Mmm. I think I can look back at my life and see a period in which I would have been called a nihilist. That version was a very unhealed version but still something I experienced. This piece was very poignant. My nihilism was born from trauma and healed through therapy and deep introspection. Thanks for sharing.
I’m happy you could relate to this with your journey. It’s great to hear you’re on the path to recovery, and thank you as always for reading and engaging in my work, it means a lot!
Nihilism has always struck me as a form of intellectual laziness. It confronts the absence of divine meaning and responds not with responsibility or creativity, but with a refusal to take ownership of one’s own life by forging meaning where none is given. What makes this posture particularly grating is the air of superiority with which it is often defended: caring, striving, or attempting to create one’s own meaning is dismissed as naïve—a lesser form of existence. And then they use it as an excuse for their lapses in manners. Get off of it and give me a break😩 (Love your work as always)
Love both your comments here Dayana! I love how you always grasp what I’m saying! There are definitely nihilists out there who use this philosophy to ignore their own responsibility to live, and it is extremely frustrating when they try and take some sort of intellectual hierarchy alongside it. Thank you as always for reading my work and engaging with it, it’s always appreciated! ❤️
I agree so much with you! I also think that it’s like something that looks “true” from the outside but crumbles slowly with more thorough inspection. We don’t have the tools to unravel the truth of the universe so why marry with such an unpractical philosophy?
I think it's because they don't want to be responsible for their actions, the weight of their lives, or the effect they have on who and what is around them. It's so much easier to say nothing matters than it is to figure out and uphold what matters to you
Oof, we love it when Aaron spits facts!! 😭 At one point I was literally labeled “nihilistic” trauma and life really did that. Now I look back and realize I’ve become the total opposite. Your essay articulated this so well, thoughtful, and honestly such a great read. Thanks for breaking this down!! 🫶
my favorite of yours yet. i love when my fav substackers write about things i’ve been thinking about! people think that doom and nihilism is intellectual and realist, when actually it gives them an excuse to stop trying to be better and better the world. absolutely love everything you write!
Your posts so often spark self-reflection and I think you highlight really well the egotistical dark side that often comes along with navigating the heavy parts of life. I honestly would have related strongly to "The Underground Man" when I was in the thick of heavy grief. We (or maybe I'm speaking more particularly from an American perspective HA!) often want to view heavy circumstances as giving us a unique bend on the world that is, as you said, ultimately just a way of hiding. But it's important to recognize it for what it is: a coping mechanism, not something to stake our identity in. The unique perspective you include in your essays always leaves me thinking quite a bit (bodes well for your future career path!)
I see a Lexis comment. I read a Lexis comment. I am a happy man.
Thank you as always for taking the time to read my work (I have your post saved but I’ll be reading it once I’m done with house work!). Your input is always appreciated, and I’m glad you could find resonance within this piece! ❤️
Nihilism doesn’t offer a solution—I agree. But then again, neither does anything else in life. Happiness is nothing more than fleeting moments of pleasure. A chocolate cake remains a chocolate cake, whether or not you add sprinkles to it—that’s a choice you make. But at the end of the day, it’s still a chocolate cake.
So when I say life is nihilistic, I don’t mean it in a gloomy sense. What I’m trying to say is simply that one shouldn’t be disappointed when happiness doesn’t arrive the way—or when—you expected it to. That’s all. At least, that’s how I see it.
I get that and it’s a fair response! My issue isint that nihilism doesn’t give a solution, but that it doesn’t inspire us to move forward! But I appreciate you taking the time to read and engage with my work!
That makes sense—and I like how you frame inspiration as movement rather than answers. I’m still sitting with that tension myself. I really enjoy exchanges like this, so I’m glad I stumbled upon your work!
I find it’s far more enjoyable to engage with different opinions in a respectful manner, so I’m glad you feel the same way! I hope you stick around for more! 😁
Same here! I really value thoughtful, respectful exchanges like this. I’m definitely sticking around—and I’m glad we crossed paths here. Looking forward to more of your work!
I’ve always thought I was quite clever, but reading your work makes me feel like I possess the intelligence of a child. I am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t even know what Nihilism meant. I’ve read this a few times now, and all I can think to say is that this is INCREDIBLE. This is one of those pieces that will linger, and I’m happy for it to do so. You’re class, Aaron - I’m so glad I found your work!🤍
Georgia you’re far too sweet! Thank you for such a lovely comment ❤️ This is the only area I have any sort of knowledge on, so don’t worry 😂 I’ll stick to philosophy and religion, and you can keep posting incredible poems, essays and making class cakes! ❤️
This made me think a lot, the way your writing always does. Aaron I haaate that this even came to mind, this sounds like I'm doing exactly what I'm criticizing others for, but I wrote something called “I don't want my sadness to be the most interesting thing about me” months ago and I wanted to share that with you, not in the shameless self-promotion way that we adore, but because it directly echoes this piece, although not as brilliantly. This feels like a conversation, a bridge between the two (oh God I hope you know that, I'm MORTIFIED). I wrote it from a very personal, emotional, selfish perspective, while you take a step back and discuss things the way a teacher would. It really isn't philosophical like you, but the essay could honestly be summed up in a comment as an example of what you're so accurately and cleverly explaining
CALL THE POLICE!!! SHE'S PROMOTING!!! No don't worry, I completely get you! I'm gonna go check it out now (I'll message you if I can't find it!), but as alwayssssssss I really appreciate you taking the time to read and engage with my work, it always means a lot! ❤️
That really stuck with me. You paint awareness as something that can quietly become a hiding place rather than a place of freedom, and that resonates. The Underground Man not only sees the world clearly but also uses that clarity to justify his withdrawal from it. That's a great connection to Notes from Underground. I also appreciate the observation about the ego that may underlie performative nihilism. It was more of a caution in using self awareness than the alerting of transforming self-awareness into rejection. I will be thinking about this.
I hear you. I think the journey inwards is essential but HAS to be accompanied by outward manifestation, otherwise it amounts to a sort of spiritual solipsism at best, and masturbation at worst. Similarly, outward acts with no depth may just be display.
The inward journey can be fascinating, but it needs to be applied simultaneously. I don’t care if you lived in a cave eating rice husks for 12 years if you scream at me at the traffic lights or make snarky comments.
And people can lose themselves so that the journey becomes an end in itself. I’ve met people in California who go from silent retreat to chakra workshop to meditation marathon, only to come back and dump on their partner. The problem is that this kind of journey has no destination: it’s an endless circular loop.
I think I get what you’re saying! Any work to understand life needs to involve both movement and understanding, as one cannot fulfil without the other. I appreciate the input my man, cheers for reading!
This hurt my brain a bit, as it’s been a few decades since I’ve been in philosophy class. Still, it seems you’re spot on. There is a seductive quality to suffering and victim hood that can capture a person and shape them into a nihilist — without them knowing it.
Mmm. I think I can look back at my life and see a period in which I would have been called a nihilist. That version was a very unhealed version but still something I experienced. This piece was very poignant. My nihilism was born from trauma and healed through therapy and deep introspection. Thanks for sharing.
I’m happy you could relate to this with your journey. It’s great to hear you’re on the path to recovery, and thank you as always for reading and engaging in my work, it means a lot!
Nihilism has always struck me as a form of intellectual laziness. It confronts the absence of divine meaning and responds not with responsibility or creativity, but with a refusal to take ownership of one’s own life by forging meaning where none is given. What makes this posture particularly grating is the air of superiority with which it is often defended: caring, striving, or attempting to create one’s own meaning is dismissed as naïve—a lesser form of existence. And then they use it as an excuse for their lapses in manners. Get off of it and give me a break😩 (Love your work as always)
Love both your comments here Dayana! I love how you always grasp what I’m saying! There are definitely nihilists out there who use this philosophy to ignore their own responsibility to live, and it is extremely frustrating when they try and take some sort of intellectual hierarchy alongside it. Thank you as always for reading my work and engaging with it, it’s always appreciated! ❤️
all of the philosophy books I've read have been to prepare me to intellectually engage with your work 😭
You’re too goated 😭
I agree so much with you! I also think that it’s like something that looks “true” from the outside but crumbles slowly with more thorough inspection. We don’t have the tools to unravel the truth of the universe so why marry with such an unpractical philosophy?
I think it's because they don't want to be responsible for their actions, the weight of their lives, or the effect they have on who and what is around them. It's so much easier to say nothing matters than it is to figure out and uphold what matters to you
that makes sense
Oof, we love it when Aaron spits facts!! 😭 At one point I was literally labeled “nihilistic” trauma and life really did that. Now I look back and realize I’ve become the total opposite. Your essay articulated this so well, thoughtful, and honestly such a great read. Thanks for breaking this down!! 🫶
You’re too kind Ella! Thank you so much, comments like this are so helpful to me. I’m glad you’ve come through it and are in a better place now ❤️
my favorite of yours yet. i love when my fav substackers write about things i’ve been thinking about! people think that doom and nihilism is intellectual and realist, when actually it gives them an excuse to stop trying to be better and better the world. absolutely love everything you write!
Ahhhhhh thank you Caroline!!! I am glad you could find enjoyment in this piece, and as always, thank you for such a lovely comment!
Your posts so often spark self-reflection and I think you highlight really well the egotistical dark side that often comes along with navigating the heavy parts of life. I honestly would have related strongly to "The Underground Man" when I was in the thick of heavy grief. We (or maybe I'm speaking more particularly from an American perspective HA!) often want to view heavy circumstances as giving us a unique bend on the world that is, as you said, ultimately just a way of hiding. But it's important to recognize it for what it is: a coping mechanism, not something to stake our identity in. The unique perspective you include in your essays always leaves me thinking quite a bit (bodes well for your future career path!)
I see a Lexis comment. I read a Lexis comment. I am a happy man.
Thank you as always for taking the time to read my work (I have your post saved but I’ll be reading it once I’m done with house work!). Your input is always appreciated, and I’m glad you could find resonance within this piece! ❤️
i love when Aaron educates me on different topics. I knew I would love it after a paragraph.
You’re far too kind!!!! Thank you 😭
Love it, still a bit far
but ponder on NVE i really wanna know how someone else would express it..
Nihilism doesn’t offer a solution—I agree. But then again, neither does anything else in life. Happiness is nothing more than fleeting moments of pleasure. A chocolate cake remains a chocolate cake, whether or not you add sprinkles to it—that’s a choice you make. But at the end of the day, it’s still a chocolate cake.
So when I say life is nihilistic, I don’t mean it in a gloomy sense. What I’m trying to say is simply that one shouldn’t be disappointed when happiness doesn’t arrive the way—or when—you expected it to. That’s all. At least, that’s how I see it.
I get that and it’s a fair response! My issue isint that nihilism doesn’t give a solution, but that it doesn’t inspire us to move forward! But I appreciate you taking the time to read and engage with my work!
That makes sense—and I like how you frame inspiration as movement rather than answers. I’m still sitting with that tension myself. I really enjoy exchanges like this, so I’m glad I stumbled upon your work!
I find it’s far more enjoyable to engage with different opinions in a respectful manner, so I’m glad you feel the same way! I hope you stick around for more! 😁
Same here! I really value thoughtful, respectful exchanges like this. I’m definitely sticking around—and I’m glad we crossed paths here. Looking forward to more of your work!
I’ve always thought I was quite clever, but reading your work makes me feel like I possess the intelligence of a child. I am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t even know what Nihilism meant. I’ve read this a few times now, and all I can think to say is that this is INCREDIBLE. This is one of those pieces that will linger, and I’m happy for it to do so. You’re class, Aaron - I’m so glad I found your work!🤍
Georgia you’re far too sweet! Thank you for such a lovely comment ❤️ This is the only area I have any sort of knowledge on, so don’t worry 😂 I’ll stick to philosophy and religion, and you can keep posting incredible poems, essays and making class cakes! ❤️
This made me think a lot, the way your writing always does. Aaron I haaate that this even came to mind, this sounds like I'm doing exactly what I'm criticizing others for, but I wrote something called “I don't want my sadness to be the most interesting thing about me” months ago and I wanted to share that with you, not in the shameless self-promotion way that we adore, but because it directly echoes this piece, although not as brilliantly. This feels like a conversation, a bridge between the two (oh God I hope you know that, I'm MORTIFIED). I wrote it from a very personal, emotional, selfish perspective, while you take a step back and discuss things the way a teacher would. It really isn't philosophical like you, but the essay could honestly be summed up in a comment as an example of what you're so accurately and cleverly explaining
CALL THE POLICE!!! SHE'S PROMOTING!!! No don't worry, I completely get you! I'm gonna go check it out now (I'll message you if I can't find it!), but as alwayssssssss I really appreciate you taking the time to read and engage with my work, it always means a lot! ❤️
I’m glad you wrote this and called it all out because this type of person is my literal least favorite in the entire world
Thank you for reading it! Yea, it does get pretty jarring to deal with 🙄
That really stuck with me. You paint awareness as something that can quietly become a hiding place rather than a place of freedom, and that resonates. The Underground Man not only sees the world clearly but also uses that clarity to justify his withdrawal from it. That's a great connection to Notes from Underground. I also appreciate the observation about the ego that may underlie performative nihilism. It was more of a caution in using self awareness than the alerting of transforming self-awareness into rejection. I will be thinking about this.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post! I’m so glad you found points within it to reflect and I hope you’ll stick around for more ❤️
Do you ever worry about falling into the same 'ego trap'
Of course! But reflection is incredibly important and I try to do so every day
Stunning
Thank you!!!
I hear you. I think the journey inwards is essential but HAS to be accompanied by outward manifestation, otherwise it amounts to a sort of spiritual solipsism at best, and masturbation at worst. Similarly, outward acts with no depth may just be display.
The inward journey can be fascinating, but it needs to be applied simultaneously. I don’t care if you lived in a cave eating rice husks for 12 years if you scream at me at the traffic lights or make snarky comments.
And people can lose themselves so that the journey becomes an end in itself. I’ve met people in California who go from silent retreat to chakra workshop to meditation marathon, only to come back and dump on their partner. The problem is that this kind of journey has no destination: it’s an endless circular loop.
I think I get what you’re saying! Any work to understand life needs to involve both movement and understanding, as one cannot fulfil without the other. I appreciate the input my man, cheers for reading!
Wait?! There’s Nihilism on Substack? 😏
This hurt my brain a bit, as it’s been a few decades since I’ve been in philosophy class. Still, it seems you’re spot on. There is a seductive quality to suffering and victim hood that can capture a person and shape them into a nihilist — without them knowing it.
Thanks for the lesson, Teach!
Sorry for hurting the brain, but I am glad you could find something in my work! Hopefully you’ll stick around for more lessons! 😉🫡
Finding my desk in the front row.