I suppose it could signal a hatred of yourself, and you want to destroy anything that resembles that image of you… but *shrugs* i’m not an analyst.
Sounds like a lot of anger in any case. Sorry about that, perhaps look into a different philosopher, might make you feel a bit better balanced…
Well, for someone who isn’t an analyst, you probably just hit it right on the nose.
What a revelation. I mean, I know that there was a period in my life where I had the strangest impulses to kill my best friend, because she reminded me so much of the worst parts of myself. She was very depressed, and her disease had brought out the absolute worst in her. That was around the time that I was only a year or two into my own depression, and still in denial about it, and about what was happening to me, who I was becoming. But it’s hard to stay in denial when I had someone like her around. Which is why I was always wanting to just make her go away. So, you are likely right. I mean, I’m always angry. Even when everything is fine, I’m angry.
I understand your opinion, but on the other hand nihilism is such an interesting thing, if theres no god, then who decides whats wrong amd right to do? There are no morals no social standards only man made ides and you know that makes you and every person their own god because you decide what you do no moral no conscience no society only you yourself decide. Isnt that quite an interesting thought?
Or… those thoughts could lead to new situations where you don’t rely too much on one system (political or social, if that makes sense) or another. Not to one extreme or another.
Social standards/morals are there for a reason, but they change over time and sometimes it’s necessary for people to change them. But if everyone completely ignored them then society would collapse, and it’s a survival tool.
Interesting? I think the word you’re looking for is terrifying.
I’ve seen the insides of people, and let me tell you: it is a merciful blessing that we are born with skin. Without that fleshy shroud to cover us, no one, I believe, would be able to bear the sight of one another.
There is this quote that I really used to hate, but don’t anymore. Kafka once said: “. . . we human beings ought to stand before one another as reverently, as reflectively, as lovingly, as we would before the entrance to Hell.”
And although I am almost certainly taking him out of context, I still think on these words when I think on human nature. People are, all of them, mouths that Hell speaks through. To some degree, anyway.
People who are free to be their own gods aren’t free at all. They’re slaves to that Hell-gate inside of them.
Oh, and before I forget, I just want to say that atheists are NOT who I’m talking about. Atheists can have strong moral compasses just like anyone else. I’m not trying to in any way insinuate that they’re immoral. Just to clear that up.
Anyway, I’m not a moral relativist. I believe that morality is solid, and objective. But I know that being a raving psychotic doesn’t exactly lend to my credibility, and I don’t blame you at all if you don’t believe me. I’m very used to it.
It takes a fine and subtle mind to grasp philosophy, you are definitely not psychotic. You might have some anger issues but sometimes that can result from being surrounded by terrible, miserable people who never tried to become better human beings and they try to drag down to their level. Speaking from experience (and I don’t mean that in an elitist sense).
My philosophy is a little rusty, but as I recall Nihilism (according to Nietzsche) was essentially the ‘hangover’ one felt after leaving religion/discovering there’s no god and finding life to be utterly meaningless.
I think we all go through that phase-those of us who are Atheists-but we learn to find new meaning and realize that life is not as hopeless and as bleak as it would seem. While I believe life is intrinsically meaningless, we’re here due to the consequences (desired or not) of other people’s actions-but ultimately it is up to us to decide to find purpose in life.
Some people throw themselves into helping others, some prefer to dive into art, etc. I create my own meaning as well…otherwise if I just clung to the idea that life is pointless I probably would’ve ended it sooner.
Thank you very much for the compliment, newname, but unfortunately I am a psychotic. Or at least, that’s the professional opinion of my doctors. And the fact that psychotic disorders run in the family seems to corroborate this.
Believe it or not, as far as anger issues go, I’m pretty mellow-looking next to some of my family. I’m just as angry as most of them; the difference is in how I express it. I’m the quiet, plotting, never-forgets-a-slight type, instead of the screaming, snapping, beat-you-up-and-forget-about-it-the-next-day type that everyone else in my family seems to be. That doesn’t make me any better a person, it just makes me more functional in a social environment.
🙂 Haha, the way you described nihilism is very accurate! I agree. Unlike you, though, I am one of those “pesky theists”, and I believe in my God, even at my most “nihilistic”, so to me it has nothing to do with religion. I believe that the presence of a deity doesn’t necessarily indicate the presence of purpose or meaning, although the absence of one definitely does. So I can’t say that I’m ever truly a nihilist. Again, I’m very aware that being an absolute nutball doesn’t help my case for theism, but I can do nothing for it.
There are also times— my particularly bad days— where I slip into a kind of solipsistic delusion and everything— purpose, meaning, direction, truth, matter, space, time— starts to degrade into nothing. Nothing is real, nothing matters, I’m so pissed for having been conned into believing otherwise, everyone (me, everyone is me, and everything, I the consciousness) is gonna have some fucking hell to pay.
Thank God I’m seeing the doctor in two days. I’m a walking, breathing grenade. Yesterday was a very clear day. Not a happy one, but clear in that I could talk pretty easy. I feel like I’m starting to slip again though. I apologize for any awkward sentences.
Anyway, I’m very happy to hear that you give your life meaning. We need meaning. And having it is the greatest feeling in the world. I hope you’re doing okay? 🙂
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I suppose it could signal a hatred of yourself, and you want to destroy anything that resembles that image of you… but *shrugs* i’m not an analyst.
Sounds like a lot of anger in any case. Sorry about that, perhaps look into a different philosopher, might make you feel a bit better balanced…
Well, for someone who isn’t an analyst, you probably just hit it right on the nose.
What a revelation. I mean, I know that there was a period in my life where I had the strangest impulses to kill my best friend, because she reminded me so much of the worst parts of myself. She was very depressed, and her disease had brought out the absolute worst in her. That was around the time that I was only a year or two into my own depression, and still in denial about it, and about what was happening to me, who I was becoming. But it’s hard to stay in denial when I had someone like her around. Which is why I was always wanting to just make her go away. So, you are likely right. I mean, I’m always angry. Even when everything is fine, I’m angry.
I understand your opinion, but on the other hand nihilism is such an interesting thing, if theres no god, then who decides whats wrong amd right to do? There are no morals no social standards only man made ides and you know that makes you and every person their own god because you decide what you do no moral no conscience no society only you yourself decide. Isnt that quite an interesting thought?
communism is an interesting thought too… but some things are better left as ideas
Or… those thoughts could lead to new situations where you don’t rely too much on one system (political or social, if that makes sense) or another. Not to one extreme or another.
Social standards/morals are there for a reason, but they change over time and sometimes it’s necessary for people to change them. But if everyone completely ignored them then society would collapse, and it’s a survival tool.
Good points, as always…
Really, IsleyOfTheNorth had a good point as well…
Interesting? I think the word you’re looking for is terrifying.
I’ve seen the insides of people, and let me tell you: it is a merciful blessing that we are born with skin. Without that fleshy shroud to cover us, no one, I believe, would be able to bear the sight of one another.
There is this quote that I really used to hate, but don’t anymore. Kafka once said: “. . . we human beings ought to stand before one another as reverently, as reflectively, as lovingly, as we would before the entrance to Hell.”
And although I am almost certainly taking him out of context, I still think on these words when I think on human nature. People are, all of them, mouths that Hell speaks through. To some degree, anyway.
People who are free to be their own gods aren’t free at all. They’re slaves to that Hell-gate inside of them.
Oh, and before I forget, I just want to say that atheists are NOT who I’m talking about. Atheists can have strong moral compasses just like anyone else. I’m not trying to in any way insinuate that they’re immoral. Just to clear that up.
Anyway, I’m not a moral relativist. I believe that morality is solid, and objective. But I know that being a raving psychotic doesn’t exactly lend to my credibility, and I don’t blame you at all if you don’t believe me. I’m very used to it.
It takes a fine and subtle mind to grasp philosophy, you are definitely not psychotic. You might have some anger issues but sometimes that can result from being surrounded by terrible, miserable people who never tried to become better human beings and they try to drag down to their level. Speaking from experience (and I don’t mean that in an elitist sense).
My philosophy is a little rusty, but as I recall Nihilism (according to Nietzsche) was essentially the ‘hangover’ one felt after leaving religion/discovering there’s no god and finding life to be utterly meaningless.
I think we all go through that phase-those of us who are Atheists-but we learn to find new meaning and realize that life is not as hopeless and as bleak as it would seem. While I believe life is intrinsically meaningless, we’re here due to the consequences (desired or not) of other people’s actions-but ultimately it is up to us to decide to find purpose in life.
Some people throw themselves into helping others, some prefer to dive into art, etc. I create my own meaning as well…otherwise if I just clung to the idea that life is pointless I probably would’ve ended it sooner.
*try to drag you down…
Thank you very much for the compliment, newname, but unfortunately I am a psychotic. Or at least, that’s the professional opinion of my doctors. And the fact that psychotic disorders run in the family seems to corroborate this.
Believe it or not, as far as anger issues go, I’m pretty mellow-looking next to some of my family. I’m just as angry as most of them; the difference is in how I express it. I’m the quiet, plotting, never-forgets-a-slight type, instead of the screaming, snapping, beat-you-up-and-forget-about-it-the-next-day type that everyone else in my family seems to be. That doesn’t make me any better a person, it just makes me more functional in a social environment.
🙂 Haha, the way you described nihilism is very accurate! I agree. Unlike you, though, I am one of those “pesky theists”, and I believe in my God, even at my most “nihilistic”, so to me it has nothing to do with religion. I believe that the presence of a deity doesn’t necessarily indicate the presence of purpose or meaning, although the absence of one definitely does. So I can’t say that I’m ever truly a nihilist. Again, I’m very aware that being an absolute nutball doesn’t help my case for theism, but I can do nothing for it.
There are also times— my particularly bad days— where I slip into a kind of solipsistic delusion and everything— purpose, meaning, direction, truth, matter, space, time— starts to degrade into nothing. Nothing is real, nothing matters, I’m so pissed for having been conned into believing otherwise, everyone (me, everyone is me, and everything, I the consciousness) is gonna have some fucking hell to pay.
Thank God I’m seeing the doctor in two days. I’m a walking, breathing grenade. Yesterday was a very clear day. Not a happy one, but clear in that I could talk pretty easy. I feel like I’m starting to slip again though. I apologize for any awkward sentences.
Anyway, I’m very happy to hear that you give your life meaning. We need meaning. And having it is the greatest feeling in the world. I hope you’re doing okay? 🙂