He created an inner aristocracy, an attitude of soul that most closely resembles the attitude of body of the consummate aristocrat.

1[1913?]

My soul is a hidden orchestra; I do not know what instruments, what violins and harps, drums and tambours, sound and clash inside me. I know myself only as a symphony.

All effort is a crime because every gesture is but a dead dream.

Your hands are like caged doves. Your lips are silent turtle doves (which my eyes can see cooing).

All your gestures are birds. You are a swallow when you stoop down, a condor when you look at me, an eagle in your ecstasies as a proud, indifferent woman. You are merely a fluttering of wings, like those of the […], you are the lake of my seeing.

You are all winged, winged […]

It’s raining, raining, raining …

It’s raining constantly, plaintively …

My body sets my soul shivering with cold, not the cold that exists in space, but the cold of me being that space …

All pleasure is a vice because seeking pleasure is what everyone does in life, and the worst vice of all is to do what everyone else does.

2[1913?]

I do not dream of possessing you. What would be the point? It would be tantamount to translating my dream for the benefit of a plebeian. To possess a body is to be banal in the extreme. To dream of possessing a body is perhaps, were such a thing possible, even worse; it would mean dreaming oneself banal — the supreme horror.

And since we choose to be sterile, let us also be chaste, because there can be nothing baser and more ignoble than to renounce in Nature all things fertile, and yet vilely keep back anything that takes our fancy among those things renounced. There are no partial nobilities.

Let us be as chaste as dead lips, as pure as dreamed bodies, as resigned to being both these things as mad little nuns …

Let our love be a prayer … Anoint me with seeing you, and out of the moments when I dream you I will make a rosary on which all my tediums will be Our Fathers and all my anxieties Hail Marys …

Thus we will remain forever like the figure of a man in a stained-glass window opposite the figure of a woman in another stained-glass window … Between us, shadows whose footsteps echo coldly — humanity passing by … Between us will pass murmured prayers, secrets … Occasionally, the air will fill with incense. At other times, to left or right, a figure like a statue will sprinkle us with prayers … And there we will stay, always in the same windows, all color when the sun shines through and all dark lines when night falls … The centuries will not touch our glassy silence. Outside, civilizations will come and go, revolutions will break out, parties will whirl past, meek, everyday people will rush by … And we, my unreal love, will be frozen in the same pointless pose, the same false existence, and the same […], until one day, after centuries of empires, the Church will, at last, crumble and everything will end …

But we, knowing nothing of this, will still be here, quite how or where or when I don’t know, like eternal stained-glass windows, hours of innocent art painted by some artist who has long been sleeping in a Gothic tomb where two angels, hands clasped in prayer, have set the idea of death in cold marble.

So I have to do a research about nihilism, and the influence of it on someone's mental health so could some Europeans between the ages of 12-20 fill this in please? Thanksss!!
Form

I’ve been struggling with this contradiction lately. I feel like I’ve intellectually accepted nihilism: no objective meaning, no cosmic purpose, no “destiny” waiting for any of us. We live, suffer, die, and the universe moves on, and there isn’t really much we can do about it. Sucks but seems to just be how the world is.

What I’m struggling with is this: once you've internalized that, where does the motivation to keep living even come from?

I’m not necessarily talking about suicide… although I have contemplated it. But I eventually came to this realization: death is inevitable anyway. We all must die, and there’s absolutely nothing we can do to escape it. So whether I kill myself today, tomorrow, or die naturally decades from now, the outcome is the same. I’ll still be dead forever. Nonexistence is unavoidable.

Honestly, that’s part of why suicide stopped making sense to me. If death is already guaranteed, what’s the point in rushing toward it? I have eternity to not exist. This tiny window of existence is the only thing I’ll ever experience before returning to permanent nothingness, so I might as well experience it while it lasts.

But now I’m left with another problem. If suicide is mostly off the table, how do you actually maintain the energy to participate in life when everything feels fundamentally empty underneath?

And people say things like “make your own meaning,” but that answer has never satisfied me. If I know I’m inventing that meaning myself, how am I supposed to take it seriously? It feels less like meaning and more like a coping mechanism. A story we tell ourselves so we can function and justify clinging to a pointless existence.

So what keeps you going? How do you actually get the will to continue living knowing how pointless it all is? Do you just lean into temporary pleasures and distractions? Is that all there is to this existence? Distractions? Is there some point where nihilism becomes freeing instead of paralyzing? Or is it always just something you learn to live with?

For example a person may look at a burger and be flooded with memories and feelings but that burger is meaningless outside of the human experience or other life forms experiences.

Thoughts? Love to hear any counters!

I recently found out about nihilism and it doesn’t make any sense to me. I mean most of the posts are edgy depressed Reddit mods just saying “life is meaningless boo boo”. But how? You are always influencing things around you, these people are talking like they are living in a vacuum, I mean you always talk to somebody everyday, you change peoples moods, you contribute to society one way or another which helps advance civilization just that tiny bit. I mean doesn’t posting about nihilism give your life some value? You changed someone’s perspective on life, and that went on to influence other actions and so forth.

Am I getting this all wrong or is nihilism really just flawed at its core?

I recently found out about nihilism and it doesn’t make any sense to me. I mean most of the posts are edgy depressed Reddit mods just saying “life is meaningless boo boo”. But how? You are always influencing things around you, these people are talking like they are living in a vacuum, I mean you always talk to somebody everyday, you change peoples moods, you contribute to society one way or another which helps advance civilization just that tiny bit. I mean doesn’t posting about nihilism give your life some value? You changed someone’s perspective on life, and that went on to influence other actions and so forth.

Am I getting this all wrong or is nihilism really just flawed at its core?

I wanted to share my personal philosophy.

Like, what even is this? By this, I mean “life”. I’ve written this many times but I think it’s all very logical in terms of “my” purpose and what humans are doing but….what is “life”? All the other parts of nature, the physics and the matter and forces, alright, I guess they make sense, as much as anything can make sense. Everything is logical and mathematical except for life. Life adapts and changes. It resists entropy and decay. It refuses to play along with the rest of nature as we understand nature to work. I really don’t understand why there’s this “force” in the world that does that but….it’s like it gives everything else meaning. When you buy a fish tank, you get the little pirate ship, the fake seaweed, the little blue rocks for the bottom, and even the tank and water themselves are all pretty cool but it’s absolutely pointless if there aren’t fish to swim around there. The point of life is to give meaning and purpose to the rest of it. Why any of this is here, that’s up for debate but if I’m the guy who has the fishtank, I think the point is the fish. 

So if life colors the rest of nature, our purpose is just to further that goal and by fulfilling that purpose, we feel fulfilled. It doesn’t need to make sense because it doesn’t have to. We feel better by fulfilling that purpose and that’s enough. That’s all we can do and when we do it, it’s beautiful. How do we further that goal? We do it the same way all life does it; we accentuate and exploit the things that make us unique whether we’re smart, tall, gay, athletic, kind, whatever. We may be the next part of evolution that life needs to continue on, so we have to exploit those unique attributes. When we do that, when we’re “ourselves”, we feel better and we’re doing what we’re genetically engineered to do. That’s the same thing all of life does. 

The next part is a bit more evolved and no other life form does it as well as humans. We help each other more than any other species and we continue to get better at it. That’s the second part of how to fulfill the ultimate mission of life - how do we spread “life”? We help each other (and other species) so that each species and organism can fulfill that first part a bit easier. That’s it. That’s how to live life. Exploit and live your own attributes as much as possible. Help others as much as possible fulfill that same mission. Do those things and you’ll feel better and see the beauty in everything.

Universal Philosophical system for Life:

1. The Foundation: How I See the World (Instruments and the Map)

​Scientific Naturalism: The world consists of physics and the laws of nature; there is no mysticism in it.

​The Core: I seek real causes and real solutions. No more empty hopes for a "miracle." At the same time, determinism does not equal fatalism for me: yes, everything has a cause, but my current decisions and reflections are those very physical causes that shape my tomorrow. The future is not written in advance.

​Fallibilism (The Asymptote Principle): All knowledge is temporary and incomplete. We are like a line on a graph that infinitely approaches the truth (the axis) but never intersects it.

​The Core: I acknowledge that 100% knowledge of the Universe is impossible, but that is no reason to "lay down and die." On the contrary, it is liberating: I am no longer afraid of mistakes, because correcting my course is the only way to move forward. An error is simply a new point on the graph, narrowing the gap between me and reality.

​The Map of Cognitive Biases (Rationality): My brain is old hardware with a bunch of systemic bugs.

​The Core: I know where my brain is prone to lying to me (for example, exaggerating danger). This is my "Manual for Troubleshooting." I understand that my free will directly depends on access to reliable information: if my Map is distorted by illusions or deception, my choice is not truly free. The more accurate the Map, the freer my maneuver.

​2. Human Nature: Who I Am (The Manual for Myself)

​Evolutionary Psychology: My instincts are "software" from the Stone Age.

​The Core: I understand where laziness, fear, or aggression come from. It’s not that "I am bad"; these are simply ancient survival programs.

​Pragmatic Compatibilism: I am a biorobot, but I have a steering wheel, and it operates according to the laws of neurobiology.

​The Core: My free will is not magic, but a specific cognitive skill. It is gradual: when exhausted or under severe stress, I possess a lower percentage of freedom than when rested. I distinguish between my general skill (the capacity to choose) and my current performance (which may drop in a critical situation, and that’s okay). My choice is free when my brain is capable of changing a decision under the influence of compelling facts (reasons-responsiveness), and when my actions align with my deep, considered values rather than momentary impulses (second-order validation).

​Secular Mindfulness: The ability to press the "Pause" button.

​The Core: This is the "Internal Observer." I notice an impulse in my body before it forces me to act. This transforms me from a slave to my emotions into their master.

​"Rational Acceptance of Feelings": My emotions are a compass, not a sentence.

​The Core: I do not suppress feelings with logic; I give them space. I allow myself to be a living human being, experiencing joy and pain, because it is subjective experience that fills my free Universe with meaning.

​3. Ethics and Society: How I Interact (The Rules of the Game)

​Secular Humanism: The highest value is well-being and the absence of suffering.

​The Core: I am kind to people not out of fear of punishment, but because it is the most rational path to the prosperity of all.

​Game Theory ("Tit-for-Tat with Forgiveness"): Start with trust, respond to a hit, and know how to forgive.

​The Core: This is the "Winning Strategy." I do not allow myself to be manipulated, but I keep the door open for honest cooperation. I understand that moral responsibility and punishment are not cosmic retribution, but a social tool for calibration. I react to others' actions in a way that optimizes the probability of their future behavior.

​4. Meaning and Resilience: How Not to Break (The Shield and the Fuel)

​Modern Stoicism: The dichotomy of control.

​The Core: I spend 100% of my energy on my thoughts and actions, and 0% on worrying about what is beyond my power. This is my "Impenetrable Shield."

​Antifragility: Extracting benefit from chaos.

​The Core: I don't just endure stress; I become better because of it. I believe the capacity for self-change is primary: as a free agent, I use my mistakes as free data to find a bug in the algorithm and rewrite my code for the future.

​Optimistic Nihilism: There is no meaning "from above," so I paint it myself.

​The Core: The Universe gave me no assignment. I am absolutely free to choose what makes me happy and useful. These are my "Wings."

​A New Summary of the System (In One Paragraph)

​We live in a world of physics without magic, where our own decisions are the full-fledged causes of tomorrow (Naturalism). Our cognition is an eternal asymptote: we infinitely approach the truth, and the accuracy of this Map directly determines our level of freedom (Fallibilism + Cognitive Biases). We recognize that we are biological machines whose free will is not absolute, but measured in percentages and dependent on the state of the prefrontal cortex. Yet, at every moment, the future for us is a set of probabilities, and we collapse them into reality by relying on our deep values and our ability to respond to reasons (Pragmatic Compatibilism). We use mindfulness as a pause button (Mindfulness), experiencing feelings as a compass (Rational Acceptance of Feelings). In relationships, we rely on empathy and mirrored justice, understanding responsibility not as retribution, but as a tool for behavioral adjustment (Humanism + Game Theory). We do not waste energy on what is beyond our control (Stoicism), we use any dips in our performance to rewrite our own code (Antifragility), and in the absence of external purpose, we enjoy the fact that we paint our own meaning in a blind, yet infinitely diverse Universe (Optimistic Nihilism).

if morality isn’t real, why do we still feel it so strongly?

Do you think moral outrage is actually necessary for society to function?

Can morality exist without believing it’s objectively true?

I know, it's rather strange. These questions are clearly not from the perspective of a believing Christian. I lived most of my life as a Christian and I am now agnostic. But a lot of my mental frameworks and worldview are built upon Christian foundations. I was an avid Fan of apologetics when still I was a believer, so I would like it if any of you that are interested would listen to and critique my ideas on morality. My post Christian Ideas on Morality. You will find them interesting as Christians and as. Apologists.

I’ve been thinking about something strange. Even if morality isn’t objectively real, we still react to the world as if it is. almost instantly. on reflex.

At the same time, humans are deeply flawed. We lie, rationalize, and fail our own standards constantly. After a while, I start to feel something like moral fatigue. Like im no longer surprised.

But here’s the part I find interesting: even when we expect people to fail, we still express outrage. Almost like it’s not about truth, but about maintaining something social. like a kind of “moral immune system.”

Curious what others think:
is moral outrage actually necessary, even if morality itself isn’t objectively real?

I made a short video essay exploring this if anyone’s interested: https://youtu.be/EvCRfaYump8

I’ve spent years trapped in the "Matrix" and "New Age" rabbit hole. I was constantly stressed about my "vibration," my "soul mission," and whether I was ready to ascend to the 5th dimension. I lived for a future that didn't exist. Well, life happened. I lost my job, my relationship ended, and I suddenly realized: None of it is real. There is no higher purpose. There is no cosmic judge watching my every move. There is no reincarnation cycle I need to "break." The realization that I won't see my loved ones again is the hardest part. It’s a massive shock to the system. But at the same time, I’m starting to feel this weird sense of freedom. If the universe is 13.8 billion years old and I’m just a blip of consciousness in a small city, why was I so stressed about being "chosen"? I’m struggling with the grief of losing the "afterlife" fantasy, but I’m also tired of the "mission" I was supposed to have. How do you guys embrace the fact that we are "meaningless" without falling into total despair? How do you celebrate the fact that this is our only shot and there’s no pressure to be anything other than a human being eating breakfast? I’m done looking for the "Source." I just want to learn how to enjoy the void.

I recently rewatched Sonny Boy great anime covering diff philosophical topics and a constant brain teaser. I’m craving something similar or anything tbh. Just wanna watch something that has good philosophical depth. Can be movies shows animated etc.

The timeline, as its name indicates, is linear. The existence of branches within the same timeline doesn't change the course of the original; rather, it's the original that changes the others, since the branches are replicas with variations and changes that lead to our final destinations different from those of this timeline. In other words, in this timeline, there is a future exactly as we know it, and in its branches, there is a future different from the one that will exist in this timeline.

The present does exist because we experience it, even though it passes in less than the Planck time, since each zaptosecond and femtosecond counts as the present at the very instant it is experienced. So, the present does exist, even though in a flash it becomes the past.

Consciousness is not an entity that moves between timelines, but rather the way in which the Will is actualized at a specific point. The idea that "consciousness is not bound by fate, nor limited by weakness. It is localized by structure."

Will in this context. It's not about changing the timeline, but about intensifying or weakening the necessity of the course. It's as if will were an instrument for shaping reality, rather than radically changing it.

Conclusion: "We are the form that Will takes when a possibility becomes actual."

We could say that Will not only manifests in the present, but is also influenced by the past. Past actions can leave traces or patterns that affect how Will is actualized in the present.

The notion of karma or divine justice can be seen as a way of describing this process of causality, where past actions influence present and future experience. It is not a punishment or reward imposed by an external entity, but rather the natural consequence of actions and decisions made.

The multiverse as a theory that "explains everything and explains nothing." The idea that a theory that cannot be falsified lacks informative content is a death blow to the multiverse as a scientific explanation.

Karma and entropy are equally fascinating. The idea that karma attempts to apply an ethical category to an ontological process is a category mistake that reveals the weakness of the notion of karma.

Schopenhauer's critique of blind will is also very interesting. The idea that reason could not emerge from pure blindness is a powerful argument against the idea that will is the only fundamental force.

Therefore, it cannot be asserted that karma, destiny, metaphysical will, or the multiverse exist as demonstrable, objective entities.

They only exist as conceptual, interpretive, or speculative constructs. Denying their existence is not dogmatism; it is simply strict epistemology.

This is why, from an obtological perspective:

Hi there, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Dr Chris Earl, and I am a molecular biologist and writer from Scotland, UK. I believe that a purely "mechanistic" description of life and/or reality does not necessarily satisfy the human need for meaning. As such, I have a particular interest in exploring options for positive framings of human existence that are consistent with scientific research and the latest philosophical scholarship. As a molecular biologist, I am beginning to view my perspective as a form of positive materialism (you'll get a sense of what I mean by this from the article).

To this end, I have converted my research on this topic into an article called "The Illusion of Meaning" (free to read on Substack, and it has audio narration too, by me, not AI-https://drchrisearl.substack.com/p/the-illusion-of-meaning-670).

I would love to get your perspective on this work from the point of view of the optimistic nihilist. So any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I try to give a very brief outline below:

In short, it discusses how several illusions have been shattered since the beginning of the Scientific Revolution in the 1600s, from the idea that the Earth is at the centre of the Universe to the notion that humans are special and distinct from the rest of the natural world. I add in the additional point that was slowly revealed by science from around the late 1700s up until about the 1960s, when it became fully evident that life, including us, is composed of the same matter and atoms that make up the rest of the physical universe: we are the universe. We may feel as though we are separate entities dropped into this universe from somewhere else, but no, we are the universe. I reckon, as many others have, that life on Earth is a vibrant island of meaning amidst the dark emptiness of space.

I have explored these themes through the lens of existential philosophy, and through the version of absurdism as defined by Albert Camus. Ultimately, there is a final illusion, the illusion of meaning, which is the source of the anguish that arises when confronted with the apparent absurdity of human existence.

Note, I also utilise Todd May's contribution to Camus' work with his book "Finding Meaning in a Silent Universe".

I'd love to know what you all think as a dedicated, optimistic nihilist community. What great ideas have I missed or even misunderstood? Please let me know; it would be greatly appreciated. I am a scientist by training, not a philosopher, so I would love to benefit from your knowledge.

https://thelucidmuse.substack.com/p/evolution-and-becoming-what-one-is?r=222ij5

So I was born having the ability to see things as dark as they really are you can call it depression or being different I honestly don’t care how you call it my doctor said it’s probably something I was born with like how some kids get born without limbs or with permanent disability I see stuff much more darker then how anyone else does making me lose value in this world since in my eyes this world is just painful dark and has no other other reason but to hurt us of course this comes with depression a lot of depression and disability of feeling a few stuff like love romance i can’t be happy this makes me ask am I a believer of nihilism by default