Nihilism and Nietzsche

I came across a good Nietzsche and Nihilism series by Academy of Ideas. If it’s too long, here’re the points:

• If you’re not a nihilist, you believe in some version of a true world.
• A true world can either be a) the future of our earthly one (i.e. Marxism), part of us already (i.e. Hinduism) or c) separate from ours (i.e. Christianity).
• To become nihilistic, one first realizes one’s belief may be wrong.
• Nihilism may be taken as a reaction against the shame of realizing one was wrong.
• Nietzsche prophesied a generation before WWI that nihilism will befall man.
• He thus declared the famous “God is dead.”
• His evidence is that whereas before academic thought competed to disprove God’s existence, now it was directed at saving it.
• Many make the erroneous premise suffering is a disease, nihilism makes you suffer so nihilism is a disease.
• The solution is to search within and discover who you are.
• Those who can rebuild their own worldview, active nihilists, become higher beings.
• Those (most) who can’t rebuild their own worldview, passive nihilists, accept their fate and give up.
• Passive nihilists often, out of desperation and inability to invoke their own self,  attach to mass movements as a substitute and join the rest of the herd animals.
• Passive nihilists lose the chance to become who they are.
• In becoming who one is, the pain and suffering endured from nihilism isn’t evil but valuable.
• Becoming who you are is a noble goal of life, and nihilism is often a necessary transition.

Nietzsche’s insights are still as relevant as ever. 🙂