The Allure of Nihilism
Happy Friyay everybody! I hope this week has been pleasant and enjoyable thus far. Get outside, enjoy the sunshine. I know I will be after finishing this post.
I wanted to explore nihilism today, because it is a symptomatic profile that I am seeing more and more these days, and I cannot help but wonder aloud, why now? And why, amidst the hopelessness and heaviness of a situation, would a belief system like nihilism have any appeal or function at all?
Nihilism represents a group of philosophical positions that deny the existence of some commonly accepted aspect of reality, such as meaning, value, knowledge, or moral truth.
The main forms include:
Existential nihilism: Life has no inherent or objective meaning, purpose, or value.
Moral nihilism: There are no objective moral facts; nothing is inherently right or wrong.
Epistemological nihilism: Knowledge is impossible or extremely limited.
Political nihilism: The rejection of existing political and social institutions.
I was discussing the two sides to nihilism. Optimism and Despair.
The belief that life has no inherent meaning, purpose or value can be incredibly liberating, allowing you to pursue a more free, authentic life. It can also be debilitating, placing you into an inescapable spiral of existential dread, loss and hopelessness.
Humans are meaning making machines.
Whether we like it or not, our entire existence is focused singularly on creating meaningful experiences. This is a direct challenge to the philosophy of nihilism, which states that objective meaning or value does not exist. But what is meaning anyways?
Our entire nervous system is organised around meaningful interpretations of a random set of signals (temperature, pressure, light, sound, taste, pain), all communicated via electrical and chemical impulses that make their way to the brain. Within the brain, these inputs are transformed into a meaningful experience - the sweetness, coldness and delight of the chocolate ice cream we are currently eating. The loss and ache for the friend we stopped talking to, seeing images of our time together, pulled from our memory.
I recall in this moment reading a research paper or reflective essay that discussed the double edged sword of a neurodegenerative disease like Dementia, where all the memories that gave life meaning slip away, but also you now have access to a level of present-minded awareness, connection and engagement with life, when unburdened by old memories, grievances and the weight of emotional baggage. This idea explores the complex nature of meaning making, and how memory is integral to that, and how the loss of meaning does not necessarily mean despair, loss and existential agony.
So why, in my therapy room, am I seeing more and more clients presenting with what I would identify as existential nihilism (life has no inherent or objective meaning, purpose, or value), when events accumulate in their lives with profound loss, grief, helplessness or psychic pain? For example, a client who was broken up with, lost their job and had a friend pass away in the span of a few months, now presenting with the following statements;
“What’s the point to life, when the world is run by evil billionaires who don’t care whether we live or die”
“Why bother trying to find a new job, I’ll just lose it again”
“Why should I work so hard anyways, I’m just going to die and there is no point”
Confronted with these despairing questions, I cannot help but think back to a story I read in Secrets of Divine Love, by A. Helwa.
The story goes like this:
An elderly man is walking along a beach after a violent storm. Thousands of starfish have been washed ashore and, as the sun rises, they will dry out and die. He notices a young boy picking up the stranded starfish one by one and throwing them back into the sea.
The old man says something to the effect of:
"There are probably a hundred thousand starfish on this beach. What you're doing can't possibly make any difference."
The boy quietly picks up another starfish, gently throws it back into the ocean, and replies:
"It sure made a difference to that one."
This story deeply touched my heart and resonated with something that many spiritual belief systems assert. That good inherently has value, and whether you see the immediate effects of it or not, our souls benefit from altruistic, kind action over nihilistic apathy and despair.
"Whoever does an atom's weight of good shall see it." (Qur'an 99:7)
"Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)
"Do not think lightly of good, saying, 'It will not come to me.' Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise person, gathering it little by little, fills themselves with good." (Dhammapada 122)
I do not have all the answers to life’s big questions, I cannot definitively tell you why trying hard and persisting despite painful, overwhelming circumstances is good or better for you, other than listening to the rhythmic pulse of my conscience and evaluating the obvious consequences of action using my logical mind. There is such a thing as optimistic nihilism, which states that even though there is no objective truth or meaning to life, we are then free to create our own meaning and engage in a subjective construct of reality that aligns with our mind, heart and soul’s peace.
And if we sit back and evaluate the (objective) benefits of pursuing a meaningful relationship after a breakup, being kind to a lonely child and making them smile, finding a new job after being made redundant, or offering your umbrella to the elderly woman braving the rain, it is evident to anyone with a rational mind - you benefit from continuing to try, even if you do not believe in the meaning or purpose of your actions. You benefit from the money of your job. You benefit from the companionship of a relationship (for we are social creatures, whether we like it or not). And in the grand mystery of life, our hearts find peace, joy and contentment in the helpful support of our fellow humans. The smile of a child, the hug of a mate, the gentle tears welling in the eyes of someone touched by your kindness, well that is just the most precious thing I can imagine experiencing. And I have not yet met a nihilist who disagrees.
Overt Nihilist. Covert Humanist? You decide.
Therapeutic Skill of the Week
JOURNALING! The King of all meaning-making exercises. Yes I hear you all moaning and groaning. Pleaaaase stop avoiding journaling. It is so, so good for you!
If you have been struggling with the meaning of your existence recently, failing to find value in the autopilot actions of boring, everyday life, try asking yourself these questions:
If there were no external expectations, achievements, or obligations, what experiences, relationships, or pursuits would still feel worth waking up for? Why?
Think about a moment in your life that felt deeply meaningful or alive. What made that moment significant, and what does it reveal about what you truly value?
If you were told you had one year left to live, what would become more important to you? What would become less important? What does this suggest about the kind of life you want to live now?
What values do you consistently admire in other people (e.g., courage, compassion, wisdom, justice, faithfulness, curiosity)? Which of these do you most want your own life to embody?
What suffering, injustice, or need in the world moves you most deeply? What might your emotional response reveal about your purpose or calling?
If your life were reduced to a single sentence that described the impact you had on others, what would you hope that sentence would say? What choices today would move you closer to living that story?
When you strip away your roles, accomplishments, possessions, and other people's opinions, who are you? What truths about yourself remain?
What do you believe is ultimately true about life, humanity, or existence? How does that belief influence the way you choose to live, love, and make decisions each day?
Meaning cannot be cultivated all at once, but rather is collected and built up over years of experiences, relationships, memories, life transitions and moments that hold truth, value, purpose or deep, personal growth.
What is one small action you can take this week that would bring your life into closer alignment with what matters most to you?
Poetic Reflections
"Life is never made unbearable by circumstances,but only by lack of meaning and purpose."
- Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search For Meaning
Look at me ma! I learned how to write less, yippee! I’m honestly getting so proud of my ability to titrate these entries into (hopefully) shorter and more digestible reflections. I truly hope you enjoyed this one.
With love, warmth and care,
Tala Mansour.