Nihilism

Why Nihilism, A Practical Definition

As research probes further into the complexities of the human mind, it becomes clear that the mind is far from being a composite thing which is an actor upon its world through thoughts; rather, thoughts compose the mind, in the form of connections and associations wired into the tissue of the brain, creating circuitry for future associations of like stimulus. The schematic of this intellectual machine builds separate routing for situations it is likely to encounter, based on grouped similarities in events or objects. In this view of our computing resources, it is foolish to allow pre-processing to intervene, as it creates vast amounts of wiring which serve extremely similar purposes, thus restricting the range of passive association (broad-mindedness) or active association (creativity) possible within the switching mechanism of the brain as a whole. As here we are devout materialists, the brain and mind are seen as equatable terms.

The “positive” effects of nihilism on the mind of a human being are many. Like the quieting of distraction and distortion within the mind brought about by meditative focus, nihilism pushes aside preconception and brings the mind to focus within the time of the present. Influences which could radically skew our perceptions – emotions, nervousness, paranoia, or upset, to name a few – fade into the background and the mind becomes more open to the task at hand without becoming spread across contemplations of potential actions occurring at different levels of scale regarding the current task. Many human errors originate in perceiving an event to be either more important than it is, or to be “symbolically” indicative of relevance on a greater scale than the localized context which it affects, usually because of a conditioned preference for the scale of eventiture existing before the symbolic event.

Nihilism as a philosophical doctrine must not be confused with a political doctrine such as anarchism; political doctrines (as religions are) remain fundamentally teleological in their natures and thus deal with conclusions derived from evidence, where nihilism as a deontological process functions at the level of the start of perception, causing less of a focus on abstracting a token ruleset defining the implications of events than a rigorous concentration on the significance of the events as they are immediately effecting the situation surrounding them. For example, a nihilistic fighter does not bother to assess whether his opponent is a better fighter or not that the perceiving agency, but fights to his best ability (something evolution would reward, as the best fighter does not win every fight, only most of them). As a result of this conditioning, nihilism separates the incidence of events/perceptions from causal understanding by removing expectations of causal origins and implications to ongoing eventiture.

Understanding nihilism requires one drop the pretense of nihilistic philosophy being an endpoint, and acceptance of it being a doorway. Nihilism self-reduces; the instant one proclaims “There is no value!” a value has been created. Nihilism strips away conditiong at the unconscious and anticipatory levels of structure in the mind, allowing for a greater range of possiblity and quicker action. Further, it creates a powerful tool to use against depression or anxiety, neurosis and social stigma. Since it is a concept necessarily in flux, as it provides a starting point for analysis in any situation but no preconditioned conclusions, it is post-deconstructive in that it both removes the unnecessary and creates new space for intellectual development at the same time.

Text quoted from S.R. Prozak’s Nihilism at the American Nihilist Underground Society.

Comments

12 responses to “Nihilism”

  1. patrick

    nihilism is the belief that we a re a structured order bent on chaose as a chice that rules our critical value of the nothingness that have biased the abstarct norm to be. we as nihilists are moved by intergrity to choose something that provides no rules, no absolutism, no esoteric values, but rather a sense of value that has been based on nothingness or of our nihilism. nihilists tend to find things that are the explanation of reason and rather than debase it with something that already exists, we rather reveal our nothingness as parts of nihilism to be clarified by the explanation of reason. our reasons for nihilism is the truth constructed by the system of our annihilation. thus we are constantly faced with an adversity of nothingness that does not belong or believe in anything. thus the nihilists calls this nothingness nihilism. a structure or an annihilation or of the remains of nihilism. nihilism is regarded as the annihilated annihilation and not of the nothingness that we have based these reasons of explanation on. Hence, nihilists tend to be structed towards that which has provided a basis of value that is not presented with the value of nothingness.

    1. Snowskeeper Ferenczy

      Replying to “Patrick” in case this doesn’t say so:

      Bullshit. You haven’t done your research. Look harder next time.

  2. joe

    nihilism, as it i can define it, is the understanding that value, belief, subjective thought, intangible idea is a product of human consciousness; man-made. so my argument is: lets decide on productive ideas that create the best possible scenario for well being of the human species.

  3. Dawit Tesfazghi Ghebrmedhin

    Shalom,
    Nihilism as abstract objects are counter parts of for none abstract objects?

  4. Nemo

    The fact that you, “Patrick” and “Joe”, attempt to assert a definition to nihilism you have already MISUNDERSTOOD what nihilism is. A much easier and more empirically driven argument for understanding nihilism is you should rather DEFINE the nihilist in WHAT HE DOES.

    In practice, pertaining to the actions of a nihilist, one negates all values and traditions of all political, religious, or any other ideal as a utility for personal action; however, the practice of a nihilist is not the definition of nihilism, merely an EFFECT of nihilism. If one wants to establish CAUSE to nihilism, and one MUST do this outside of nihilism, then I suggest we take a look at Exodus 3:14 of the Hebrew Bible as it relates to the rhetoric of nihilism:

    “And God said to Moses, ‘I AM that I AM…’”

    The same declarative statement made by God is the only rational statement we can ascribe to this (anti) philosophy: NIHILISM is that NIHILISM. By saying this, one can up-hold his or her nihilistic, temporal “logic” while at the same time prove it’s “meaning” – that is: it is meaningless; it is absurd; it is undefined by any conceptual standard; it exists in the individual but does not exist at the institutional; etc…

    I understand many people may not like this “pointless definition,” yet that IS the point of nihilism. One can only measure a nihilist’s actions, not his doctrine. This is why I enjoy Prozak’s expression of the nihilist in action: “a nihilistic fighter does not bother to assess whether his opponent is a better fighter… he fights to his best ability.” The greatest and most humorous example of Prozak’s statement is in Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark, when Indy is confronted by an Arabic swordsman. The swordsman gaily swings his sword around, showing his “fighter” prowess; however, instead of complying to the swordsman’s standard of melee combat, Indy pulls out his revolver, his “best ability”, and shoots the swordsman in the face.

    In short, it is impossible to define or evaluate nihilism itself, But merely observe the actions of a nihilist and one can SEE the results of this “non-existing” doctrine.

  5. How can we put oriental nihilisms(Budhism and Taoism) into your definition of nihilism?

  6. ann atta

    …as meaninglessness is a ‘symptom of the universe’ — if i may ‘crib’ from Messrs. IOMMI, WARD, BUTLER, and OSBOURNE, ( ;-}) — it’s not relevant at what level of the economic spectrum one operates…if an academic intellectual (a cosmologst/philosopher) who wrote from a passive perspective on nihilism would expound for us the ramifications of current astrophysical theory (the future of an accelerating, expanding universe and its ultimate heat death — with or without proton decay — loss of all matter/energy and the ability to do work) as a coping mechanism, it may be some small consolation (apologies to BOETHIUS) for humankind and therefore MEANINGFUL…

  7. ann atta

    …as meaninglessness is a ‘symptom of the universe’ — if i may ‘crib’ from Messrs.
    IOMMI, WARD, BUTLER, and OSBOURNE, ( ;-}) — it’s not relevant at what level of the
    economic spectrum one operates…if an academic intellectual (a cosmologst/philosopher) who
    wrote from a passive perspective on nihilism would expound for us the ramifications of
    current astrophysical theory (the future of an accelerating, expanding universe and its
    ultimate heat death — with or without proton decay — loss of all matter/energy and the
    ability to do work) as a coping mechanism, it may be some small consolation (apologies to
    BOETHIUS) for humankind and therefore MEANINGFUL…

  8. Nihilism is a lot like Buddhism. It can be defined, and yet it can’t. Very Zen.

    Nihilism is a man-made construct, therefore it is easily corruptible. Humans are the only species who give any thought to anything other than family, mating, food, water, and shelter.

    Nihilism is to look at all of your every day thoughts and decisions through the minds of other species.

  9. I’m not sure you have to be very intellectual and use big words to be a nihilist, but either way I wish there was more of them around me. I’m not sure if I find just very intriguing or more of a profound discovery of how I’ve been feeling for my decaying life. I think it was the actual fight club book that helped be understand what this all really about. Reading it changed the way I look at everything and it’s really a nuisance not being able to discuss these beliefs or rather way of life, if you will, with anybody around. I try my best to get people to understand why I am the way I am, but there is nothing to understand and that is the beauty of it. It is absolutely bliss knowing that you are born to die. But the fact that relationships are pointless is quite lonely and troublesome at times. It’s almost selfish to even start one. Cause what’s the point of them? Exactly. The fact is there is no point to anything. And people find that very “emo” or “goth”. When it is not that at all. People try and relate this lifestyle to devil worship in a way, which is really quite irritating, because they see the word annihilate or destroy. Something beautiful comes out of the ashes of the things people have come known and love. But people like us realize that the things people own, end up owning them. I could quote fight club all day long.

    1. Kieran

      Just want o say that was worded perfectly10/10

    2. Allen Liao

      “But the fact that relationships are pointless is quite lonely and troublesome at times. It’s almost selfish to even start one. Cause what’s the point of them? Exactly.” Wow. Exactly :)

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