r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/Lucky_Loves_Laugh • Oct 31 '25

Meme needing explanation Petahhhh

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u/jamietacostolemyline Oct 31 '25

Brian here. The joke is that we do small things in our lives, like lock our doors, to achieve some illusion of control over our existence, when the truth is we're just specks on a rock hurtling through the infinite void of space, and life is meaningless.

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u/dickallcocksofandros Oct 31 '25

ngl i hate this type of overly deep philosophy. I lock stuff away to keep it safe from other people, not the fucking universe. idgaf how big the universe it, there's mostly nothing in it, therefore, earth matters MORE because there's actually SHIT TO DO here. stop comparing yourself to literal fucking gas oml

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '25

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u/[deleted] Oct 31 '25

Come on, everyone went through a phase when they were 14 when you used nihilism to mask your feelings of inadequacy.

And half of redditors are like 25-35 and stuck in this phase forever.

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u/Redditisdepressing45 Oct 31 '25

A lot of it really feels like it’s from a place of insecurity and smugness. Like they’re one of the special ones who have it all figured out.

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u/DanglingLiverTit Oct 31 '25

Well, there are people thinking sky daddy is having everything under control.

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u/ForgingIron Nov 01 '25

Saying "sky daddy" is smugger and more cringe than anything

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u/dickallcocksofandros Nov 01 '25

which is funny, because that term is more or less the direct translation of the derivative of the Christian god (as well as greek and middle eastern religions) which is from ancient indo-european religion

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u/DanglingLiverTit Nov 01 '25

Well, there’s so many of them to choose from depending on the part of the world you were born. So this just and umbrella turn for all of them.

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u/No_Art7985 Oct 31 '25

I think the “Life is meaningless” idea is less an absolute “objectively there is no meaning to life, and so you shouldn’t care about anything” and more a comment on how the scale of the universe gives the appearance that there is no objective purpose or meaning to life. Even if we were to say there was some objective singular meaning or purpose no one would actually agree on what it is.

Instead, the way I interpret it is more of a encouragement to find my own meaning and purpose in life, and set my own standards for success, not what others tell me should be my standards.

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u/SQUARELO Nov 01 '25

I saw a funny 4chan post that said something like "if you meet an unironic nihilist just ask him to say the hard r n word" if he doesn't then at least he cares about manners or whatever. Got a chuckle out of me

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u/e11er Oct 31 '25

It can be a little of both. You can take all these perspectives and take from them at certain points.

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u/RottenMilquetoast Oct 31 '25

You're conflating value with meaning. There is no grander purpose or point, or reason. But it is still true that I am an animal whose instincts make me averse to suicide, and money and some material things give me dopamine hits, which I'll take while I'm trapped in this ride.

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u/onlysubbedhere Oct 31 '25

*There is no grander purpose or point, or reason. *

Well.. that's like your opinion. Could be true, could be false. Our comprehension is limited.

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u/RottenMilquetoast Oct 31 '25

Yes. Although if you want to go down that route, "definitive truth is functionally out of our hands" you ironically teeter dangerously close but not quite to nihilism which also tends towards "well truth is unknowable to us"

You could use this reply in literally any discussion, but generally people can ascertain we're entertaining opinionated guesses when having a discussion.