Overcoming Nihilism

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In this lecture we will discuss some ideas Nietzsche thought could assist those afflicted with nihilistic doubt. Specifically, we will investigate his formula 'become who you are', and look into his attempt to revalue suffering.
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Get the transcript: academyofideas.com/2012/11/overcoming-nihilism/
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Nietzsche and Nihilism Series:
Lecture 1: • Introduction to Nihilism
Lecture 2: • Suffering and the Mean...
Lecture 3: • Nietzsche and the True...
Lecture 4: • Nietzsche and the Deat...
Lecture 5: • Active and Passive Nih...
Lecture 6: • Overcoming Nihilism
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For more lectures visit www.academyofideas.com

[@academyofideas]

Become a Supporting Member and get access to exclusive videos: academyofideas.com/members/ ======= Recommended Readings: Laughing at Nihilism: Humor as a Response to Nihilism - John Marmysz - amzn.to/1TO1IS3 (affiliate link) The Affirmation of Life: Nietzsche on Overcoming Nihilism - Bernard Reginster - amzn.to/1TO2e28 (affliate link)

[@bekabel310]

I am impartial as much as I can when it comes down to knowing the truth and most of what Nietzsche said makes sense except for the fact that when he said that in order for mankind to make the most of their lives they should not believe in the God or the supernatural because that would hinder their progress and prevents them from reaching their potential,this is not necessary as one could believe in God and still reach their potential,as far as truth is concerted Nietzsche didn't make a valid point regarding his lack of belief in God but rather it was a choice and this choice wasn't based on logic or proof that God doesn't exist by explaining it and giving a valid philosophical argument and rather he only stated it and thought it would be better that humanity would be better without the belief in God or religion,and he also didn't give a valid,logical and philosophical explanation as to why we exist,but apart from this everything else was wise and logical.

[@TaunellE]

Wow. Beautiful quote to end with 🖤

[@westleyclayton5872]

Instablaster...

[@u1ti]

Person: Life is hard Nietzsche: Get gud son

[@JayInDecent]

Most people aren't going to get gud. Including you me and like 99% of the people on the planet aren't going to be anything or anybody

[@nicolidesetages5082]

Git gud son

[@nihilismus9840]

FalseAxiom Life is not hard, it's random. Everything for some, nothing for others.

[@tarawillis3995]

@@JayInDecent no you arent. But weak to use that as an excuse not to improve. The phrase doesnt imply you can by like Neitzsche

[@glenwicks4976]

@@JayInDecent I don't know about you, but I'M gonna get gud while YOU stay the same.

[@academyofideas]

Nietzsche didn't believe that life is meaningful only if one achieves a mighty goal. He thought meaning was found in the process towards a goal. One finds meaning and joy in life when one overcomes suffering on the path to a goal, therefore, one could never reach one's goal yet still live a meaningful life. More suffering is better because joy is only found in the overcoming of suffering. Therefore the more suffering one endures the more joy one can achieve.

[@vladimirsolovyov666]

@@jujimufi472 because Sisyphus made the existentialist leap after all.

[@xcabczyxabczzz]

@Franco Elias it is better for me than to be a mass men.

[@davidb.salkeld5960]

How can one define one's great goal in life? How do I know if what I want haven't been put up on my brain by the influences of society. And how do you define great. Is it great to have a lot of money or a high status. Or can a great personality reside in a rather unnoticed man.

[@robertcane7432]

BUT the goals are inherently meaningless...it seems illogical, no? "You find meaning in life by picking some subjective goal and working towards it." That's exactly the problem those who dance with nihilism are dealing with: whatever goal they select is arbitrary and subjective.

[@upliftsouls]

@@robertcane7432 that’s their own fault then. Everybody perceives reality differently. If you’re too unmotivated to set and achieve goals for yourself, then of course all you’ll do is sit around complaining about the world, wasting away while you mope and whine about how life is meaningless, walking the earth with no purpose because you haven’t yet realized that you create your own purpose in life. And if everything we do is inherently meaningless, then so what? Who cares if it’s “meaningless” in the end because we’re all going to die anyways? That’s such a bleak outlook on life, no wonder why so many people are so depressed and suffering from mental illness. Nobody wants to live anymore. This is what happens when you falsely assume that there is no meaning to life because there is no such thing as the biblical god. However, you cannot possibly know if there is meaning or not in life. All that you do know is that you are a conscious organism capable of growth, whereas the rest of the creatures on this planet will never be able to reach the level of mental abilities required to establish civil society, laws, an economy, morals, ethics, literature, artwork, complex pieces of music, etc. How we live our lives is important once we know that we’re going to die. Tell me this, would you rather die a legend or die as a coward? Would you rather die as Hercules or die as some depressed and lonely creature with no direction in life? If you can’t see that you yourself are the creator of your own meaning then you are only hurting yourself

[@PaulAdler11]

This lecture is a service to mankind. Why did you make this +Academy of Ideas? It must have taken so much time. It was so good of you to do so.

[@academyofideas]

+Paul Adler Thank you, I appreciate your kind words. The exploration of ideas is necessary for my individual growth. I enjoy creating the videos and sharing what I’ve learned, with the hope that others will also benefit from learning about different viewpoints and worldviews.

[@PaulAdler11]

+Academy of Ideas These videos have brought me to tears numerous times and have honestly helped shape who I am as a person. I honestly don't know how to thank you enough.

[@BlackSkullHeart]

I don't know why you are giving such praise, they didn't address nihilism at all. Not to mention that the whole video is negated by stating that there is no meaning in any of it.

[@elsoil3387]

Matt Damon.

[@littlefishbigmountain]

BlackSkullHeart This video not only addressed Nihilism but also many of Nietzsche's personal insights into it. If you can't see that, you probably don't have a very deep, or should I say personal, understanding of what Nihilism is on a practical, individual level. I don't say that to offend you, but if the very notion that you might not understand something perfectly already or that anyone would dare to suggest such a thing offends you, then I can't help that. What I'm saying is Nihilism has more substance and room for discussion and contemplation than it's most basic, oft-used tenet "Everything is inherently meaningless", so if you can't get past that aspect of it, well of course you can't overcome Nihilism (which is the name of the video after all). To truly philosophize, you have to be willing to step outside the box you put yourself in, otherwise you may develop some serious blind spots in your rationale. It's not like someone can say "Nothing matters, and values don't exist," and call that the end of a discussion. That's an impasse or an incidental agreement at best, and there's no way to be sure it's true. It's predicated upon skepticism or at least suspension of belief, as is any sufficiently advanced analysis of the structure of being at some point or other (hopefully). Even Nietzsche said that the same criteria can lead two people to vastly different conclusions, so what made one person conclude Nihilism to be true could make another turn to any number of other ideas. He even went so far as to say that by a person's rationale or philosophy one could determine their value system, meaning that our "objective rational discourse" in our heads is largely anything but, or at least certainly not primarily so. To an extent, whatever that extent may be, we choose what we want to believe because of how it affects us or makes us feel (which doesn't seem objective at all) My point being, this video did address Nihilism, and neither the video nor its contents are necessarily negated by the alleged meaningless of life postulated by Nihilism (no more than any other thought or idea, including Nihilism itself). If it was, Nietzsche probably wouldn't have developed these ideas so fully in the first place, although that would be to take him for a passive Nihilist while he believed the benefits of the philosophy were to be found in active Nihilism, whereas passive Nihilism is a hole of despair and lack of motivation to do anything.

[@withoutwithin]

This is exactly what I needed to hear in this moment of my life.

[@rabidrabbits9258]

Haha, yeah, im curious too, are you?

[@javierlandry7246]

He didn't suggest that his life was in peril 5 years ago.

[@sigmaloner5611]

Seems like he's not

[@TK-cs1qc]

Yeahhhh I don’t think he is...

[@wodpu]

Every time I get recommended one of these vids it applies so well to my life

[@elinag5743]

Overcoming nihilism for me was like growing into humanism. As a nihilist, I thought others lacked realism; I had pushed aside my ideals and subjectivity, constantly pondered morality, asked manifold whys, swam against the current just because I was sick of its groundless routine. But then I _wanted_ to participate, no clear reason other than human nature (Love, justice, aesthetics)? It took years to realize that all the conventions I rejected would be just as fine to accept, and 'meaning' could be defined by anything my little animal brain wants.

[@paulohyp]

I am a nihilist, but I surrender as often as possible to the pleasures of the senses, which include bonding with people I like, drinking, eating, listening to good music and sex. I confess, I get much more boredom than pleasure from this life, I keep wishing I was dead... I’ve been like this for 3 years now. The things that I used to really like, just pleases me something like 10% of what it used to.

[@avamasquerade]

@@paulohyp Thats not nihilism, that's clinical depression. You must feel utterly powerless in some significant circumstance in your life. Solve that thing that you think is impossible to solve and you'll be fine....that and maybe some antidepressants and a therapist would help tremendously. For me it was like cracking open the sky to an entirely new existence. I'll still never forget how neon blue the sky looked the day I got up and realized I was on the other side of that darkness.

[@fntime]

Elina, I think you must destroy the Temple of other people's wisdom and experience so that you can find your own wisdom that for you will be more real. I think atheist are nihilist. But for me it is a necessary stage, you 'clear the deck' so that you can erect a better belief system. Most religions are myths that are no longer helpful. Our knowledge has expanded so that religion seems ridiculous especially when taken literally. Once destroyed a new belief system is possible. A person can't remain a nihilist, it has no benefit once you destroy for you that which is false. It is a new beginning!

[@paulberent1896]

Elina g thank you for your experience

[@avamasquerade]

@@paulberent1896 Oh, so *my* comment isn't good enough to garner a small percentage of the 10% of things you notice and aren't bored by? Didn't think I'd check, did you? Well I'm BACK. But fine, whatever, I don't even care... but you cut me real deep there Paul, real deep 😉

[@nelsonbran1052]

Because of your very carefully crafted and well thought out videos, i've returned to my study and love of philosophy. It is so very interesting how ALL things so neatly tie together from the birds' eye view of 50. Cheers brother! You're most excellent work doesn't't goith unnoticed! As I clean my home & wash my dishes, your words methodically flutter, dance & fill my abode. ;-)

[@Veilzlol]

That last passage hit me like a ton of bricks. You can truly see the value Nietzsche placed on suffering. That was most likely the darkest passage of philosophy ever written, yet one of the most promising of works. I can confess anecdotally it was never until suffering knocked, that I nor anyone else I have encountered began to overcome themselves.

[@eddybrevet6816]

There r human beans, don’t give a s-%t about anything but themselves, use it as advantage get into positions of power, sad fact it still works that way

[@LunaLu-00]

"the more difficult the goal , the greater one will have to become in order to accomplish it." FN

[@dontsaymynameunlessyouknow8775]

You know that inspires But is intimidating

[@TehLemonsRUs]

Why be so obsessed with greatness? There is so much to life if one is content with who they are, their limitations, and the possibilities of loving that life which you are in right now.

[@danieledemedici3217]

@@TehLemonsRUs You clearly missed some points. Being stagnant never is going to make you happy, never.

[@quantumphantasm6354]

@@TehLemonsRUs people can't love the life they are in right now, because they are suffering in meaningless arbitrary futility, and cannot become 'great' enough to correct the problem, or even operate outside it. "The System" causes this, and needs to be corrected for the good of all mankind, but the rulers are willing to inflict mass-destruction on the entire populace, to get or maintain the luxuries they desire, by coercing us to facilitate it at our own expense.

[@arpitagarwal7470]

Seriously every word said in this video is absolute GOLD. This has given me quite a different perspective.

[@Dman9fp]

Except imo the view that happiness is a near permanent destination. In truth I've found it to be fleeting, coming and going no matter how good the good times are. But on the flip side, so is suffering (assuming you're not self-imposing suffering or stuck in some massive rut or something). It'll always be a mix and I'm cool with that, have to appreciate the good small things and not make the bad small things massive

[@balintlukacs2848]

@@Dman9fp Yeah I always remain skeptical when I'm told that I have to find a goal I can work towards and then appreciate the process and endure all the suffering I have to in order to reach it. Because it seems to me that the goal you set can only be something finite, something that will leave you empty again once you've reached it. But maybe I'm wrong, and my attitude has to change. Cause the world won't.

[@Dman9fp]

@@balintlukacs2848 Seems a lot of people are promised of a "happily ever after" and are bitterly disappointed when they realize life pretty much never works like that. Even if it did, it can always change in a heartbeat, but it can also change for good. Far as the suffering never being worth it, I wouldn't always agree but definitely isn't worth it if you have to push yourself to the max/ get constantly burnout for menial gains (part of the reason I hardly do audio podcasts any more, especially editing them is extremely excruciating mentally even when I feel strong, it can drain your energy super quickly). What life should be about is finding the suffering you enjoy or at least can bear for rewards that make it well-worth it, and open-minded trial and error can go a long ways (what most people don't realize is Everyone Fails- even the best actors, athletes, millionaires, etc. as watching their interviews proves. But what gave them a fighting chance was getting up and keep trying like they have nothing to lose. Not saying those lifestyles/ goals are something someone must have, but there should be no "okay I'm finally happy, i can stop trying now" just as much as there shouldn't be "okay I'm definitely a failure, i can stop trying now". We are designed to keep moving & learning, and that is what makes our lives fulfilling. To be highly complacent is just about as dangerous as being highly nihilistic

[@balintlukacs2848]

@@Dman9fp Very well thought-out opinion, thank you for sharing it. I think I'm really in need of people who tell me how they do it, set examples. Because it is so easy to get lost, especially when we are talking about nihilism. Kierkegaard would say that I'm lost in the infinite. And that causes my anxiety. But he thinks that the final solution to our problem can only be God, and that scares me. I think a lot of people deal with the exact same thoughts. And they really do not know what could help them. I did not know either. But as it seems, it is people, who can help.

[@Dman9fp]

@@balintlukacs2848 No prob. I mean I'm far from perfect & still have bouts of nihilism from time to time and anxieties, but I try bit to let my emotional systems that pop up from the subconscious flood my logical systems (yes they are separate and distinct, activated by different parts of the brain; and not getting enough sleep/ physical activity/ staying angry, etc. can definitely make the amygdala hypersensitive and you can lose control..) anyways no you don't need irrational belief in deities to have purpose in life, for me I know we are miniscule beings in a irrational world and live short lives in the grand scheme of things. Remember all your current anxieties, societal pressures, monetary problems, etc. will be meaningless one day because most likely one day you'll cease to exist, which to me is a relief. But to each their own, if you need to belief in an afterlife or reincarnation to see this world as worth living, so be it. But I enjoy knowing this is most likely our only vacation from non-existence and am trying to make the most of it as possible. Maybe what the author meant was you need something to be underneath, as to not think we are the masters/controllers of the universe. For me, it's nature- I enjoy knowing and learning about millions of years gone by in past time periods with many different animals and finding some of their fossils. But for some it's art, or movies, video games, etc. I do believe being passionate about something is a big weapon against nihilism. (I swear i should write a book some day, for how many ups and downs I've had for only being 27 and a black sheep of sorts/ generally anti social but still strong, though the lifestyle definitely isn't for everyone lol). And yeah also want to say this realization is important: suffering and pain are truly temporary (and if they persist, we become desensitized to them anyways, assuming whatever you're engaged in isn't too inhumane or absolutely exhilarating ) anxiety only prolongs suffering and the opposite is excitement prolonging joy (so yes, ideally you want to eliminate anxiety and have many things to be excited for- within reason & budget of course lol) also pretty much don't care what other people think/ give them power over you and your emotions, within reason. Nobody is perfect, you know you best, nobody truly expects you to ever have yourself perfectly figured out (them asking about yourself/ hobbies/ job/ etc. is just small talk and them trying to figure out what sort of person you are. Even if your hobbies are weird/ unusual, it's how you present it to others that'll determine how they react more than the activity itself. But if they're offput by it, so be it. No matter what you do, can never make everyone happy. Anyways, best of luck!

[@megaphilobeddoe5602]

Nietzsche was a great man,.. Didn't know that., until watching this series.. Thank you. :-D

[@desertcruisin5988]

MegaPhiloBeddoe Same here.

[@coledd9487]

This is what saved me. Remember this post in 2 years.

[@averageenjoyer4048]

It's been a year

[@katyparty6621]

2 years passed

[@justinentwistle4735]

been two years

[@ryuhirata1]

Cole DD 2 years

[@siyaindagulag.]

You still here ? .... You've earned it.

[@TalenGryphon]

In the middle of this I got an ad for an Anti-Depressant. Like the algorithm is telling me "No! Don't try to repair and better yourself via honesty, introspection, and the repurposing of pain! Ignore root causes! Here! Take the easy way out instead! Nihilism is good!"

[@lulzlord9819]

Thank you. I needed something like this. My sisters keep sneaking out, getting high, getting drunk, and stealing. Of corse I'm stuck in the fights that arrive from this. I'm only 12- still going through middle school. The only two happiness in my life currently is the solar eclipse and the 1.3 terraria update (which I'm still waiting for.)

[@tomerator]

I hope things are going well for you

[@Kyoto99952]

This video is grandiose. It’s Saturday evening and I’m sitting on my couch feeling miserable. My life is so empty. I have nothing to be proud of. I realize the need not just for change but self-transformation. But I can’t seem to figure out how to do it. It’s so difficult but I refuse help from family, friends or a therapist. It’s something that I need to deal with myself. I’m not living up to my potential and I torment myself for it. I can’t believe I have let myself become this person at 27 now. There is so much work needed to be done. I just don’t know what strategy I need to take. I’m trying for some years now but I keep failing everytime. So desperate situations require desperate measures. I am willing to do anything to transform. I’m willing to reprogram my mind. Nietzsche was so right when he said “The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind”. I agree with this. If I just knew how...

[@vladimirsolovyov666]

Nietzsche also said life was an experiment and it's ok to fail. Live first, philosophize later. Never trust any thought you get while sitting down. The sitting-flesh is the biggest sin. I guess he was talking about Buddha. What you thought was ethos later turns out to be pathos.

[@idealbuzoku9201]

Don't be ashamed to talk to a qualified therapist.

[@jacobwatrous9366]

That quote at the end is the single most important sequence of words I've ever heard.

[@Fatmonster93]

8 years ago this video changed my life and would be just the first step of many to becoming the person I am today. Thank you.

[@avrevs]

whenever i hear about the loneliness of people like nietzsche or melville, i wish i could go back in time and tell them how well they would be regarded in the future, or just hold their hand. i know it's absurd, but absurdity happens.

[@xxxfirehuunterxxx]

Theyll respond with the futility of it all. Morality still found them, but it is human to find relief that some reminent of immortality will eventually find them.

[@quantumphantasm6354]

@@xxxfirehuunterxxx No way. Nietzsche would have been overjoyed and fascinated by receiving a time-travelling visitor from the future of mankind, who came specifically for the purpose of telling him that his life's great work was eventually thoroughly appreciated by countless people, who integrated it into their self-guidance toward the discovery of meaning and purpose and principled living. But if you visit with that message too soon, you'll interrupt the rest of his work, and cause a paradox. Plus, he supposedly found his divine joy near the end. They say it was 'madness', but he seemed to regard it as success.

[@mayurbande7733]

Probably visit him the day he dies.

[@FIONA21ful]

Beautifully presented lecture...you are a great find!! I look forward to watching all of the rest of the series now.. Thankyou.

[@academyofideas]

fiona cahill Thanks for watching!

[@FIONA21ful]

academyofideas Thank YOU! I really enjoyed your approach , your videos are an easier ,lighter and more digestible bite size Nietsche tour. I will certainly recommend this Nietsche diet to my reluctant young friends! ;-p

[@katherinekelly6432]

It is interesting the similarities between Nietzsche, Alan Watts, Jiddu Krishnamurti and others. It shows that there are universal experiences and the problems associated with these experiences unique to the human condition that transcend time and place. To be human is to be both blessed and cursed. What we do with our pain and fears married to the values we adopt becomes the story of our lives against the backdrop of this condition.

[@zerothehero123]

Couldn't have said it better myself!

[@abraham8565]

What the curse?

[@32Thomasthetrain]

Your voice and lectures are much more enjoyable to listen to than most other people on KZbin. It's a chore to just get through one video on most philosophy / idea channels but I can watch yours for hours

[@RDnAC]

I struggle with chronic migraine disorder and overactive dreaming when I sleep so I completely relate to his statement: "I am more of a battlefield than a man". Thanks for this vid.

[@CallMeJellybaby]

Considering the topic I think that this series is quite uplifting and would help so many people

[@meengla]

Almost 21 years ago I picked up a used copy of 'Beyond Good and Evil' in a college book store. That and subsequent readings of Nietzsche have been the most influential intellectual experience of my life hitherto. I too struggle with nihilism; with fatalism; This series is the best guideline to correct the course. Thank you very much!

[@javierlandry7246]

Yeah! It's just a disease. Hedonists and materialists are also nihilists trying to escape...with the wrong approach.

[@bgoodfella7413]

This relates really well to Buddhism. 4 Noble Truths 1. Life involves suffering. 2. Find the origin or cause of suffering. 3. There is an end to suffering. 4. The end of suffering is following the Middle Way of the Eightfold Path. The Middle Way of the Eightfold path is essentially Buddha's teachings in 8 "right" steps. "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional." Zen proverb. Nihilism is the realization of cold, vast, lifeless Outer Space. Let that expansive, freeing Emptiness permeate your mind. Be One with the Universe and cling to Nothing.

[@melparadise7378]

this this this~

Why should we end suffering? Suffering is natural and let's us know we are alive. If we did not know suffering, we could not know joy because joy itself is a feeling that requires experiencing the opposite in order to get the most out of. There must be opposites in all things in order to give life color and different experience.

[@melparadise7378]

@ it's not about eliminating suffering as much as it is radical acceptance of it and willing your own experience.

[@mikzin630]

However, it appears that Nietzsche advocated both suffering and pain. He did not seek to end it.

[@mikzin630]

Nietzsche also believed that nihilism was a transitional period for those who had not been enlightened. He saw nihilism as a sickness. Really, Nietzsche was about as far from Buddhism as you can go, if that's how Buddhism is.

[@evoii323]

I love your channel so much, especially all the nietzsche analysis, learned so much about myself, finally came across words that lay down and organize my framework to advance

[@johnisfaster]

Thank you for this. I was lost in nihilism. Your final quote made me realize I still believe I have worth. Brings me to tears each time I listen to it.

[@lostintime9959]

Recently found this channel, and I just wanna throw out a quick thank you for existing. Been bingeing this stuff. I collect Nietzsche and have alot of his works, and it's beautiful to see you put alot of it together to make sense of what has taken years of time to go thru and put together for me is just beautiful, and I am so happy that this channel exists!

[@SmeagolTheBeagle]

Battling with nihilism and misery Nietzsche has inspired me to set upon an epic musical goal in which I will bring about a fusion of electronics and European composition. Wish me luck.

[@jaieet]

I have found, with time, that my personality has become completely self-sustaining. I find great worth in my own existence and really do not care too much about long-term goals. I bounce from job to job, volunteer regularly in positions that have me taking on a variety of different tasks and am more concerned with experience and a sort've 'nomadic' approach to modern society and its demands than I am of excelling in any given field. Though I am interested in most everything, this interest originally expressed itself as apathy, since no one thing stood out (aside from the desire for general, unstructured, learning) I believe a big part of this is a potentially misplaced faith in science's capacity to reverse ageing well before I am statistically likely to hit my expiration marker. This has given me a very real solace in the concept of having all the time in the world to experience anything and everything. So what's the rush? This worldview is reinforced by the fact that I have boyish good looks and consistently am mistaken for a teenager despite being in my 30s. I'm somewhat socially savvy and can, thus, fill the role of 'eager, attentive, student' or 'experienced adult' as is necessary. In a nutshell, I believe that giving people chance to experience the world without any sort of 'time limit' - including the ability to revert to a child-like state and live out missed opportunities - would solve a lot of issues associated with lack of purpose or fulfilment. An endless journey to find meaning and comfort in one's own skin is no big deal, if the journey holds no stigma.

[@nooder0ni]

Something that, unfortunately, Nietzsche himself couldn't entirely attain as his life was prematurely cut short by his ailing health conditions. Perhaps if the man had the looks and the body to boot, he would've himself assumed the role of the Ubermensch; Standing stall as the shining beacon that our culture was and will forever be in dire need of. But alas, his descent into madness once again sealed his fate amongst the herd as but a footnote in history. Rejected and largely neglected. But to certain man like us - Forever does he stand as a gleaming gem upon a decaying rubble of not-so-happy people. So it bears to repeat itself; Nietzsche's biggest hindrance was his own flesh and blood. Although he may be gone, his soul lives on; through his works, and ideologies. So if you're an able-bodied human reading and understanding all of this -- then know all too well that there's absolutely nothing stopping you from attaining what great men of our past once attempted to reach. Godspeed.

[@awolgeordie9926]

"I bounce from job to job" I'm 46 and I've been doing that since leaving school at 16. I've been a submariner, math teacher, driver, factory engineer, IT technician, wrote a book, climbed mountains, retired early, learnt languages, traveled to 60 countries and ran marathons among other things. However, I've never known what I wanted to do. Still don't. Just bounce from one thing to the next. Kinda rudderless - but glad for the experiences. Dunno why I mention all this. Just that your comment resonates in some way I don't really understand. I wouldn't change a thing. Cheers man.

[@vladimirsolovyov666]

@@nooder0ni You just have to take the first step on your path to greatness and domination. May I suggest hitting your dog or your girlfriend as a first step? Or perhaps murder an old lady with an ax, as Raskolnikov did? Nietzsche is not some kind of self-help writer, what he did was discover his subjectivity and subjectivity is hell. Also femininity is the true subjectivity, masculinity is false.

[@nooder0ni]

@@vladimirsolovyov666 Aha. You sound as if you're new to this, friend. Have you ever considered that an initial resolve to reserve one's ire is much more a show of strength than merely the easily-reached yet virulent antidote that violence lends - or more aptly, rends - in a man? Masculinity fueling misery is an axiomatic occurrence if one pays actual attention. The biggest challenge, on the other hand, is forging the avenue to better tailor the circumstances for the better outcome. Murder will only questionably "solve" one part of the equation -- but much like the parables you've presented; they're the exact catalyst for every burgeoning problem that lies at the heat of our human condition: That is, once again; confusion in the face of ignorance. Hitting a poor lady will solve nothing. Only a fool would think otherwise.

[@lonelystranger7114]

@@vladimirsolovyov666 please explain what you wrote down here.

[@MultiSapMan]

Thank you so much. This series has been an outstanding learning experience.

[@EmpoweringArtists]

I respect you and this video. I love them all. But seeing your videos from 8 years back and the newer ones, it is clear that you've GROWN, LEARNED, AND BECOME SO MUCH STRONGER RHETORICALLY.... this is an important lesson for me... Thank you. You're my favourite teacher.

[@narinpratap8790]

Excellent lectures. I am captivated by the simplicity with which you put forward such complicated ideas. Many of us have no prior understanding of Nietzsche's work and your lectures still provide us with a means to peep into the mind of a genius. Thank you!

[@kunshi2383]

Nietzsche: How do we solve nihilism? Humanity: *Invents meme.*

[@umutkaya3293]

@@ameya5054 and kings

[@jessiree3973]

Screenshot. 😆

[@auKforever]

@academyofideas you're videos are so astonishing and of such quality that it blows my mind. I find them very simple yet unique and authentic - thanks for sharing these philosophical topics in such an easy-to-understand way.

[@academyofideas]

August Tabrizi-Christensen I really appreciate the comment. Thank you.

[@TheDymez]

Our will truly is to overcome nihilism. It's easy to live a life of negative liberty and to simply give up on the journey to finding one's self. But a true Ubermensch overcomes depression and negativity even within the deepest ditches of humanity.

[@Xnothen]

Your interpretation of his ideas and view is so accessible to the layman while it retains enough depth to teach new things. Truly you are gifted in teaching, I wish you well in all your future endeavors

[@logwell1]

you have no ideia of how important this video was to me....thank you

[@francisguarderas]

amazing series.. thanks for the hard work

[@eigermann]

Those last words in these lecture blown my mind. Thank you for all this.

[@WhereThe12PackAt]

Your videos are truly a piece of art. Thank you for your service and sharing the insightful wisdom for your fellow humans. ❤

[@alvarovazquez6485]

I can only say one thing, thank you.

[@JFREE360]

Every lecture is well presented and beautifully articulated. Thank you, Academy of Ideas, for all of your videos. Well done!

[@cracoviateam]

Yeeeeeee boiiiiisen

[@naganandakk1510]

Hey! Your videos are one of the best things that happened in my life. I sometimes watch them multiple times. I wholeheartedly thank you for sharing your thoughts amd insights with all of us!

[@hastithakkar]

your channel is one of the most precious things in my life. i am grateful and eternally indebted to you. thank you

[@DarkSkay]

1) From nothing comes nothing. Our existence already makes no sense. Said differently: life and consciousness is a deep mystery. There's room for hope. 2) We know something called the law of conservation of energy. Nothing is created, nothing is annihilated - everything is transformed. The same could be true for information. Your actions, your life leaving an un-erasable trace! Here and maybe in other places. We may already be immortal in a sense. 3) Nihilism is fascinating, but for everyday life and a more constructive outlook, you may want to take a look at Albert Camus's absurdism. 4) Many believe, that we most likely live in a simulation. So who knows what purpose we serve and where we are going! 5) As long as humans have been exploring e.g. mathematics, science, the physicly large or tiny, the "known world consistently grew". It is reasonable to think that our whole uiverse isn't even a sand corn on a beach in the grand scheme of things. 6) I'm coming from the unknown, going into the unknown... but eternity (*) is quite a long time for the possibility of something new happening to me 7) Listen... listen patiently... maybe the powers that put us into existence are willing to break their silence for a particular occasion. Possibilities are endless. There's room for hope!

[@commodityjane]

Maybe there is no "me", that we are part of a larger life-energy thing, and that when "me" dies, it can be transformed into another "me" with the energy and information left behind. Mostly without memory of the previous "me"

[@afridibinsayed9864]

There is only I among we

[@balinthonvari7723]

I agree

[@amym976]

thank you for this

[@bulbasaurpokemon3573]

Light at the end of the tunnel deception Tricked by the light

[@Sarah-re7cg]

I needed this in my life more than you know

[@dbsk06]

Thanks a lot for doing this series. Helped reconcile a lot of seemingly contradictory ideas in my head

[@selvmordspilot]

excellent account, thanks a lot, i've been scouring the itnernet for nietzsche related talks and interpretations - and came upon this with much delight.

[@LSxEnergetic]

Happiness can be found in ones own found and created purpose, mainly purpose which reach others around you in a positive manner/way. Improve yourself and your surroundings, whethers its at work, a short or long term project. "Think positive, become positive" :)

[@ITSBurgerPT]

this actualy made me feal beter, thanks man

[@domicioannioulpiano6845]

This is the second time I've watched this video and just now came to realize it's meaning. Thanks for sharing this excellent content. Really helpful

[@leefogel5195]

You've done a great service to humanity in creating this video series. Gd bless you.

[@megaphilobeddoe5602]

So in conclusion, even though,, Life is pointless and we all will die one day, never to return, in any conscious form. We should make our own purpose, if we have been given, the proper brain and bodies to do so... Got it,and thanks for the excellent series.

[@JayInDecent]

Why should we do anything. It's pointless. Make your own purpose. Well that's just made up purpose that's in the end pointless. Why should anything exist at all. To me that is the ultimate line in the sand for thinking minds.

[@megaphilobeddoe5602]

jknochel76 So what are your beliefs, if you don't mind me asking?

[@JayInDecent]

***** after 38 years in the world and searching for some kind of truth in it. I believe there is more to life than just what we see. Someone or something designed this. And there is purpose. I've done lots of self reflection and have been obsessed with knowledge since i can remember. I just don't believe this universe randomly exists. I don't buy it. Ive gone through all kinds of beliefs and before this i was a hardcore proud atheist. But deep down have always felt that was more to life than just atoms. I belive in God. Not religion mind you. Man made religion too me is what turns most people away from God. It did me. So atheism/ nihilism to me is sad. To have no purpose is the ultimate let down. We need purpose. Im just going to stop there. Ive already said the word God so i automatically lose the internets. Lol.

[@megaphilobeddoe5602]

jknochel76 Interesting.... So, you believe in God, that's alright, I'm not some militant atheist,.. I'm just curious,. does it have anything to do, with the Bible or any religions at all? Or do you think they are nonsense and God is just beyond our comprehension? Lastly, do you believe in an afterlife and if you do, what would it consist of?

[@JayInDecent]

***** good questions. Easier to communicate ideas in person than typing on my phone. Let me say to me believing the God talking about does not require leaving your brain at the door. First off religion is a turn off. Its man made. Christ did not create it. And its bs. As far as the bible goes you have to have discernment or it will not make sense. And just be a bunch of gobblygook. Yeah i think this God is incomprehensible. But we were made by it so we can know something about it. But finite minds can't grasp an infinite mind. Afterlife. I know what the bible says and i have ideas but can't really say. I think like most of what people preconceived notions are nothing is really what you think it is. Those are tuff questions. I go at this with a scientific rational mind. And you should. I would never say to believe anything just because.

[@seriousmax]

"Who will attain anything great if he does not find in himself the strength and will to inflict great suffering?" And we return to the "why" question again: why achieve anything great? I don't see his solution as viable. Still I enjoyed all the 5 previous lectures. And anyhow I've found a possible solution for myself recently, now I will have to test it.

[@seriousmax]

It looks as if Nietzsche proposes to conquer nihilism by refusing nihilism so to speak. If one feels a need to be great or shun mediocrity then they're not a nihilist in the first place (or any more).

[@wbx9126]

having the knowledge that purpose is meaningless but nevertheless live on takes great courage and strength, which can be a purpose in itself.

[@seriousmax]

Peter Wang I see, not sure that'd work for me. I've found purpose in reducing pain and maximizing happiness, which means sometimes a smaller pain has to be endured in order to avoid a greater pain, which is how I justify those smaller pains that accompany life. Like, let's say exercise (smaller pain) to avoid health problems (greater pain). This is not a real purpose of course, but since there is no real purpose this is how I can trick myself into enduring the pains of life.

[@ProbablyNotARobot]

The purpose of achieving great things is to fulfill the need for meaning in life that two world theories and social movements provided. Nietzsche along with most other philosophers believe that the hedonic pursuit you describe won't bring the same kind of happiness that achievement will provide. Psychologists as well, although they tend to emphasize simpler achievements like marriage and status.

[@rs-gh5jl]

To achieve happeness. Nietzsche was rather simple once you break it down. *Persue happiness for the sake of happiness* His methods, in my opnion, were correct.

[@princessbartolome8075]

This is one of the golden nuggets of KZbin!!!! Thank you!!!! 😁💕

[@Zoofactory]

I listen to this and conclude how improved Academy of Ideas has improved with narration skills... 👏👏👏

[@LunaLu-00]

"I assess the *power of the will* by how much pain and torture it *endures* and knows how to turn to its advantage"

[@nihilist1680]

I could overcome nihilism, but everything would be meaningless anyway.

[@icareg]

fair point

[@ediskey]

Honestly... same.

[@gabexd3649]

Then why comment this meaningless comment?

[@edmontoncleaningmonsters7799]

Gabe xD because we look for meaning.

[@gabexd3649]

@@edmontoncleaningmonsters7799 there is no meaning.

[@thunderthrust9273]

This lecture has been thought provoking. thanks !!

[@onlypearls4651]

I've had CPTSD most of my life due to extreme traumatization in my childhood and early adolescence, which has made for a life fraught with intense bouts of anxiety and dissociation. For a long time I was gripped by the intensity of emotions which accompanied these episodes, and I sought to escape the terrors of my plight through various addictive behaviors, until, I learned that the periods of greatest pain and suffering carried within them the greatest resources of strength and creativity I'd ever known. Therefore, I refused to take anxiolytics, though they offered to quell my symptoms, simply because I was determined to bear the suffering attendant with the anxiety, in order that I might also gain the greatest assets from within it.

[@Kateaclysmic]

I watched all of your lectures and here is my first reply: 1. Moral nihilism In these lectures it states that the first three types of nihilism (moral, epistemological, cosmic) lead to the fourth type of nihilism (existential). I wish to retort that morality forms FROM nihilism. I consider myself an existential nihilist. I am not going to define or explain nihilism here. For a nihilist, morality is not something ordained and nor is it something that the universe itself ordains. Religious people will state they have ‘morals’ only because they were told by a ‘higher power’ what to believe to be moral and what to be immoral. Such belief in morality being ordained by a higher power as opposed to being innate only leads to one conclusion: people who are religious and who state that morality comes only from being told what they should and should not do from a higher power (who will grant them eternal bliss or eternal torture based on their adherence to his rules) actually have no morality themselves but rather are mercenaries who will do what they are told in order to gain the best outcome for themselves. That’s actually not morality at all. That’s a combination of mercenary reward and blackmail. If your reason for doing or not doing something is based on the outcome for yourself, that is not moral reasoning. Now, back to why I think that nihilism does NOT result in lack of morality, but rather, creates it. There are essential points that must be determined before morality can be considered: • Consciousness of the being who is acting • Consciousness of the being who is being acted upon • Awareness of the consciousness of the being who is being acted upon It is true that in nature, even just on Earth (and let us please just consider Earth for the remainder of this text, although it would apply beyond Earth), things happen that cause suffering to conscious beings. An earthquake can destruct a city and cause suffering for all the inhabitants of the area. An earthquake cannot be good or bad in intent because it isn’t a conscious being. The same goes for any, ‘acts of God’ (which I obviously do not attribute to any god). You can hit a rock with a hammer repeatedly and no conscious being has been harmed. The rock didn’t care that it was being hit. The Earthquake wasn’t aware/conscious that it was harming people. Morality cannot exist without consciousness and understanding that you are acting upon conscious beings. It is true that in the long run, nothing we do matters. In 5 billion years our planet, Earth, will be eaten by the sun. There’s no point in trying to advance our civilisation because we are all going to die out. If it’s going to happen eventually, there is no point in keeping on breeding now anyway just to prolong the time in history we survive until. We are all going to die, all of us, all of our offspring, we are all doomed to die out. Don’t think breeding will prolong your genes, it won’t. And just as a side note, I’m not worried about global warming; people are worried about the planet dying. It won’t. For a start, the planet isn’t a living being. If we manage to make the planet unliveable for our own species, other species’ will flourish. Life on Earth will just adapt. But why do we care about life on Earth anyway? Why should we care if our or for that matter, any other particular species exists into the future? For something to ‘matter’ it has to matter for someone/group/other organisation for some specific purpose. There is no meaning for something to ‘matter’ outside of that. And, as stated previously, it will all die out when our planet is eaten by the sun in 5 billion years anyway. The universe itself is in no way ‘moral’. The universe, in terms of its effect on the conscious beings it spawns, is rather ‘cruel’ if it were a conscious being, which it is not. Let’s focus back on human beings. We have the aptitude to understand ourselves as conscious beings, and to observe such traits which lead us to see that other beings other than ourselves are also conscious. We ourselves understand pain, suffering, love, joy… and those with their eyes open will see such traits in other animals too. We can see the consciousness of other beings and our own emotions reflected in them, by the ways they interact with us, themselves, their offspring… We can see that our actions affect other conscious beings. We know that we ourselves as objective persons experience negative and positive stimuli, have negative and positive encounters with people, feel pain and suffering and love and joy. Nihilism will remind you that meaning is only objective. I agree. There is NO ‘meaning’ to something (unless you’re actually ‘defining’ something) without it actually having a ‘meaning’ to a particular person or group or people for a specific purpose. Once you understand that morality isn’t something prescribed to you so that you ‘behave’, you only have one option; to actually think about morality yourself. And morality, even accepting the nihilistic nature of everything, is innate; there is NO one judging you if no one catches you. The way you act when no one else is watching DOES define you. So how should you act? The only ‘good’ or ‘bad’ to exist has to be objective. Given the universe itself doesn’t care, the only way for anything to matter is for it to matter for ‘someone’ (conscious) in regards to ‘something’. So therefore, if you are nihilistic, morality simply means abiding by the golden rule: don’t be a cunt.

[@TREEfool]

Thank you for writing such an in-depth comment. I enjoyed reading it.

[@alotofwank]

that you perceive consciousness in other beings doesn't necessarily make it so. at least not objectively.

[@joaopedro28645]

finalfantasy8911 what the fuck are you talking about???

[@Lee-sf7nw]

I agree with you completely. Enjoy the circus.

[@Lee-sf7nw]

Andrei T A true nihilist is a dead man? What? You lost me there, buddy. I don't understand why people think nihilist don't really care about their own lives, even when we are all hardwired to survive. I won't bother pointing out how you're wrong since judging from your response, you seem like that type that will just endlessly argue because you know you are most definitely right. Good day to you, stranger.

[@ownvisions2b]

I'd rather be in contentment than in happiness as happiness is so fleeing.

[@JayInDecent]

You mean fleeting?

[@alperenkays5933]

This lecture was amazing. I find it interesting that i have come to the Lecture 4 all to myself but after that, i realized i'm living my life as a passive nihilist lacking the power to change my status. Now i see and understand myself better. Thank you for this Channel and good work of yours. ^^

[@nivethaselvam9318]

This series is actually helping me live life I’m not kidding Truly grateful to u sir

[@spectraphantom777]

Finally I have reached enlightenment, these words that once sounded like gibberish to me are now clear as day. I who once thought of this man as an inferior being due to considering him delusional have only just now realized his superiority only now that I've reached it. And thanks to him I now understand the meaning of life (theoretically), Nitzche truly is amazing.

[@edwardiris58]

you should listen to some Alan Watts.

[@jameseverett4976]

It's been 4 years - do you still feel enlightened? How is that working out? Fill us in please.

[@jantumo1425]

update

[@bulbasaurpokemon3573]

Light at the end of the tunnel deception Tricked by the light

[@MikeSW]

Nihilism is just egotistical wrestling against nature. "We are not humans from the start" fuck off with that. "Human" is as much an idea to be chased as anything else; how else would one need to concern themselves with journeying toward it?

[@marcpadilla1094]

I particularly like the two world realities initially introduced by Freud.In Nihilistic terms it makes sense to separate the child mind and the adult mind to explain the course through a whimsical meaning of life to gradually settling on stark reality that none of it really matters- Been there done that. To keep that inner spark alive means simply to appreciate and strive to maintain that child like innocence and seriousness we had as young lovers.

[@cryptkeeper1325]

Listened to the whole series. Thank you for the education. Well done!

[@GamingLateAtNight]

I've been subjugated to Catholic schooling my entire life. Ever since my youth I have not been apart of the "herd" that is my classmates. I'd also like to make certain that I have always thought that I would be acceptable as a friend but have only had a handful of friends, and overall not achieving mass popularity among my peers. But after reading Nietzsche's ideas and watching these videos as well as exploring other pools of thought, I am now certain that there is and was never something wrong with me.

[@coreycox2345]

I did not attend a Catholic school but can relate to your comment. Some people are more comfortable conforming. I didn't have that choice, so I had to figure out my values for myself. I am pretty sure that I would not change things if I could because I have loved much of my work and life as a result.

[@emilyl2829]

Two beautiful comments

[@Niom_Music]

Good for you.

[@gb2115]

you’re describing my exact situation. I’m in my last year of high school after having attended catholic schools since i was born. Same exact story you just gave is me. Only difference is, i still think something’s wrong with me

[@LunaLu-00]

"there is as much wisdom in pain as there is in pleasure"

[@tanoydas3090]

you guys are awesome.I have never understood Nietzsche better.Thank you guys.It must have taken a great deal of time and effort to make such videos.thank you soo much..

[@ocaptainmycaptain3964]

thank you for this wonderful video. It answered few of the questions which keep haunting me. again, thanks. subscribed,

[@keeperofthecheese]

What do you own the most books about? That is what interests you the most. Now, master that subject.

[@xxxfirehuunterxxx]

Had this thought yesterday.

[@wasumyon6147]

Make mankind great again!

[@07serda]

These are the best videos I've taken in on KZbin with this subject matter! How are y'all not at millions of views? Thank y'all so much!

[@digi3363]

One of my greatest inspirations, I can relate in many ways

[@MessageFromTaraJiiTaraJii]

Thank you very much for all the videos from NEPAL.

[@mecapoonslayer4245]

I fucking love your vedios man

[@alkazaryyy]

thank you soo much for these videos! they give me just what i need right now. never before have i seen nietzsche, or any philosophy, presented with such inspiration. I have a request, can you do more videos on Kirkegaard?

[@leewei0369]

I finished all 6 videos of this series, It was helpful as I'm currently in the nihilism phase which was brought up the last video. Great work and thx for the inspiration.

[@ThatSocratesguy]

It seems like The Joker from Batman really listened to Nietzsche really good and became whoever he wanted to be without feeling the need to conform to society

[@Niom_Music]

Cus The Joker is not pathetic or scared like the rest of us.

[@rs-gh5jl]

Yup. So has many great men in real life, unlike a fictional character that has done less horrible things than said men.

[@swampfrog195]

Batman=Apollo The joker=Dionysus

[@bapesta481]

Not true. The joker didn’t overcome nihilism like Nietzsche wanted. He didn’t become a higher man. Nietzsche proposed to create your own morals but I don’t think he meant absolutely any type including destructive ones.

[@Nelafix]

Nah, the Joker was a straw nihilist.

[@permaculturedandfree2448]

I found my purpose at 17 and am content and happy with it over the last 21 years. Live life as well as you can ....or not?

[@kimbam1282]

great...I love it...so true for me...got past the laziness but still working on the fear...but as my beliefs change so is my fear

[@DregdenY0r]

thanks for this. i will revise my view of suffering accordingly.

[@Carltoncurtis1]

Nihilism is NOT some esoteric concept. It's actually quite ordinary to our modern lives. Nihilism is sitting in your room, alone, all day in-front of your PC for weeks on end due to anxiety. Nihilism is a meth addiction that you want to escape but your self-hatred won't let you. Nihilism is being struck in bed all day from suicidal depression. Nihilism is when you are stoned at home, couch-locked, wondering what the actual fuck you are gonna do with your life. Nihilism is when you are more afraid of leaving a toxic relationship than the toxicity itself. Nihilism is looking in the mirror and finding it hard to justify taking a shower today. Nihilism is hating your very DNA because it came from two shitty humans; your parents. Nihilism is making more money than you even need at a job you hate so you develop a pill habit or a sex addiction. Nihilism is a hoarder, a drunk, a NEET, an addict, a lover and a dead end job. Any way of life that makes *you* _feel_ meaningless is Nihilism.

[@laughingskull4362]

HotSkull correct nihilism is not a concept it is a state of mind it cannot be cured I relate to what you say mainly because right now it's 4 a.m. in the fucking morning and I'm just sitting here wanting to kill myself every fucking day im just saving it for that one little sweet day when I'll just go to the breaking point and kill myself I'm mentally just killing myself at this point and I don't care anymore nothing I do matters so I'm just going to die anyways I don't even care if I kill myself or if I die but I agree with everything you say what you said is so true good on you person have a nice day in our pointless existence

[@laughingskull4362]

HotSkull sorry about that I was using the voice button so it made a couple of words come out wrong

[@Carltoncurtis1]

I was there too man. Don't give up on your life. If you live in a basement or somewhere shitty that allows you to isolate yourself then sleep somewhere else, even just another room. Even on the floor. Go to a church too and tell someone, a nice one, not bible thumpers, you don't need to believe in any of it but their positivity will help. Also, rationality and pride, right now, are your enemy. I want you to live and be happy.

[@killingwitchs]

Thats some grade A edgy teen sentiments right there, and no none of that is what nihilism is.

[@javierlandry7246]

@@killingwitchs What is it then?

[@7Earthsky]

I like Jordan Petersons approach to overcoming nihilism.....Live your life as though every single miniscule thing you do matters just as much as the big stuff......I would add, that if you think about your life in terms of The Butterfly Effect, then all your actions, no matter how small, ripple into the world anyway.

[@scomo7yearsago958]

7Earthsky the ripples don’t matter

[@scomo7yearsago958]

There isn’t meaning in ANYTHING

[@freewind1977]

Thank you for this interesting and serious effort in this series

[@onetouch721]

Just finished your final lecture on nihilism. It was very well structured. You provided a very good conceptual lecture for a noob like me to understand. Your purpose and meaning to life is to make more lectures lol please keep it coming , You are awesome ! Thank you!

[@flexconnectors]

I have gotten to the point where everything makes me angry, even this video. Every tiny little think makes me angry. It sucks, the spirit is dead in me. I just want to die.

[@Kyoto99952]

Had some of these days recently as well... getting annoyed by the smallest things.. you need to get a grip before you become a resentful, spiteful and bitter person towards life.. it’s time to confront the dragons 🐉..

[@WTG194]

its why some choose to believe in God, the reality of the meaningless beyond that is just too immeasurably suffocating

[@Kyoto99952]

@@WTG194 Well, there's one thing in my life that is certain. Whatever happens, I will never turn to the comfort of the idea of a god.

[@danieledemedici3217]

A great man once said, whenever you really don't want to do a thing, it is the best moment to do it. So stand up and go on!

[@kaptinbarfbeerd1317]

Being angry is a part of the grief cycle and must be experienced in order to push past it. Good luck with your endeavors.

[@GeorgWilde]

There is no nihilism if you are living under constant fear, hunger, do hard physical work, or other type of stress. Stress keeps your mind "normal", it prevents you from thinking about existence, it makes you focused on the survival. We are truly fucked after removing this animal element of ourselves. And that argument that religion helped to not be nihilism is bullshit. What helps againts nihilism is what i described.

[@VanHalensApprentice]

Georg Wilde that's so true man. Dad was born poor and left by himself to work in the us at age 16. It's pretty crazy. His whole meaning in life was to overcome poverty and hunger and now he lives to provide for his family and his main goal is to keep us happy by sustaining us with all the work he does in construction. Meanwhile, I'm 17 having an existential crisis after becoming atheist, having to go back to antidepressants to cope with this feeling. Humans evolved an overdeveloped conciousness and self awareness, and we may be smart and live good, but our search for meaning and the fact that we recognize that we will one day die is our consequence

[@rs-gh5jl]

And Nietzsche solution is to focus upon your self and achieve greatness. Put your self under hardwork and achieve the things you want, and you will find meaning, no matter how arbritary it is.

[@killingwitchs]

So by giving man an objective, intrinsic meaning to life didn't help with nihilism? What are you smoking? Did you even look at any of the videos?

[@joshuac.prince9730]

Absolutely beautiful presentation. It seems to have been very well-thought-out and it was optimally coherent. I have learned a lot and in fact it was a delight to watch this lecture series. I especially love the final quote, it was a perfect. Thank you very much for your time and effort, I have subscribed and will certainly be watching more of your material. jp

[@academyofideas]

+Joshua C. Prince Thank you for watching! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@mikeouwen]

Thank you for making this. This is so far the best philosophy class I've ever had.

[@academyofideas]

Michael Song You're very welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@mikeouwen]

academyofideas Are you planning on making a series on Heidegger?

[@Mfhollander2]

But what's the point of striving to become ones higher self, if in the end complete annihilation is all men's fate. If I were to live a lazy or hedonistic life, then the end result would be the same as the man who strived for greater goals. Nobody can escape death, no matter what they fill their life with.

[@ryanhunter226]

Matthew Hollander because... why not?

[@drmodestoesq]

What's the point of hedonism? You live in the instant. Nietzsche contracted syphilis from a prostitute. What was the point in him pursuing emotionless sex? A few minutes of sensual pleasure and then it was over. He might as well just have stayed at home. We live in the "now." All you have for your hedonistic pursuits is memories. So they are just as pointless as anything else.

[@killingwitchs]

Ok, so be a no one for the rest of your life, don't find meaning in yourself. I on the other hand will die knowing I didn't regret my life, that I strived to be a better me, I made the meaning in my life and I will die happier than you.

[@cheemsoftheocean7569]

but for many, the hedonistic life is impossible to attain, because the great truth is that life is suffering

[@spongekupo]

There is no given meaning to life but nietzs believed that we must look for one regardless... The only type of meaning that makes sense is the type we can give it. Because we are the only consciousness we will ever know.

[@brandibroadnax2315]

Nihilist Perspective: The question all religions never answer, why they all have different names for the Creator, and have a limited understanding of mankinds spiritual history. Like why, is the word Creator replaced with the word God. Why have God believers not noticed that the word God derived from the very name Sun God, who they say...the Gods and Goddesses never existed. Now, as for the designer or architect of Uninature or Universe: The fact of the matter is if there is a creator it would have to be nature itself and the only name that fits that is Mother Nature or Great Mother Nature. So, to all believers how did all the priest in the world get who the Creator is wrong. And the ultimate question is why believers try so hard to get everyone to believe or worship, or is it believe or worship. Non-worship has nothing to do with the Creator's exist, it has to do with walking this world independent and separate from the Creator, which has been done for 200,000 thousand years since the time of a life for a life sacrifices given to the Creator by our ancestors years ago. As for Nihilism: Nihilism understanding; inherit no purpose nor meaning to life and no inherit morality. However, all professional Nihilist understand that the reason there is no meaning and purpose is because the design of life was created with a blank slate, this gives us the freedom to choose our own purpose and meaning. As for morality, morality is learned by species over time as order. But if nature had a inherit purpose or meaning it would be self-discovery and discovery in general, because life is essentially based on learning and teaching (mind). The first nihilist were Russian. All Nihilist say no worship of the Creator and no religion. O, I'm a Nihilist. see Univernaturalism Nonelilian

[@stevepruthvi7009]

i Love this pleasure of knowledge .

[@michaeldelisieux5252]

Watch your series (6 Lectures) and couldn't thank you enough for your work and compassion!

[@academyofideas]

+Michael Rivadavia Thank you for your comment, I'm glad you found them valuable!

[@michaeldelisieux5252]

Academy of Ideas Only now, I read your comment...I am the one thankful, here! Cheers!

[@cunningwolf4516]

Why do people see nihilism as bad?

[@cheemsoftheocean7569]

cunning wolf good question :D I personally think nihilism is bad because of it's destructive nature. The nihilist inflicts pain on himself and his fellow human beings. But then again, to say that suffering is bad is to adhere one's self to the moral conformity. So to be faithful to the truth, to judge whether nihilism is good or bad is just as absurd as to judge whether a chunk of wood is good or bad, for nihilism is a mere reaction of ourselves to the inevitably of the human condition, that is, suffering and eventually death.

[@zerothehero123]

Because their nervous systems are designed to move to certain rewards and nihilism devaluates those rewards and that causes a sense of denial.

[@javierlandry7246]

Nihilism is bad. Existensialism is not, but people see everything that requires their minds to work as bad. Unless they get money in return...

[@Tehz1359]

A lot of people use it as an excuse for inaction, lack of self-knowledge and lack of introspection. This is what Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, and other existentialist thinkers wanted to combat. Especially Nietzsche however. He thought people who gave into nihilism were weak and at very least shouldn't try and steer others down the same path. This is my interpretation of what he meant when he said that society shouldn't hinder others from becoming higher types. And if you do hinder that, you are what he calls the last man.

[@TechGamesAU]

Good presentation but it didn’t really address nihilism..

[@granderubaza6506]

BEAUTIFUL Message!

[@IhabSinno]

thanks for your efforts, beautiful ending.