Eventually, we learn that the sparkling things that exist somewhere far away in the universe are not light bulbs switched on especially for us, they just are. We learn that the sun will rise. And the moon will take over at the end of the sunny day. The natural disasters that befall the earth are not caused by monstrously big immortal deities trying to make us worship them. But most importantly, you, at some point, without forcing yourself to think about it, realize that things will continue to move even without you. That, in the grand scheme of things, a person – or all humans for that matter – are utterly insignificant.
Earth is big. Really big. But space is even bigger. A human mind can’t grasp how vastly, hugely, astonishingly enormous the place we exist in is.
Yet, we’re not at all impressed by the gigantic universe. We are concerned about something else. Something smaller in scale, but critical for us as individuals – our own survival and prosperity. For us, we’re the most important things on this planet.
In fact, for quite some time, for somewhere between 10 and 20 years – sometimes even longer – we think that the world is somehow indebted to us. That others should praise us. Take care of us. Tell us how special we are. This shouldn’t surprise us. After all, for at least 5 years, we were cared for, nourished, fed, washed, and put to sleep by our parents.
Somewhere along the way though, we learn that the other individuals who roam the streets, who attend the school we attend, who work alongside us, have their own personal views and their own personal desires. Even further along the way, we also learn that these desires, even if the cumulative aspirations of all who live on this planet, no matter how good and honorable they may be, are insignificant for the universe to continue to exist.
In other words, life is meaningless. All values and goals are baseless. And from a cosmic perspective, there is no point in what we are doing here – none! Even after we all die, things will continue to still be.
I know, that’s a pretty grim, pessimistic way of looking at things. To be more precise, a nihilistic way of looking at things.
And what is nihilism?
Nihilism is the philosophy that captures what I just shared. It’s a spectacularly harsh way of looking at life.
A true nihilist would believe in nothing. Aim for nothing. And question every concept embedded with meaning by humanity.
But amidst the darkness and the hopelessness that emerge from the perception that nothing matters. There is a glance of brightness that can turn things around and convert even the darkest critic – someone who sees no light in the upcoming future. Into a purposeful go-getter with goals and ambitions. This twist is called optimistic nihilism.
What is Optimistic Nihilism?
Optimistic nihilism is the realization that the lack of meaning in the world and the universe as a whole can be liberating. Precisely because there is no inherited meaning in life. There is no cosmic plan forcing you to act a certain way. We are the ones who can create our own path. And more importantly, we are the ones responsible for creating our purpose.
An optimistic nihilist basically reaches the following conclusion: “Since there is no grand scheme here, I can, myself, decide what I should do with my life.”
Optimistic nihilism is the ability of a person to create his own meaning after fully accepting that the universe is a large place of meaninglessness.
It might seem scary and depressing, but it is not. Quite the contrary, it’s the thing that sets you free.
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- The modern workplace, and the world as a whole, is putting a lot of emphasis on diversity. Which is the right thing to do, of course. The proposition that each of us has a right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” remains the best definition for all humanity.
- The formal name of this is called Social Rule System Theory. It means that most human social activities are organized and regulated by socially produced and reproduced systems of rules.
- Who created optimistic nihilism you might ask? Nihilism is most often associated with Friedrich Nietzsche. He used the term to describe the Western world’s disintegration of traditional morality.
- For more on meaningless, I’d recommend reading the book Existentialism Is a Humanism by Jean-Paul Sartre.
