When most people hear “nihilism” they immediately think of some depressed teenager listening to angst-filled music in their bedroom. While that might be at least half true, a nihilist attitude towards life can turn the most negative person positive. How is that possible, when [the internet brand of] nihilists believe that nothing has inherent worth (including existence)? My answer: try living like nothing matters for a day.
This is a different type of “nothing matters” than the apathy of depression. If you use something like nihilism to justify your depression, then see a therapist (a general rule for anyone suffering from depression, despite no longer qualifying for health insurance). A nihilist with a healthy mind finds joy in the meaninglessness of life. What this means is that stress from daily expectations can be lessened when viewed with the face value of little to no importance.
Imagine, instead of constantly worrying that you are going to fail that next exam, you accept that passing or failing that exam is inherently meaningless. Does it feel better yet? Success and other societal constructs have become something like tornados in our minds. They are at the forefront of our mind and take over our actions without our consent. Take heart in the fact that whether you make one million dollars or work paycheck to paycheck all your life, the end result is still the same as everyone else - death.
Nihilism helps us take back our power over the things society thinks are important, but actually aren’t. Once you take back power over your life, stress starts to melt away. There is more time to participate in things you actually enjoy, rather than focusing on things that don’t actually matter (to you, or in reality). Now that you’ve accepted nihilism, you can move onto happier philosophies (like existentialism?) or read memes all day without feeling guilty. That is of course until you accept absurdism and become a dank meme-r. Then, it's all over for you.,
