The idea that the universe is ultimately meaningless is something that I have been sifting through all of my life. Meaning is super sexy, offering an understanding for suffering, and a way to connect. Today I want to revisit my conversation with Wendy Syfret, and the comfort meaningless can provide. Nihilism gets a bad rep. For sure. The problem I think people run up against is the question – if there is no greater meaning to life (“Basic ideas of good and evil are constructs of context, history, and social conditioning”), why not become hedonists? Why don’t we stay in bed or chase pleasure? If we start to question the systems that govern society, how will we be safe? Also, Nihilism has been used by groups to justify some bad things throughout history. Wendy Syfret talks about in her book The Sunny Nihilist how actually, Friedrich Nietzsche never thought we should be full-time nihilists, just part-time, that it is a helpful tool to critically look at how we are spending our time and what our time is worth.The Sunny Nihilist is about how we are consumed with meaning, and so much meaning can make us miserable. Taking a step back, and understanding that all this pressure is self-imposed can actually be an enjoyable act. It lets go of expectations that hold us in patterns of unmet expectations.BAD AT KEEPING SECRETS is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to BAD AT KEEPING SECRETS at peopleiveloved.substack.com/subscribe
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