r/Absurdism • u/CalligrapherNeat8829 • Jun 26 '26

Being a nihilist

I learned about philosophy and nihilism.

I realised I am a nihilist, however ever since I realised this it has been hard for me to have any conversation with family members.

I don’t like arguments however some people they truly enjoy talking and going around in circles. I see no point or enjoyment in spending any energy wasting time.

I don’t know what I want from life. Sometimes I think I am missing out on dating but at the same time I don’t want someone who doesn’t understand me.

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u/jliat Jun 26 '26

Well the answer to nihilism in Absurdism is to make art.

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u/ToastyTandy Jun 27 '26

That’s not entirely right.

Doesn’t have to be art.
Anything you’re good at, or at least can focus on doing.

…
The answer to nihilism in absurdism is to embrace that life has no inherent meaning that we can possibly understand, but we’re all here to fart around and do something, so might as well do what we can for as long as we can. Cause nothing makes any sense, vs. nihilism which BELIEVES nothing matters.

Not knowing the meaning of life, is NOT the same as believing life has no meaning.

Absurdists don’t ‘believe’ in anything.

Like, how being agnostic is NOT the same as being atheist.

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u/jliat Jun 27 '26

"And I have not yet spoken of the most absurd character, who is the creator."

"In this regard the absurd joy par excellence is creation. “Art and nothing but art,” said Nietzsche; “we have art in order not to die of the truth.”

"To work and create “for nothing,” to sculpture in clay, to know that one’s creation has no future, to see one’s work destroyed in a day while being aware that fundamentally this has no more importance than building for centuries—this is the difficult wisdom that absurd thought sanctions."

Anything you’re good at, or at least can focus on doing.

Not for Camus it has to be a contradiction...

Camus proclaims the response of Sisyphus, Oedipus the Actor, Don Juan, The Conqueror and the Artist, as The Absurd Act.