explore nihilism

ever wonder what happens when you strip away every meaning you've been told to believe in? that's nihilism — and it's not as terrifying as your philosophy professor made it sound.

the abyss stares back

most people hear "nihilism" and picture some brooding teenager in a dark room. but the real nihilists — nietzsche, heidegger, camus — were some of the most alive thinkers in human history. they didn't reject meaning because they were sad. they rejected inherited meaning because they wanted something real.

why it matters to you

here's what nobody tells you: you're already living with nihilistic tendencies. every time you question why you're working a job you hate, why you follow social norms that make no sense, or why you do things just because "that's how it's done" — you're flirting with nihilism.

the difference between existentialism and nihilism is subtle but important. the existentialist says "there's no inherent meaning, so i'll create my own." the nihilist says "there's no inherent meaning, and that's perfectly fine." both start from the same place. where you land is up to you.

go deeper

read nietzsche's thus spoke zarathustra. read heidegger's being and time. read camus' the myth of sisyphus. don't just read summaries — actually sit with these ideas. let them unsettle you.

the point isn't to become a nihilist. the point is to examine your beliefs so thoroughly that whatever you come out believing on the other side is actually yours — not something handed to you by society, religion, or your parents.

your move

pick up one of those books this week. read the first chapter. sit with the discomfort. the unexamined life might not be worth living, but the over-comfortable life isn't much better.

stop borrowing your worldview from other people. figure out what you actually believe when everything else is stripped away.

if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.