(March 6, 2015 at 1:22 pm)CapnAwesome Wrote: I'm a little torn on this thread. Not only am I arguing with two of the people who I like best on the forums, but I don't want to try to convince you guys or anybody else to be a Nihilist. I'm fine and happy being one. In general I'm a pretty happy person because I've learned to accept the absurdity of an atheistic and nihilistic universe. I don't think that everybody can do that though. I think some people are depressed enough considering their eventual non-existence. If you pile on the idea that all the horrible (and good) things that have happened in history are ultimately meaningless, it can become too much for some. I think that's why so many Atheists are not Nihilists, so they can instil meaning in their life to keep themselves sane. I don't instil meaning and keep myself sane just fine because I accept the absurdity and even humor of it all.
Well, personally, I've put a lot of thought into the subject, so one person's opinion isn't going necessarily sway me instantly. I, too, accept the complete absurdity of this existence, I am just unconvinced that I, as a sentient being amidst the chaos, am completely incapable of fighting against that absurdity and developing meaning on a personal level. The things I value stem from the value I have place upon my own existence, and I have yet to see an argument that precludes me from making that value judgement.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
