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[mothwentbad]

Lately I've noticed that my attitude toward nihilism and how it relates to existentialism is something akin to Saint Paul's attitude toward celibacy and how it relates to marriage.

It seems to follow that some revision might be in order.

Comments

[langostino]

Does it? Just 'cause Paul was one twisted individual doesn't mean that any Pauline pattern which appears in your own mind must be stamped out.

[mothwentbad]

I don't think it needs to be stamped out. Just revised into something less paralyzing. That could mean supplementing it with an acting pseudophilosophy, or learning to register nihilism differently emotionally, or something else.

For the record, where do you stand on the issue? Do the places where the metaphor breaks down seem to you to be crucial when it comes time to endorse or reject the behavior?

[langostino]

Is it paralysing? I mean, I take just about nothing seriously, and this makes it unlikely that any philosophical stance will be pragmatically dangerous.

It's not necessarily the philosophy you adopt, but rather the philosophy you live that might be the problem here.

[diimmortales]

Everyone one should be a nihilist because the world is about to end. But if you absolutely *can't* do it, then at least commit yourself to existentialism?

Pretty bleak.

[mothwentbad]

As I understand it, it's more like if the world weren't ending, that wouldn't make mean anything.

Ok, I see what you mean, actually. No, that part of the metaphor wasn't part of what I meant here.

[mothwentbad]

And "make mean anything" could be either "make any difference" or "mean anything". I'm not sure which I had intended to leave there. Damn you, language.