Existentialism vs Absurdism vs Nihilism
You find yourself walking down the street with your morning coffee in hand as your brain is flooded with the dozens of issues and problems you need to deal with. Maybe it's a relationship that's on the rocks, a pet that needs to go to the vet, but you know that paying that bill means you might be short on rent this month. Or the fact that the very coffee you're drinking is probably going to keep you up all night worrying, but you kind of have to drink it anyway, or else you can't survive the day. You're working a job you hate just so you can make ends meet.
You're experiencing an existential crisis, and it's in moments like this that we start to question everything we've been taught about life. Why are we doing any of this? Like Sisyphus in Greek mythology, life feels like we're forced to push a boulder up a hill only for it to roll right back down. How can we live a life of meaning when it feels like nothing in the world makes any sense? If you find yourself grappling with these questions, there are different philosophies that can help provide answers.
The first is existentialism, which challenges you to embrace your newfound freedom and use it to create meaning amidst life's unending uncertainties. Before we continue, I'd like to take a moment to take the sponsor of today's video, BetterHelp. Recently, we've seen more and more people turn to AI to help deal with their emotional challenges, and the problem, unfortunately, is that AI can't replicate the empathy and humanity that you get with a real therapist. As somebody who has gone to therapy for a few years now, I can say it has changed my life.
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It's a belief that urges us to embrace our individuality and forge our own paths in defiance of an indifferent universe. You'll see more of what Sartre meant by his words that open this video as we get further along in outlining what all these isms mean in our lives. To fully grasp existentialism, we'll first need to examine the teachings of Plato and Aristotle. Both believed in individuals born with attributes intrinsically linked to that person's identity, which they deemed to be their essence.
Even objects we share this universe with, like trees, possess an essence. A tree has roots, a trunk, branches, and leaves. Although many kinds of trees exist, these qualities define an individual tree's essence, which makes it very different from every other tree on the planet. Essentialists like Plato and Aristotle believed that essence exists before we're even born. For example, essentialists from the Industrial Age would tell you that the essence of a man is in his role as a provider and protector, even though many today no longer believe that to be true.
Similarly, on a cultural scale, essence plays a significant role around the world. In Japan, the concept of "otaku," or serving others wholeheartedly, is a form of essence. Essence gives us purpose; it's the idea that something exists outside of us that we have to live up to. We are tasked with living up to that purpose, and it's something we always seem to be in search of. The world operated under this belief for a large part of human history thanks to institutions like religion and tradition.
But while these beliefs are based on the idea that essence comes before existence, existentialists believe the opposite: that existence precedes essence. They believe that we come into this world with no predetermined purpose and that we have the freedom to define what our essence is on our own terms. A figure like Prince Harry from the British royal family represents existentialism in an interesting way. Born into what many would consider a strong and unbreakable essence, he decided to walk away from that life in pursuit of freedom and love, redefining his life outside of the confines of royalty.
His decision mirrors the existentialist principle that freedom comes with a profound level of responsibility; man is condemned to be free because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. This quote from Sartre highlights an important aspect of the existentialist plight: everyone is fully accountable for their choices. Therefore, we must confront the consequences of our actions.
Existentialism asserts that individuals aren't bound by societal or religious norms. In other words, you don't have to subscribe to the meaning given by society's figures of authority. You might suddenly realize that your teacher's sense of meaning is pointless, as is that of your parents and even the leaders of the country in which you live. Why should you listen to them when they don't get to determine your essence?
It sounds tempting to be completely free from the shackles of society, but being an existentialist almost means accepting the consequences that come as a result of rebelling against conventional authority. On the flip side, if you choose to live according to a predetermined rulebook for life, you are living in bad faith. Deciding to quit your hectic construction job in exchange for your artistic passions is a worthwhile pursuit; however, when you face struggles from a lack of stability, you'll need to charge head-on, understanding the consequences of freedom.
If you instead choose to remain at that job despite it being unfulfilling, you'll be living in bad faith. At the core, existentialists believe that whatever meaning you find in life, you must determine on your own. Do you genuinely enjoy accounting? Go for it; that's your meaning. Are you only doing this job because you're scared of being a failed artist? That's bad faith.
Existentialism isn't the magical answer to life's alienating and questionable problems; what it does is present a type of authenticity that makes you an active participant in life. The shift in mentality is an important step towards fulfillment in the modern world. It's also closely connected with the absurd, but it treats this absurdity with a sense of agency, urging individuals to confront it head-on. We are encouraged to engage with the absurd in pursuit of meaning and authenticity.
While existentialism grapples with an individual search for meaning in an indifferent universe, absurdism takes things a step further. Why should you search for meaning when existence itself is absurd? To an absurdist, life is inherently meaningless, and so every attempt to find meaning or purpose is futile. Absurdism embraces the inherent contradictions of life without succumbing to nihilism or despair.
Rather than seeking to discover meaning or purpose, absurdism encourages individuals to confront their existence with defiance. Albert Camus, a 20th-century philosopher, believed in absurdism as a form of philosophical rebellion against humanity's search for meaning. Much of history centers on a belief in an ultimate answer that will provide a sense of relief to life's unending cruelty. For a figure like Camus, the absurd emerges as an answer to nihilism, a despairing and humbling truth to existentialism's demand for meaning.
Camus wrote, "The absurd is the essential concept, and the first truth." Much like taking the red pill in The Matrix, acknowledging the absurd is seen as the first step to living in reality. Do you get extremely self-critical after falling short on personal goals you've set for yourself? In the eyes of an absurdist, there's no point to that despair. After all, you can find freedom in the fact that it's all ultimately meaningless.
This newfound insight can be a powerful push towards healthier, more detached thoughts. For an existentialist, finding your own meaning might feel satisfying, but to an absurdist, true freedom exists in rejecting the concept of meaning. What happens when an existentialist's meaning is scrutinized, challenged, and broken down? To an absurdist, meaning is a futile endeavor when life flaunts its indifference without warning.
Existentialism offers a compelling response to absurdism. Instead of choosing to cave into despair, it encourages us to actively engage with life. After all, authenticity, self-awareness, and a pursuit of meaning are core tenets of this philosophy.
While absurdism may lead to total apathy from a lack of passion, existentialism tasks us with taking ownership of our lives, even when things don't go the way you might have intended. It's important to avoid falling into an autopilot routine. If you suddenly lost your dream home in a fire, absurdists might question why you were ever attached to that home in the first place. With existentialism, you are challenged to acknowledge the pain of loss while recognizing the significance of your attachments. Losing a home is undeniably tragic, but we are encouraged to find meaning in response to this adversity.
That quest for meaning can lead to a deeper appreciation for your bond with your loved ones. Existentialism lets you dig deeper when it seems like all hope is lost. In many ways, it's a celebration of the indomitable human spirit. Meaning can be found anywhere and everywhere, and as an existentialist, you have the choice and ability to find purpose and fulfillment no matter what.
Should we really do anything about life's inherent lack of meaning? Why react in the first place? Existentialism is often at odds with nihilism. It's no surprise, as nihilism is the warmest embrace one can give to life's hopelessness. While an absurdist advocates for defiance of life's absurdity, a nihilist doubles down on its meaninglessness, adopting despair towards life.
Although existentialists must find a meaning of their own, for nihilists, nothing comes next. Once the meaninglessness is acknowledged, life is meaningless, so we must act accordingly. Nihilism is often associated with the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. While he was never a strong advocate for this philosophy, Nietzsche presented nihilism as a consequence of the death of traditional values.
"God is dead. God remains dead, and we have killed him." Losing the once-default belief in God presents a predicament that ultimately leads to nihilistic thoughts. You can think of nihilism as the default state of humanity when God and the premise of a Supreme Being are out of the picture. While nihilism is rooted in despair, certain aspects of this concept provide insightful reflections. In fact, there's an active or optimistic type of nihilism that exists.
Optimistic nihilism challenges conventional values, seeing the removal of traditional meanings as an opportunity to sprout new moral and cultural horizons. Nietzsche believed this to be a potentially liberating view as it opened doors to value based on collective and personal will. Optimistic nihilism exists in our world, and it manifests in some interesting ways. A figure like Elon Musk, who claims to have read Nietzsche at age 14, represents this philosophy quite well.
Even if his personal opinions are questionable, his outside-the-box approach to technology and space exploration challenges old wisdom and expectations. SpaceX is a company that revolutionized the cost of space exploration. Many people would avoid taking on a government-backed organization like NASA, especially when so much of the science is locked behind classified information. With optimistic nihilism, one unlocks the ability to push significant boundaries that were left untouched due to strong long-established beliefs.
While everyone else might be scared to pull the 100-year-old curtain back, a nihilist realizes that giving power to such a belief doesn't help anyone. If there's a monster on the other side, the fear ends. If there is no monster, the fear ends. At its core, existentialism offers a distinct perspective in response to nihilism. Although the universe doesn't offer an inherent meaning, existentialists believe that we have the capacity to live a defined and fulfilling life with our choices and actions.
Existentialism acknowledges our potential for personal growth, ethical engagement, and a meaningful existence in a universe that lacks an objective meaning. It's a celebration of our freedom to shape our lives and identities. With this philosophy, we can fully advocate for our confrontation of modern existential dilemmas. Existentialism, absurdism, and nihilism all accept life's meaninglessness, but each of them provides very different responses to this meaninglessness.
To explain this difference, picture yourself trapped in solitary confinement. Absurdism teaches you to stop looking for meaning in your suffering and to instead laugh in the face of your captors. In the myth of Sisyphus, pushing a boulder uphill seems like a futile punishment, but the defined attempt brings a sense of fulfillment; one must imagine Sisyphus happy. Nihilism teaches you to do nothing; it's all meaninglessness. Your imprisonment, your defiance, your search for meaning—none of it matters.
You would most likely find a nihilist lying in bed, waiting for the end to come. Life's inherent lack of meaning renders them detached; they are resigned to the inevitability of existence without a desire to engage in introspection or defiance. Existentialism teaches you to take this experience as an opportunity for self-reflection and personal evolution. Each moment in confinement becomes a canvas upon which you may create meaning and even improve your identity.
By embracing your mental freedom, you can seek out purpose even in the face of adversity. This mentality can lead to some powerful results. Throughout his 27 years of imprisonment during South Africa's apartheid regime, Nelson Mandela committed to meaning in the form of human dignity and the rights of every individual, regardless of race. This commitment reflects the existentialist theme of finding meaning through personal struggles.
In the end, this enduring belief is what helped Mandela eventually reshape the future of his country. An existentialist mindset was key to keeping himself together, holding on to his core sense of meaning until his eventual release. Existentialism allows us to embrace individuality at its core. Even if life has no meaning, there's still a strong and often unexpected beauty in what we're able to create from the rubble of life's absurdity.
As an existentialist, your life has meaning the moment you decide to create one. It's like the ultimate cheat code against apathy and despair. Instead of succumbing to the void, the act of living transforms into an art form. By embracing existentialism, you can confront life's inherent uncertainties while also transforming them into opportunities to pursue personal growth.
The next time you're faced with a tough decision and that overwhelming feeling dawns upon you, remember that you have the freedom to create your own meaning. If the pressure of getting a job is clouding your mind, it might be time to ask yourself what really matters. Take some time to reflect, ponder your next steps, prioritize what makes a meaningful life in your heart, and decide for yourself what your life should be. Once you feel like you've figured it out, you can begin to live authentically.
Even if you're working in a field you lack passion for, you should work knowing that you intend to change things soon. Never succumb to bad faith, and you'll be able to take on life's absurdity with your head held high. If you like the videos we make and would love to support us in making bigger and better projects, we just updated the Patreon.
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