How do you live life without seeking for meaning?

[BrokenByTheSystem]

I'm posting it here but I admit it has some tone of "recovery", I'm just afraid of getting blind generic optimistic answers in the other sub-forum.

I think I'm slowly accepting life has no meaning, my whole life I was thirsty for meaning, I couldn't stand the ideia that everything is pointless, there's no real objective and the only possible objectives in life are made up by ourselves.

I just watched a very good pessimistic philosophy video and it's beyond my comprehension how old philosophers like Schopenhauer could live and find the energy to write so many books while being plenty aware of the lack of meaning on life. I'd really like to understand what kind of strength drove them to do what they did.

I'd like to live a life like that, but it feels like my programming doesn't allow it, I need meaning, I'm thirsty for meaning, I don't want to live if meaning doesn't exist, that's basically what's slowly driving me to suicide.

There's no point on making up a meaning, why would I just build my own illusion just for the sake of keeping myself on this tortured existence? No I can't, I always stood for the truth, I won't make part of this madness.

 

[somethingisntreal]

I just try to drown out my thoughts by consuming a hundred different forms of media at the same time. Something like a hedonistic treadmill. Being able to think feels like a curse sometimes. I wouldn't call it recovery but this is how I've managed to keep myself alive since last year when I had planned to ctb in November. I just try not to think about anything.

 

[Hollowman]

I do it by being dissociated constantly. I used to be obsessed with finding meaning and my mind broke. Can't care about it al all anymore.

 

[Forever Sleep]

Life still revolves around cause and effect though. We know that for a fact. If we don't do certain things to maintain our health- we suffer. That can also include making sure that our brains are occupied. Pursuing a talent or honing a skill can be one way to do that. In the grand scheme of things- it probably doesn't matter that much but for us- it may mean that our brain was occupied the past few hours. So- had less chance to dwell on ideation.

I also struggle with the idea of nihilism really. Do nihilists really not care if they are starving or comfortably full? Freezing cold or at a comfortable temperature? Covered in sores or clean and healthy? Surely how they feel affects them? Which would indicate that certain things do in fact matter. Surely- their emotional state matters to them to some extent? In which case- the things required to maintain a bearable emotional state matter too.

Presumably- writers write in order to earn money as well as to express themselves. In order to buy food, afford to wash and afford shelter.

I tend to wonder if the majority of nihilists here have their basic needs taken care of by someone else. In which case, they aren't quite so affected by cause and effect.

 

[pika401]

might be a silly answer but the Netflix series Alice in Borderland gave me a good explanation of why people would want to live without a reason

 

[eggsausagerice]

the Netflix series Alice in Borderland

i have too many shows i'll never have the opportunity to finish because i'm ctbing. i've wanted to watch alice in borderland for years now but i seem to be so lazy. i really loved the concept when i watched the first season in high school.

response to op: i used to look for meaning in high school through philosophy and novels, then in college i tried to find meaning through people, but i realized that i'll never truly find meaning in anything because i see everything as inherently pointless. but i do things like talk to my friends or continue to do my hobbies because they give me pleasure in a meaningless world.

since i was young i've though that my baseline self offers nothing to the world and the only way i can benefit it is by being useful to other people. that kind of thinking is what lead to me being manipulated very often. i think the most freeing thing a person can do is stop trying to find meaning in the first place, because if you're analyzing the meaning of everything in your life it'll always be intellectualized and compared to something else instead of appreciated in it's pure form.

Do nihilists really not care if they are starving or comfortably full? Freezing cold or at a comfortable temperature? Covered in sores or clean and healthy? Surely how they feel affects them? Which would indicate that certain things do in fact matter.

i figure that every nihilist will stop being nihilistic when something inconveniences them. bedrotting has become a global phenomenon because of the nihilism having everything you could ever want to watch, read, or brows, be right on your fingertips instills in you. i've always wondered if i would actually care if i lost my vision or jumped into traffic and became paralyzed completely. would it matter to me at all or would i just see it as another reason to commit suicide rather than something that actually impacts my life, because everything seems inherently pointless to me? i figure that nihilists will always prefer personal comfort because there isn't any reason to make yourself suffer by staying out in the cold or deliberately starving yourself. i undereat often out of apathy, but dizziness and headaches are the main thing to motivate me rather than the pleasure of eating.

 

[d-tea]

Well, I think life has no inherent meaning, but we get to make it meaningful for us, personally. How we go about doing that? I have no idea, let me know when you find out. I don't think it would be "making up" a meaning because the moment it's meaningful to you, that actually is real and valid.

 

[Pluto]

 

[VeryLonelyBread]

I just try to drown out my thoughts by consuming a hundred different forms of media at the same time. Something like a hedonistic treadmill. Being able to think feels like a curse sometimes. I wouldn't call it recovery but this is how I've managed to keep myself alive since last year when I had planned to ctb in November. I just try not to think about anything.

I second this, distraction.

 

[Ashu]

It gets easier as you get older. Hew wood, draw water.

 

[Sedfrg]

All you have to do is choose between "truth" and "illusion" although, in my opinion, the genre of this text is somewhat different. The absence of "meaning" - if you can call it that - is an entirely different matter.

 

[ugulamugula]

Just drown your thoughts

 

[LonelyOutcast0528]

I don't really. I just find things worth doing and let the meaning sort itself out.

 

[Mrs. T-800]

I don't really think there's necessarily a meaning per se. To me, if you live it in search for some alleged truth instead of just focusing on what is in front of you, then it's a bit misguided. Perhaps the point is simply just to exist but to do so in the right way that makes existing easier and happier for everyone.
As a Catholic, I think it comes down to the proliferation of love. Love – share it, seek it, support it, spread it. It's not a meaning to life, but it's the point of everything, if that makes sense. (A Catholic perspective would further say that life is inherently about love because we were made by God out of love in order to share love with Him and His creation(s), but I know not everyone will subscribe to that. I like thinking such a good thing.)

Meaning is up to the person. Sarah Connor would say, "there's no fate but what we make for ourselves" – so, the meaning depends on you.
But we are here to love.

I take it lightly. I take not much too seriously, I try to keep life simple, low-stakes, and put a little love in everything. There are still deep and profound things to me of course but with a light heart then you can live more at ease I think.
I behave a bit childishly, I will admit, but I think it makes life more relaxed and bearable. I try to find joy or amusement in almost everything if it's appropriate. For example, I've somehow come to notice, since a long time, I haven't seen a slug. But, this past week, I saw three, three days in a row! Woah! A little bit of childlike wonder and suspension of belief and seriousness go a long way. (Creativity helps. As does boredom.)
Take things day by day. Even hour by hour. Don't worry, if you can. Sometimes, just do. Not everything has to be deep or profound. We are allowed to live lightly and gently and have fun.

An example: This is why I love T-800. He has a mission, to save John Connor (and thus humanity), but he is fairly innocent, asks questions, and simply just does things. He wonders a lot. "Why do you cry?" He lets himself learn from everything and soaks everything in quietly. He doesn't get profound or deep stuff until later on, and though it deeply affects him, he still knows when to joke, be lighthearted, etc.

 

[Kitty_Can't_2026]

I just try to drown out my thoughts by consuming a hundred different forms of media at the same time. Something like a hedonistic treadmill. Being able to think feels like a curse sometimes. I wouldn't call it recovery but this is how I've managed to keep myself alive since last year when I had planned to ctb in November. I just try not to think about anything.

You described my current "coping" perfectly. Thank you for that.
I can't be alone with my thoughts most of the time. They're dark and sad. I fill every second I can with radio, podcasts, reading, work, music, or TV.

I'm posting it here but I admit it has some tone of "recovery", I'm just afraid of getting blind generic optimistic answers in the other sub-forum.

I think I'm slowly accepting life has no meaning, my whole life I was thirsty for meaning, I couldn't stand the ideia that everything is pointless, there's no real objective and the only possible objectives in life are made up by ourselves.

I just watched a very good pessimistic philosophy video and it's beyond my comprehension how old philosophers like Schopenhauer could live and find the energy to write so many books while being plenty aware of the lack of meaning on life. I'd really like to understand what kind of strength drove them to do what they did.

I'd like to live a life like that, but it feels like my programming doesn't allow it, I need meaning, I'm thirsty for meaning, I don't want to live if meaning doesn't exist, that's basically what's slowly driving me to suicide.

There's no point on making up a meaning, why would I just build my own illusion just for the sake of keeping myself on this tortured existence? No I can't, I always stood for the truth, I won't make part of this madness.

I can relate to a lot of what you're saying.
For sooooo long, I've searched for meaning. I look at other people and try to understand their meaning - their purpose. I feel like the purpose of most folks is their kids or their family. I don't have any human family left and I'm slowly disconnecting from my friends. I have my cat who I cherish and she's definitely the biggest reason why I'm still here. I like my job but I can't say it gives my life meaning.
Lately, I've given up on true meaning of life... I'm living day by day. Finding purpose where I can in doing things I love or volunteering. Finding joy in getting to do nothing if I want.
I can't say it's working very well but I get by...
Maybe give yourself some grace and less pressure on this big meaning search and make your focus smaller and more present on today or tomorrow...
Hope anything I said helps.

I'm posting it here but I admit it has some tone of "recovery", I'm just afraid of getting blind generic optimistic answers in the other sub-forum.

I think I'm slowly accepting life has no meaning, my whole life I was thirsty for meaning, I couldn't stand the ideia that everything is pointless, there's no real objective and the only possible objectives in life are made up by ourselves.

I just watched a very good pessimistic philosophy video and it's beyond my comprehension how old philosophers like Schopenhauer could live and find the energy to write so many books while being plenty aware of the lack of meaning on life. I'd really like to understand what kind of strength drove them to do what they did.

I'd like to live a life like that, but it feels like my programming doesn't allow it, I need meaning, I'm thirsty for meaning, I don't want to live if meaning doesn't exist, that's basically what's slowly driving me to suicide.

There's no point on making up a meaning, why would I just build my own illusion just for the sake of keeping myself on this tortured existence? No I can't, I always stood for the truth, I won't make part of this madness.

 

[somethingisntreal]

You described my current "coping" perfectly. Thank you for that.
I can't be alone with my thoughts most of the time. They're dark and sad. I fill every second I can with radio, podcasts, reading, work, music, or TV.

I'm sorry you have to go though this. It's awful, I know. Sometimes I wonder if our brains are just broken because how are "normal" people able to live with their thoughts?? I can never imagine. My thoughts have been this bleak since forever...

 

[mjolnir]

Camus does not reject the search for meaning; he considers it one of the most fundamental expressions of the human condition. What he rejects is the belief that this search can be fully satisfied by an absolute or transcendent truth. Faced with the absurd (the confrontation between our desire for meaning and the indifference of the universe), he defends a lucid life, which continues to seek, create and affirm meanings without escaping into metaphysical certainties.
So the question is not whether or not to seek meaning in life, but to change your relationship with this search.

 

[ChiseHatori]

There is no inherit meaning, the meaning is literally just whatever you want and have the ability to do. My meaning was always to help others however I can, but... that sort of backfired on me; because I am now someone people don't want to lose. And I wish so badly to be lost. Terrible dilemma. However, I still think it's worthwhile to help others. If we can't find an exit for ourselves, might as well...

 

[FoxSauce]

Distraccion or sleep or even daydreaming. Ik its avoiding things but helps getting throught powerful emotions and feelings.


Im trying not to rely on that.

 

[Another Iteration]

Games, games, games!

 

[Kitty_Can't_2026]

I don't really. I just find things worth doing and let the meaning sort itself out.

Brilliant reply! This, exactly this!

 

[pthnrdnojvsc]

the garbage they tell us is so good or important are all meaningless.

no one can convince me there is a reason why I have to live another second. or why I should.

to me nothing matters except me avoiding long lasting constant unbearable pain . then avoiding any unbearable pain then avoiding any suffering or pain or problems. and my suicide asap also matters the most

that garbage is even less meaningful when u realize u have to risk extreme torture to do the "pleasurable" garbage

I don't want to live. they just made it a million times more difficult to escape this hell by making every guaranteed suicide method into a crime

the garbage they tell us is so good or important are all meaningless.

imo we didn't make these addictions meaningful these were installed into our brains especially when the brain was many times more plastic from ages 0 to 7 .

what did i any human u know at 1 day old ? only a very few basic instincts. every thing else was taught

right after Death even avoiding unbearable pain won't matter because u can't suffer pain as u don't exist . so then nothing truly will matter. what that u do now will matter in 130 years , in a thousand years ? in a trillion years? nothing

 

[Liebestod]

Culture imposes delusions on oneself so that they'll live. Meaning is a scar. True happiness is death to rid yourself of the delusions and any suffering (deprivation) imposed on yourself by yourself and other forces.