New theory: All Nihilists should kill themselves.

[DoveAlexa]

I have a book on Russian history in the mid 1800's, and it talked a lot about nihilists. It was the "cool new thing" at the time. One thing that stood out for me is how they bitched about how beauty in anything was especially meaningless, and that they only thing that mattered or had value as function. How stupid they'd feel if they were here to read all the studies about how comfort, love, beauty in object and in people are the main forces behind making everyday life and life as a whole, feel good and for us to be happy.
But I digress...

And yes, they should kill themselves because I love this thread and sticking it to those assholes XD. (No, I don't thing Mf is an asshole, just nihilists who hate ascetic beauty and call it frivolous.)

 

[enfp can be shy]

Well, you are right, Slant. I was telling similar thing when I was in high school - why would all those existentialists, nihilists, subjectivists even write those books, if they are writing... for themselves? I mean, they could still write them, just to clarify their own thoughts; writing helps you think; but why publish it? Seems paradoxical. Why on top of that even talk on television and preach to the masses - if you honestly don't believe they exist? Also, I agree suicide is very interesting to consider just out of pure curiosity. I don't believe anything follows after it, there's no evidence (and no, the people leaving their bodies near death is not solid enough evidence), and so it's an open question which my investigative mind is fairly interested in. I used to be more interested though. As I learn more facts about near death physical behavior of the body, I'm more and more convinced exactly what happens, without having to experience it.

There's something odd for any subjectivist out there - how does it happen that science works the way it does in your head? Why aren't you absolute God? Why can't you figure out complex scientific principles under which your universe operates nevertheless? Why do you surprise (yourself) so often? Kinda ridiculous.

While we are at it, the new definition of voluntarist - one who believes to determine the roll of dice with the power of will. (i.e. a psychic of some sort)

 

[88chaz88]

In true nihilist fashion...there is not enough merit for me to argue you, nor do I care.

Wait you're a nihilist... and a guitarist?

 

[athenian200]

I think that nihilists believe that life has no INHERENT purpose, in and of itself. I don't think they believe that people cannot find reasons to exist. The argument is just that none of these reasons are objectively valid. One cannot adopt a philosophy and apply it to their feelings. Only to their thoughts.

The reasons why nihilists don't kill themselves are quite simple:

1. They still have a survival instinct. Just because life has no purpose doesn't mean they don't have the instinct to stay alive.

2. If they kill themselves, how will they convince others that nihilism is the truth about reality? It is human nature to value a point of view that you've adopted, and try to convince others of it, regardless of whether you doubt their existence, or even your own.

3. They want to keep existing, and observing data to strengthen and support their theory of nihilism, in support of point 2.

4. Just because life has no inherent purpose only means that you can assign yourself a purpose in order to have something to strive for. It means you're not bound to a purpose that's predefined. Things can mean, to you, whatever you see fit.

Nihilism means total mental freedom from the values and assumptions of others. Why on earth would that make you want to kill yourself? The only way I can imagine many nihilists committing suicide is if nihilism was disproven... it would make them feel trapped and confused by the idea of inherent meaning, much as you would feel trapped and confused by the lack of it.

 

[Zero Angel]

Wait you're a nihilist... and a guitarist?

A guitarist who plays depressing songs perhaps? Or maybe even a guitarist who, by playing, demonstrates that playing guitar is without meaning.

 

[88chaz88]

A guitarist who plays depressing songs perhaps?

Actually I'm more pointing towards the fact that music as well as all art actually serves no practical purpose and therefore goes against a nihilists core belief.

 

[Lucifer]

This theory rests on the idea that people should behave logically, people don't, don't have to, and never will.

Not even the most ardent thinker can make decisions in a purely logical manner. Expecting some one to behave that way is kind of unrealistic.

And Its rather dismissive of the idea that peoples feelings playing a role in decision making. As if the world would be a better place of people would behave in a purely logical manner. Thinking and feeling are equally valid ways of making decisions, people put way to much emphasis on thinking these days.

 

[NeverAmI]

Whether there is a purpose to existence or not, we still exist in some shape or form.

I have asked myself that very question over and over:

Why not kill oneself?

Curiosity...

And if 'curiosity kills the cat,' well... That really doesn't matter, now does it?

 

[acd]

Why does life have to have meaning to be worth living?
Maybe I'm half retarded, but I've never understood that.

 

[Shai Gar]

Why does life have to have meaning to be worth living?
Maybe I'm half retarded, but I've never understood that.

Because most people are too weak to live without external guidance

 

[Faye]

Why does life have to have meaning to be worth living?
Maybe I'm half retarded, but I've never understood that.

It is an issue when suicide is on the table. If not, then yeah it is not an issue.

 

[slant]

This theory rests on the idea that people should behave logically, people don't, don't have to, and never will.

Not even the most ardent thinker can make decisions in a purely logical manner. Expecting some one to behave that way is kind of unrealistic.

And Its rather dismissive of the idea that peoples feelings playing a role in decision making. As if the world would be a better place of people would behave in a purely logical manner. Thinking and feeling are equally valid ways of making decisions, people put way to much emphasis on thinking these days.

Alright, so, reason for nihilist not to kill themselves: people don't behave logically then even if they should kill themselves it doesn't mean they will. humans really can't follow logic and a decision made on logic is feelingless, and feelings really need to be considered during suicide?

Is that what you're saying?

 

[Bird]

I have spent a lot of times glossing over the theory of Nihilism. I have researched it and have known quite a few people personally who believe in Nihilism and as a result call them Nihilists.

The last Nihilist that I knew complained to me about human beings polluting the earth; he told me that he thought that humans should die because we hurt the environment and do nothing particularly good for the world, all the while, he believed that life had no meaning anyway.

My proposition to him was this: Then why don't you just kill yourself.

If you are a nihilist, and you believe that there is no meaning to life, and on top of that, you believe that humans are destructive creatures that deserve to die....why don't you just kill yourself?

I understand that not all nihilists believe that humans are destructive; but even so.

If there is no meaning or innate purpose to life, then what is stopping you from killing yourself? If you really think about it, wouldn't a nihilist killing themselves had better results for the planet and the environment than if they didn't kill themselves? And I suppose if you know, they think nothing has a meaning, then killing yourself for the planet isn't really going to matter anyway, since nothing has a meaning....

So.

In conclusion...

I believe all Nihilists should kill themselves. My argument? Why not? What reason can you come up with against it? Life is meaningless. There is no purpose behind anything. So you don't really need a justification to do so; you should just do it, see what happens. Oh that's right---nothing will happen, because everything is meaningless and has no purpose.

But, you could still try it nihilists.


How many of you agree with this theory of mine? Or...disagree. That will be interesting. Let's see some strong, firm, disagrees that nihilist shouldn't kill themselves, and under what justification.

I'll leave you to console my mother after my suicide.


Perhaps because we're not that selfish.



I'm not even going to go on to describe my instant appall from reading this thread.
You seem like a very hateful, rude person. Normally I would not vocalize this however there are several threads and several people on this forum who tend to side with the theory of nihilism ergo you've just suggested that they all go kill themselves as if people don't struggle enough.

Shame on you.

 

[NeverAmI]

I'll leave you to console my mother after my suicide.


Perhaps because we're not that selfish.



I'm not even going to go on to describe my instant appall from reading this thread.
You seem like a very hateful, rude person. Normally I would not vocalize this however there are several threads and several people on this forum who tend to side with the theory of nihilism ergo you've just suggested that they all go kill themselves as if people don't struggle enough.

Shame on you.

I don't know that Slant really has all that much emotion or malicious intent behind the thread, it is more a philosophical thought of logical reasoning, and doesn't really take any emotional stance into account.

I got a tinge of what you are feeling when I first read the thread, but I got over it quickly because I have known slant for a while.

Rude? Definitely

Hateful? Not really

Uses wording to get attention? Always

 

[NeverAmI]

Alright, so, reason for nihilist not to kill themselves: people don't behave logically then even if they should kill themselves it doesn't mean they will. humans really can't follow logic and a decision made on logic is feelingless, and feelings really need to be considered during suicide?

Is that what you're saying?

You are acting like things are 100% deductively concrete, which they aren't. A nihilist, I am sure, still has some tinge of doubt about things in the back of their mind, and plus, we all die eventually, that is guaranteed, but who knows if we ever live again, so why end it prematurely?

Now, if you are asking about a nihilist who says life isn't actually real, it is all a delusion or something like that, then yea, there is question why they haven't killed themselves. But I don't think most people are that way, knowing concretely that what most call reality is not actually real.

 

[slant]

The question was: why not kill themselves?

I think the conclusion that can be drawn is that because of the iffy train of thoughts that nihilists have anyway, meaning, they technically really don't make decisions about anything because it might risk giving meaning to something, you cant give a reason why or why not. Logically a nihilist would have to consider each option but act on it without reasoning, because if they incorporated reasoning into it, it could inadvertently turn into meaning.

 

[NeverAmI]

The question was: why not kill themselves?

I think the conclusion that can be drawn is that because of the iffy train of thoughts that nihilists have anyway, meaning, they technically really don't make decisions about anything because it might risk giving meaning to something, you cant give a reason why or why not. Logically a nihilist would have to consider each option but act on it without reasoning, because if they incorporated reasoning into it, it could inadvertently turn into meaning.

I thought nihilism was concerned only in a metaphysical sense of meaninglessness. In other words, pretty much anything can have meaning except the origin of existence itself.

 

[slant]

I'll leave you to console my mother after my suicide.


Perhaps because we're not that selfish.



I'm not even going to go on to describe my instant appall from reading this thread.
You seem like a very hateful, rude person. Normally I would not vocalize this however there are several threads and several people on this forum who tend to side with the theory of nihilism ergo you've just suggested that they all go kill themselves as if people don't struggle enough.

Shame on you.

Well; I apologize for offending you, because that was not my intent at all.


However, I do not apologize for what I said about nihilism and suicide. The reason that I am not sorry is because these are ideas; and anytime you state an idea you open the battleground for criticism, slander, and even ridicule. Everyone has the right to poke fun at an idea, because doing so is really the only way that ideas improve anyway.

I apologize to you only because I didn't intend to offend you. I intended to poke holes in nihilism and make a new theory, but I did not intend to offend you. If I had intended to offend you however, for example, if I had called you a worthless piece of tar, then I would probably not be apologizing, because if I said that I probably meant it and had intended to offend you when I said it. But, I don't think you are a worthless piece of tar, and I did not intend to offend you, so, I do feel somewhat sympathetic at this moment in time.

 

[NeverAmI]

But, I don't think you are a worthless piece of tar, and I did not intend to offend you, so, I do feel somewhat sympathetic at this moment in time.

WTF did Slant just show empathy???

 

[athenian200]

But, I don't think you are a worthless piece of tar, and I did not intend to offend you, so, I do feel somewhat sympathetic at this moment in time.

WTF did Slant just show empathy???

I believe so. This is incredible. I'm going to alert the press!

Slant has been reported as saying, "I [do] feel somewhat sympathetic at this point in time," in response to Bird's condemnation of Slant's on-going campaign against nihilism. Bird was unavailable for comment.

Hehe.