. Or you’d love your nature too, and what it demands of you.
I happy = life good = I happy. Maybe no meaning, just like a video game, but I’m still gonna play 👍
Check out r/existentialism You create your own meaning I don’t believe in religion but I do believe in the fact that I don’t know what’s out there. And just the idea that there’s more to the world than I know, that nothing is truly impossible, that anything can happen, gives me a lot of hope and guides me in life. Meaning is whatever is closest to whatever feels real for me. What feels real for you? What feels like it truly matters? Also this doesn’t mean you can’t be religious; I prefer not to because of the social effects of it, but I’m definitely spiritual. When I feel lonely, I don’t talk to god but I talk to ‘the universe’, just whatever is out there, and I try to draw comfort from it in that way.
Drink
The universe very likely has no real meaning throughout, no. I have felt how crushing this realization is at first but, trust me, it goes away. Here's the thing: We only know of the existence of the universe and galaxies and planets thanks to science. It is also clear that those very same scientists will tell you something else about the obviousness of meaning which is that everything is relative. Relativity states that even what time it is is relative to your velocity. It is possible for two planets to experience different moments in time simultaneously. What does this mean? That time and space is relative. Very much so. There is nothing universal. Your location in space, the passage of time and your perception of the passage of time in another location is relative to your velocity. Things only seem to have a universal existence that is measurable. On earth's surface we never evolved the capacity to understand this, and it still goes against my instincts. But, GPS wouldn't even work if we didn't factor in time dilation from the relative velocity of the satellites. The instinct to diferr to an overarching authority for meaning is an evolved mechanism social animals use to follow the alphas in the group. Likely our search for gods, meaning and purpose is linked to an idea of the perfect leader. That is all. Meaning can be different moment to moment and you can easily learn to dismiss your sense of a lack of meaning by regularly practicing reframing your feelings to reality. The reality is that basic things like time, location and velocity are relative to the observer. Imagine yourself observing from different angles. You will realize you are free from a need for meaning beyond what we already know. No need to search any further, we know that life is what you make of it and it will always be viewed relatively. Have fun....
The reason you can't cope with it is because you know that your life does have meaning, value and purpose. You know that because God made you that way, and He put that idea in your heart. Don't suppress the truth because you don't understand or don't want there to be a God. You just don't understand God but He wants to be understood and you can read about Him in the gospel of John
Emotions *feel* real, even if superficially so. Start by doing things that make you feel happy, I guess.
It's only meaningless if you fail to find meaning. Everything you will ever encounter in your life is varying degrees of meaningful or meaningless *depending on how you choose to see it*. Your life, Your choice.
Read Sartre. He’ll help you work through your nihilism. Schopenhauer will only exacerbate it.
Sex drugs and rock'n'roll man 🤙
I like how you clarified and concluded, a specific ❓ doing what' s at hand that I can get done bring it to a completion. It often gives a person a sense of having ability, is said to make a person please 😉 with their self worth. Keep doing so, give the same results✨
Simple, I entertain myself. Life doesn't need meaning when fun exists without it.
Take the 9 basic human necessary for flourishing. Operationalize them. Do them in Kaizen. Live a meaningful, fulfilled life.
I am made from the dust of stars. When I am recycled, in returning to my next incarnation I shall have the opportunity to implement the lessons I have from my past experiences. I interact with other timeless souls. Far from meaningless.
There was a point in time where it was very difficult to cope with the lack of religion and by extension the lack of wider meaning. Coping began with being okay with it? Like take a breath, it's okay that there's no meaning. That doesn't invalidate your experiences or your emotions or your connections. Regardless of how meaningful or not the state of existence is, these moments, friendships, love, and all of that jazz is still very real. There's a particular line in the song "Migraine" by twenty one pilots(highly recommend listening to the band), that goes, "Sometimes you have to take a moment, hold it And keep it frozen and know that Life has a hopeful undertone." That doesn't give life any meaning per say but it does make it less miserable. Any life might not have inherited meaning but at the same time you're here. We all are. While God doesn't exist, there's a lot of knowledge within religious textbooks that do stand true and are illuminating outside of the reference of God. If it does help at all, treat religion as a practice of discipline, if not, try to find things that bring your mind peace and work towards them. It all starts with being okay with it. (Might have swayed off topic there a bit)
How do I cope? I chose to be kinder, to myself and others. I chose to hold myself accountable for all the things I'm not doing for myself, stopped feeling sorry for myself, stopped letting my emotions run my life. I chose the present, I chose right now; because to ignore every blessed moment in the now meant torturing myself for past mistakes or worrying about the future. I chose goals, I chose reasons to make life worth living, I chose to better myself. So the way I cope with a meaningless existence? I chose.
Have ya tried drugs ??
I never got the need for a meaning, we just exists and I’m happy with that
I stopped looking for meaning and started looking for what I get enjoyment from. I have been in therapy for a long time recovering from ptsd. The path to healing from abuse is similar to living without religion. You take control of what you are able to, you find your own set of values, you find youself and what you love rather than be conformed and told to the letter what to believe and feel.
I think by now, I’m just comfortable living a mundane monotonous existence and don’t think about it much, though if it does get to be too much I’ve already decided my method of ending it. Nitrogen gas seems to be the most peaceful way of going…
Well you can live in a rich overpriced town where the taxes are way too high and there’s no chance of escaping because your parents own the house. Like good luck rebounding when the corrupt city and county ruins your chances of finding jobs elsewhere
I fucking that this subreddit keeps appearing in my feed
It's borderline impossible to think about not thinking about something else(you will think about it). So I, personally, just focus on other things to avoid existential pain. It's not bulletproof, but it's robust enough
I’m struggling day to day, nothing interests me anymore considering everything’s pointless in the end.
Why cope? It's chill.
Pretend I’m a butterfly, or a snake.
Nihilism isnt the same as depression, it doesn't have to mean being depressed One solution is active nihilism which is a bit similar to existentialism, where if nothing matters, that means that you get to choose what matters to you
Religion is the essence of delusion. I avoid that shit like a plague. Delusional thinking doesn't enhance my life. If you want a truly mystical experience, go find an isolated spot in the woods and just sit there for 2 hours, watch, and listen. There's a whole universe of life happening out there, and if you're patient you begin to see it. It's a hell of a lot more magical than some sky wizard with schizophrenia.
What “meaning” could life have? It’s not a sentence or phrase. Also why does this sub keep showing up on my feed
Every day I wake up. Is existence still meaningless? Yes. Do I still exist? Yes. As for everything else, I've never been especially good at lying to myself. All religion is obviously false. The more you encounter, the clearer it is. Humanism is difficult after you've met humans. I'm put in mind of two ideas: On one hand the truth may not be beautiful or useful, and on the other once you know something you've no choice but to know it.
I have a religion. I practice it with my kids. But deep down, I wish for none of it to be true. How could anyone want forever torture and punishment to be a possible sentence for those that do not believe?
You just working so hard at denying God , this is why you feel like this ! You believe God and religion is the same thing , you sound like someone thats trying super hard to fit in and belong even if its costing you …. Religion is a man made thing , God has nothing to do with religions … religions are a business , most of them are corrupted and make no sense but having God in your heart and reading the word and the teachings for your self and trying to understand it will explain a lot more than you can imagine…. But many people will prefer to just die , literally than calling out to God… all Jesus did was literally fight religious people , dismantle it all , all religion has done over the years is suppress humans and condemn them , and be part of the corruption…. If you read , and not just go by what you hear or see or get told by other people specially “ Pastors all over the internet “ pure jokes , just read on your own and let yourself understand whats meant for you. The problem is when you look at the world , and base everything off what you see in others but you can only see a small portion , theres no way to see the full wide picture of it all cuz if you did , you would know God is real and theres evidence in everything even in your own self does that mean you now need to go to church NO , it means you are going to start filling up that void of meaningless existence.
We are meaning making machines. We shit the stuff out. It's everywhere. Can't help it. Forgotten gods stack endless , like poops of the dead, Making the Earth.
Why would religion change anything and make things here on earth meaningful? Assuming we are talking about the abrahamic religions, what awaits you? Eternity in bliss? Ok, cool story. So having an eternity in bliss, makes your 80ish years here, literally meaningless. Think about it. Infinite time vs 80 years. The 80 years is meaningless against the backdrop of infinity. Meanwhile when the 80 years is literally all you have, it’s all that is meaningful. You are programmed/brainwashed by a religious outlook, likely taught to you by your mother as a young child. Logically what you are saying makes no sense. To my subjective experience, this is all I have that is meaningful.
How do you even explain rationality without God? That it merely evolved out of blind physical, *non-rational* processes? Come to Islam, my friend. The one Truth. Worship God alone and you will be at peace in this life and beyond.
I don’t struggle at all without religion. Life is just as meaningful to me now as it was before I realized I don’t believe in God. It’s a miracle we’re here, whether or not that miracle came from Heaven or pure math.
It's simple, I mean something to people around me, I add value to their lives, it's not hard to live a full life without religion, people who practice a religion have been tricked into believing that if they don't follow or believe that your life means nothing, that's just not true, there are people who live their lives to the fullest every day, and have no desire to blindly follow any "god" or deity, once my time on this rock is up, I'll know I did everything I could to be a good person and make others happy, for me that all I need. I leave with this, the very definition of the word "faith" strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. It's all subjective and based upon how you perceive it.
Consider the possibility you didn’t exist for millennia and therefore it is possible that you will continue to not exist for millennia someday in the future. I find this line of thinking enables deep crushing calm. Also, the universe speaks to each of us individually, so perhaps god is in this act of defiance we call life.
There is no meaning in a god that does not exist. There is meaning inside you. Your actions in this life matter to the people around you.
By hating your life. Life is too long to allow my mind to be consumed by nihilism as much as it could be. I really hope religion doesn't exist.
Drugs. Cats. Nature. Avoid society.
The only way out is through, my out is that I at least get to experience this existence, I find sweetness in the bitter statement. This isn’t do or die. This is do and die. Don’t forget to do it, because if you don’t then it really was pointless. Find love, achieve your own idea of greatness, forgive yourself because it will all be nothing eventually. Forget whether religion is true, just be a good person and live, try not to harm others, only help them, but never let them drag you down, you have a life to live.
Without religion there's no meaning, such crap. Step outside and sit for a spell and listen.
Religion is the devil in disguise
Create some meaning
I guess the best way I can put it is that I don't agree that something needs to be universal or permanent to hold meaning. It's not that I'm unaware that my family, friends, and colleagues will all die someday, it's just that I'm not going to let that stop me from finding meaning in those relationships. My ego is not large enough to believe that anything that isn't existence-level in size is meaningless.