Optimistic Nihilism

Oct 24, 2017

https://youtu.be/MBRqu0YOH14

One of my favorite Kurzgesagt videos.

Some highlights:

The twinkling lights are not shining beautifully for us; they just are. We learned we’re not at the center of what we call the universe, and that it’s much older than we thought.

[Humanity is] just another temporary stage in a history going back a billion years.

We counter existential dread with optimistic nihilism. […] It seems very unlikely 200 trillion trillion stars have been made for us. In a way, it feels like the cruelest joke in existence has been played on us. We became self-aware only to realize this story is not about us.

So what? You only get one shot at life, which is scary, but it also sets you free. If our life is all we get to experience, it’s the only thing that matters. Humans will most certainly cease to exist at some point, but before we do, we get to explore ourselves and the world around us. Food, books, sunrises, and being with each other.

It’s not like we found out everything we need to know. We have no idea what consciousness is, or if we are alone in the universe.

We are truly free in a universe-sized playground.