It's surprising how many people are seekers of lies - comfortable warm lies that allow them to sleep peacefully. Nihilists are seekers of truth. We prefer to be awake and to look at things directly. It may seem masochistic, but that’s how we get our kicks. We reject illusionary concepts of reality. Reality is not something anyone can ever be certain that they have grasped - but it’s the thought that counts. Being mere mortals, and not omnipresent gods, we can only ever have a subjective interpretation of all the stimuli we encounter - as Kant explains well in his philosophy of transcendental idealism.
People who prefer to believe in lies, or simply to trust in a worldview passed on to them, often sense that there may be certain facts that they lack the courage to accept. Arguably, the human brain has evolved to prefer a mental construct of the world that makes them feel special and safe. We have difficulty in grasping concepts like the millions of years that the evolution of human kind itself has taken, because we are designed (by natural selection) to be preoccupied with events on a much shorter timescale. This is related to the way that we prefer to downplay long term threats and concentrate on the present - which is one reason for the lack of action against the creeping crises that are coming to a head on this planet. We have a “vain brain” - a phenomenon whereby we easily forget or overlook our own mistakes and flatter ourselves - an adaptation to help protect us against depression. And religion is also reflective of the need in most people for a belief in supernatural forces that influence the world and lessen the role of mere mortals in shaping destiny - an abdication of responsibility. Nihilists can see that these biological/psychological safety devices are limiting, and if we have the strength to handle certain concepts that are too awesome and overpowering to the crowd, we may find that to our advantage.
This reminds me of an idea by Douglas Adams, in his Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series of novels: the Total Perspective Vortex. This is supposed to be the worst torture device any sentient being can experience. It demonstrates to the victim their own insignificance in proportion to the infinity of the universe.
Nihilists, although accepting of the fact that we grasp reality subjectively, strive for a holistic view in which we first wish to see our place in the entirety of the universe. But it doesn’t kill us, or particularly torture us to do this. Perhaps that’s because it’s beyond the capacity of any human to be objective enough to let it crush us. But really: what does size matter? Even if you were the size of half the universe, why would that really be of such existential significance?
We nihilists see ourselves as part of Nature’s chain of life with potential to affect all kinds of things, just as a butterfly fluttering on one side of Earth can cause a series of events leading to a hurricane on the other side of Earth. We are not isolated individuals standing apart from Nature. Humanity’s attempts to master Mother Nature only bring setbacks. We can work WITH her however.
There is no morality in Nature, but there are rules. Observation of the laws of Nature is a sensible basis for an evaluation of what is appropriate and inappropriate. This is why a holistic view is crucial to a consistent and well-adjusted mind.
There are other interpretations of what nihilism is . They are negative and about rejection of life ( what Nietzsche called the “no to life”
through cynical fatalism or the will to destroy society rather than about being constructive. For us at the British Nihilist Underground Society, nihilism is the basis upon which we build a positive vision for the future.
