Before we get into what
Nihilism really is let's look at the world's collection of definitions.
Nihilism: -noun
1. total rejection of established laws and institutions
2. anarchy, terrorism, or other revolutionary activity
3. total and absolute destructiveness
4. (a)
in Philosophy: an extreme form of skepticism; a denial of all real existence or the possibility of an objective basis for truth
(b) nothingness or nonexistence
5. annihilation of the self, or the individual consciousness
6. a delusion, experienced in some mental disorders, that the world or one's own mind, body, or self does not exist.
7. An approach to Philosophy that holds that human life is meaningless and that all religions, laws, moral codes, and political systems are thoroughly empty and false. The term is from Latin
nihil, meaning “nothing”.
Right from the beginning it seems that the 'world' and the 'they' don't want you to become
Nihilistic. If you become nihilistic, you'll have to totally reject “established laws and institutions”, become an anarchist, a terrorist, “perform revolutionary activities”, and become totally and absolutely destructive.
If you are not the type of person to be outwardly destructive, you can become skeptical and deny “all real existence or the possibility of an objective basis for truth”. If you can't keep your thoughts to your self you will be branded as 'delusional' and that you have same form of 'mental disorder'. (It's kinda like posting on the “Philosophy Forum” - LMFAO)
Definition #6 equates one's 'self' as the same as the 'world', the 'mind', and/or the 'body'. It's important to notice that definition #6 basically says that 'you' are a measurable, definable, thing. You are not Be-ing, you are a 'thing' called mind, body, or self and defined by world's definitions. If you refuse to be defined by the world that's
Nihilism or your a “bad thing”.
Definitions 4b, 5, and 7 are kind of interesting. They point to what
Nihilisim might be but they don't hit the mark because they define Be-ing as a thing called “nothingness or nonexistence” (def. 4b). Definition 5 then goes on to say that the thing called 'self' has another thing called 'consciousness' and definition 5 threatens your Be-ing by saying both 'self' and 'consciousness' can be annihilated. So, correct me if I am wrong here, the dictionary (some man typing on a computer) has determined that Be-ing is a 'thing' of this world and that 'things' of this world (body, mind, consciousness, etc.) can be annihilated. Wow, this is another good reason to not become
Nihilistic.
All of the definitions above are up-side down. What they 'define' doesn't happen the way life actually happens.
Let's attempt to flip all of the definitions above right-side up. Are 'morals' and 'ethics' something that is defined by the dictionary or an ethics class and imposed from the 'outside' (society) on its members? If that were true there wouldn't be any corruption or criminals in the world, right? 'Morals' and 'ethics' come from who 'you' are and then they show up in the dictionary, in a ethics class, or as law, right?
If who you are Be-ing is a 'sense of fair play' then 'morality' and 'ethics' show up in your relationships, in your business dealings, in ethics classes, and in the law. If you're not Be-ing or ignoring your 'sense of fair play', then your relationships and business dealings are about domination and manipulation and looking for 'loopholes' in the law.
I don't want to get into a discussion about ethics and morals here. I only want to point out that ethics and morals come from who 'you' are Be-ing.
All the definitions above purport to define you from the 'outside' in. In other words, those definitions are attempting you 'sell' you on the idea that 'you' are defined by the world, society, and the 'they' (measurabilty and definability) and that the world, society, and the 'they' have the 'divine' right to tell to tell you who you get to be (more domination and manipulation through confusion and doubt).
Nihilism is not a category and it doesn't happen at the level of definition (what the world and the 'they' have to say about it). The definition
Nihilism keeps us from experiencing
Nihilism.
Nihilism happens at the level of Be-ing. What follows is a modified excerpt of my discussion on the “Philosophy Forum” called 'Death'.
Quote:In terms of the measurable, definable, world, and the 'they', 'death' is interpreted as that which happens at the end of 'life'. Another word we use for the end of life is 'demise'.
For the purpose of this conversation I will use 'death' (demise) when I am speaking about what happens in the measurable, definable, world and I will use 'death' (Be-ing) when I am speaking of Be-ing.
Be aware, when people speak of 'death' they are most likely speaking about 'demise'. You can't count on them to make the distinction for you. Humans Be-ing readily interchange (confuse) the two words when they come face-to-face with their own mortality and are meaning 'demise' (what happens to a physical body, plant, animal, or man).
Let's clear up the matter of 'demise' first and be done with it. It is rather simple. 'Birth' and 'death' (demise) are two sides of the same coin. When you are 'born', 'death' (demise) is inevitable and nobody can take it away from you or do it for you. It is the only certain/uncertain certainty you have. Just about everything you do between 'birth' and 'death' (demise) is an avoidance of 'death' (demise).
Let me be very clear here. 'Death' (demise) is to be avoided at all cost and for as long as possible.
Monuments (headstones, statues, buildings) are an attempt to extend 'living' past the point of 'death' (demise) or immortality. All of this points to one thing and that is: The moment you are born you are already 'dead' (demise), you just don't know when it will happen. Put down the turd, 'death' (demise) and refuse to play patty-cake with it, you can't do anything about it anyway.
Have you ever had a bad enough accident that it made you confront how you are living your life? Have you ever been in a precarious situation and said something along the lines of “If you'll get me out of this I'll never do such and such again” and experienced a shift in your outlook on life? What I just said is a hint that points to 'death' (Be-ing). When you 'close the door' on the way you have been Be-ing, that's another hint that points to 'death' (Be-ing). Those 'hints' are all evidence you need to assure you of the possibility of 'death' (Be-ing).
You should avoid 'death' (demise) at any cost, however, you should run towards 'death' (Be-ing) and experience 'death' (Be-ing) as many times as you can. That's where you'll find 'living' (Be-ing who you are).
'Death' (demise) is a concept we 'play patty-cake' with to remind us to 'live'. However, 'living' is not the opposite of 'death' (demise). 'Living' is something else. It doesn't happen in the realm of the measurable, definable, world, it happens in Be-ing/knowing.
'Death' (demise) is just one of a whole world of concepts we use to hide behind. Your lot in life is to deconstruct the concept of 'death' (demise) and uncover the possibility of 'death' (Be-ing/liv-ing).
Let me say it again. Your lot in life is to de-construct the 'concepts' of life and uncover the possibility that the 'concepts' of life (the measurable, definable, world, and the 'they') don't define who you are. They can only define you as a measurable, definable, thing.
Deconstructing concepts of things like gun, car, airplane are so easy that you don't even take notice. The difficult concepts are the ones that humans Be-ing use to define Be-ing. Since “you should avoid 'death' (demise) at any cost”, when you come close to 'death' (Be-ing) you turn the possibility of not being able “to prove your existence in this world” into a concept (animal rationale) and then use it to represent Be-ing.
As you de-construct the 'concepts', one by one, and disentangle your 'self' from the labyrinth of measurabilty and definability, you come to a point where you recognize that using the 'measurabilty and definability of the world' to prove your existence never 'captured' who 'you' really are. When you discover that the 'world's concepts can no longer capture 'you', you come face-to-face with the possibility that 'you' can't prove 'you' exist, not even to your 'self'.
Physics has proven that two things cannot occupy the same space, so, when 'you' existing, come face-to-face with the possibility that you don't exist, a very interesting thing happens. When both 'you existing' and 'the possibility that you don't exist' try to occupy the same space, they cancel each other out and both disappear. What gets left in their place is 'you', Be-ing.
What you have just experienced is 'death' (Be-ing).
When you experience 'death' (Be-ing), you will discover that you are no longer a slave to proving/not proving (explaining) your existence and that now you have 'room' for you to replace 'explaining your existence' with something else. This is the essence of human freedom.
In 'death' (Be-ing) you answer the question "Who am I?"
This is
Nihilism.
"Religion is a marketing strategy designed to manipulate huge populations of people by convincing them that there is life after death (demise) and holding their 'salvation' hostage." - Dasein
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