By Kumar Vikrant
The remarkably high suicide rate in Korea, along with the widespread mental health issues and existential dread faced particularly by the younger generations, call for a solid grounding and understanding of philosophy. In this regard, in my view, existentialism ― particularly existential nihilism ― offers a helpful way to interpret the human condition.
Existential nihilism, in its essence, can be boiled down to the notion that life has no intrinsic value or meaning. Nihilism has received a negative reputation and is often considered a derogatory term associated with depressive thinking and a destructive, life-denying worldview. However, such comments are very far from the true meaning of existential nihilism. Thus, a more nuanced and mature understanding of the school of thought is vital.
Questions such as, "What gives your life meaning?" are often thrown around. People are likely to say that their family, work, religion, or pet gives their lives meaning. However, "meaning" is not an issue of theoretical contemplation; instead, it is a consequence of commitment and engagement for existential nihilists. Famous existentialists such as Jean-Paul Sartre, and nihilists such as Friedrich Nietzsche and others, have said that creating meaning where there is none is futile and delusional ― often a consequence of the fear of death and suffering in life. The human condition requires experiential understanding to create meaning and an outlook on life. Humans exist and encounter themselves first, while defining themselves comes later.
How can existential nihilism uplift us from the chasm of negative thoughts and into a pleasant mindset? Well, I have read several articles and talked with people who, similar to my experience, joyfully claim that realizing the absurdity of existence and the fact that there is no definite meaning, task, duty or destiny that we ought to fulfill, fill them with an immeasurable amount of freedom. Once humans realize and own up to the fear of death, suffering and the inherent meaninglessness of life, infinite opportunities free from limits manifest in our lives.
Often this existential nihilistic realization makes people appreciate their loved ones more and take one day at a time, giving their best in each moment. The petty issues of life, such as the trivial comments of coworkers, massive traffic jams, what others think about us, begin to seem futile in light of the absurdity of it all. Such people, who lead life per their own experiences, are often termed ubermensch (superhuman) in Nietzschean terminology. It's what we all ultimately yearn to be.
The Eastern philosophy of Buddhism and the Hellenistic philosophy of Stoicism are very similar in this way to existential nihilism. They all ask individuals to rise above the doom and gloom, and accept life as it comes in all its tragedy and suffering, to push themselves to create pleasantness within themselves as well as harmony in their families and society. Perhaps the above is much more essential in today's world, where the mental health crisis is raging continuously, affecting many young victims worldwide.
Kumar Vikrant (kvikrant071@gmail.com) is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul.
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Existential nihilism, in its essence, can be boiled down to the notion that life has no intrinsic value or meaning. Nihilism has received a negative reputation and is often considered a derogatory term associated with depressive thinking and a destructive, life-denying worldview. However, such comments are very far from the true meaning of existential nihilism. Thus, a more nuanced and mature understanding of the school of thought is vital.
Questions such as, "What gives your life meaning?" are often thrown around. People are likely to say that their family, work, religion, or pet gives their lives meaning. However, "meaning" is not an issue of theoretical contemplation; instead, it is a consequence of commitment and engagement for existential nihilists. Famous existentialists such as Jean-Paul Sartre, and nihilists such as Friedrich Nietzsche and others, have said that creating meaning where there is none is futile and delusional ― often a consequence of the fear of death and suffering in life. The human condition requires experiential understanding to create meaning and an outlook on life. Humans exist and encounter themselves first, while defining themselves comes later.
How can existential nihilism uplift us from the chasm of negative thoughts and into a pleasant mindset? Well, I have read several articles and talked with people who, similar to my experience, joyfully claim that realizing the absurdity of existence and the fact that there is no definite meaning, task, duty or destiny that we ought to fulfill, fill them with an immeasurable amount of freedom. Once humans realize and own up to the fear of death, suffering and the inherent meaninglessness of life, infinite opportunities free from limits manifest in our lives.
Often this existential nihilistic realization makes people appreciate their loved ones more and take one day at a time, giving their best in each moment. The petty issues of life, such as the trivial comments of coworkers, massive traffic jams, what others think about us, begin to seem futile in light of the absurdity of it all. Such people, who lead life per their own experiences, are often termed ubermensch (superhuman) in Nietzschean terminology. It's what we all ultimately yearn to be.
The Eastern philosophy of Buddhism and the Hellenistic philosophy of Stoicism are very similar in this way to existential nihilism. They all ask individuals to rise above the doom and gloom, and accept life as it comes in all its tragedy and suffering, to push themselves to create pleasantness within themselves as well as harmony in their families and society. Perhaps the above is much more essential in today's world, where the mental health crisis is raging continuously, affecting many young victims worldwide.
Kumar Vikrant (kvikrant071@gmail.com) is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul.
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