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OdiousOutlaw wrote

Whatever the antonym to existential nihilism is.

It's weird how the lack of belief in value or meaning has a label but the belief in value and meaning doesn't.

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GlangSnorrisson wrote

Religious fanaticism?

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OdiousOutlaw wrote

Nah, that doesn't cover existentialists; who are not nihilists, but also not necessarily religious.

Think of a word for someone who believes that life has some value or meaning; be it made personally or via external influences such as religion or culture.

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ruin wrote

Smells like humanism. Probably the post-monotheistic type.

I think secular humanism fits well, but it’s disingenuous. It invokes a false atheism. As if science wasn’t religion dressed up in glasses and a lab coat.

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OdiousOutlaw wrote

Not really humanism either.

Think of a word for someone who believes that life has some value or meaning

I chose to use "life" rather than "human life" to be as broad as possible; there's no reason for a nihilist to make mankind an exception to their worldview; so the polar opposite would have to be a philosophy that holds that all (or at least some) life has value or meaning.

The trouble here is that "nothing" is pretty easy to define, but what's the opposite of "nothing"? "Something"? "Everything"? Both?

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ruin wrote (edited )

It would be thing. Nothing follows thing. It doesn’t exist without a thing to negate. It is the state of “no” thing.

(Not taking a stance, just channeling Bergson cause it seemed appropriate.)

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_caspar_ wrote

vitalism has been used, but that kind of emphasis becomes a problem when life is valued as a matter of preservation with no clear qualification to what kind of life. this is where you get allopathic medicine looking to extend life for the sake of life, and things like quality of life indexes that attempt to quantitatively measure quality. this also leads to not adequately coming to terms with death through denial, seen in how death is hidden away in many contemporary societies.

wasnt Nietzsche an existentialist that wasnt a nihilist?

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OdiousOutlaw wrote

vitalism has been used, but that kind of emphasis becomes a problem when life is valued as a matter of preservation with no clear qualification to what kind of life. this is where you get allopathic medicine looking to extend life for the sake of life, and things like quality of life indexes that attempt to quantitatively measure quality. this also leads to not adequately coming to terms with death through denial, seen in how death is hidden away in many contemporary societies.

I was going to make a half-joke that the opposite of nihilism would be some form of cosmic utilitarianism, wherein all life had a set value and meaning, which could readily measured; it's a horrifying idea, especially if you consider nihilism liberating.

wasnt Nietzsche an existentialist that wasnt a nihilist?

Nietzsche was pretty opposed to nihilism. Or at least, the popular misconception of nihilism, if the concept of "last men" was any indication. Whether or not he'd approve of Stirner's nihilism or Camus' absurdism isn't something I'd know.

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zoom_zip wrote

people who are examples of the thing they are arguing against:

“toxic masculinity is so fragile”

“fragile?! fight me and we’ll see who is fragile!”

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groovygardener42069 wrote

On the other site they say "Self Aware Wolf"

ie, "Once every full moon, a redditor almost achieves self awareness"

People usually get what you mean but using it is kind of an admission that you use the other site

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OdiousOutlaw wrote

hypocrites?

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zoom_zip wrote

it’s not quite that though. it’s like a complete lack of self awareness and understanding

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OdiousOutlaw wrote (edited )

It would still apply, hypocrisy still fits whether it is oblivious or aware. The only requirement for being a hypocrite is not practicing what one preaches.

complete lack of self awareness and understanding

If they lack awareness, just call them an oblivious hypocrite. That is what they would be.

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topa wrote (edited )

when you can't/couldn't even tell how bad you were feeling because you were in it for so deep and so long

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groovygardener42069 wrote

The frustration of knowing that you're the only one participating in a simple, vital action required to help keep the community safe and healthy that requires active community support to actually work. Like wearing a mask.

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