#nihil rants

[artemisnihil]

Why are there only two Eragon/Vanir fanfics on AO3?? Does no one recognize the inherent eroticism of sword fighting rivals? Of a young elf as immature as the human he insults??? Can we not recognize that Vanir is more suitable than Arya in every way????? Do I have to do everything myself????

[askdewydrop]

Is it just me or is Omega too good for social media? Like the dude is with a walking embodiment of the social media algorithm! But noooooo big guy Omega says he doesn’t need a social media because it will ‘make your brain turn to mush’ or whatever kind of crap that pompous guy thinks. And yet Terzo has every sort of social media! Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr…you name it, he probably has an account on there. And not only does the guy have every social media account…he also has three phones. The reason? One for work and social media…one for one night stand and saucy pictures and then A WHOLE ASS SEPARATE PHONE FOR BULLYING COPIA! This man needs to be stopped! I’m out of words! I need to be snuggled into my nest…where is Mountain or Aether when you need them?!

[soupthatistohot]

Dazai Osamu (BSD): a case study of a nihilist turned absurdist

I've talked a bit before about the themes of absurdism within BSD, and I think this plays heavily into Dazai and the personal journey he's gone on throughout the series (light novels included). From my perspective, his character development has followed a shift in ideology, from nihilism to absurdism.

First, I'd like to define how these two philosophies are similar yet different. Nihilism is the belief that life is intrinsically meaningless, and that there's no value to seeking meaning. Absurdism also believes that life has no intrinsic meaning, but states that revolting against the absurdity of existence is the way to create meaning.

While I don't think Dazai 100% fits either category fully at any given point in his life as we've seen it thus far, I think in his PM days he leans more towards a nihilist perspective, and following Oda's death he leans more towards an absurdist perspective.

Dazai's reasoning for joining the PM was because he thought that perhaps being around violence and raw emotions would help him understand humanity, giving him a reason to live. This doesn't sound quite like nihilism, but honestly, I think he gains a more nihilist point of view as time progresses and he realizes that he can't find meaning in the PM. I'm not even sure he believed that there was meaning to find in the first place, he was just desperate to prove himself wrong, and then failed, which really cemented this nihilistic mindset for him.

Friedrich Nietzsche, often regarded as the founding father of nihilism, claimed that nihilism "not only the belief that everything deserves to perish; but one actually puts one shoulder to the plough; one destroys.”

If life doesn't have meaning, then it doesn't matter to Dazai if he destroys. So, he fills a corpse with bullets, he horrifically abuses his subordinate, he actively tries to take his own life.

Nihilism is right in line with his suicidal nature. This isn't to say that all nihilists are inherently suicidal, but when one believes that life has no meaning, it's quite easy to come to the conclusion to kill oneself. I think this mindset really lends to his general depression and suicidal ideation, on top of the fact that he feels generally disconnected from humanity. It's so easy for him to consider himself inhuman because he has this nihilistic point of view that nothing matters and everyone else in society seems so dead set on opposing that worldview.

And then you have Oda. He is the closest thing Dazai gets to finding meaning within the PM. Like Chuuya, this is a person that fascinates Dazai, although his reason for fascination is much different. To Dazai, Oda represents what is good in the world, he thinks that he is a good man, and struggles to reconcile how a good person can come out of an existence so seemingly pointless and horrific.

Then, Oda dies.

It's an absurd occurrence, and to Dazai it only proves that life has no meaning. This is exemplified when Dazai speaks to Fyodor about God in Meursault: "[God] is known for is famous for his coincidences and absurdism, I've seen it countless times," and a flashback to Oda's death is shown. A good man died for seemingly no good reason, and to Dazai, this only proves life's meaningless, because to the universe it didn't matter who Oda was, he died, regardless.

(I quoted the dialogue from the BSD anime English dub because I feel it better suited my argument, but you can see that he's essentially saying the same thing).

This event should have only further cemented Dazai as a hardcore nihilist, but fortunately for him, Oda was able to get a word in before he passed. He told Dazai that as long as he believes the sides of good and bad are the same to him, he should be on the side that helps people. Oda suggests fighting against life's inherent absurdity -- and that's absurdism in a nutshell, revolting against a meaningless universe.

Dazai takes his advice, and within a few years, he's working for the ADA, he's on the side that helps people.

In that same conversation with Fyodor, Dazai speaks further about life's meaning:

"Those who scream within the storm of uncertainty and run with flowing blood." That's absurdism, the rebellion against uncertainty, meaninglessness, absurdity.

While I don't think Dazai is a bona-fide absurdist due to his suicidality (absurdism basically sees suicide as giving into meaninglessness), I think he's on his way there because of moments like this.

I don't think he's totally convinced that life is completely and utterly meaningless anymore. He, at the very least, has a respect for those who forge their own meaning through the act of revolt.

"Man stands face to face with the irrational. He feels within him his longing for happiness and for reason. The absurd is born of this confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world." - Albert Camus

[grimalkinmessor]

"Oh this story is so realistic—!" WRONG that story is not realistic it is dark and dreary and DEPRESSING. Why is unending hopelessness and "there was nothing you could do" your standard for reality 😭💀

[thinkingofausername]

cw: rant, don't read if you're religious and easily offended

The older I get, the more I'm fascinated and avidly repulsed by religion.

I'm fascinated with the fact that so many people view religious texts as the objective truth. They don't even question it, it just is what it is. A virgin gave birth, a man made everything and is watching us all the time and knows everything about us and has a plan for us, a man turned water to wine and cured blindness and came back from the dead, another man parted the sea, etc. Somehow mermaids and vampires aren't believable.

I'm fascinated with the fact that religion holds so much power. It's put its hand on politics, education, healthcare. It dictates things it never should've. It's spoken of as a personal choice and belief which is to be respected and yet it's an all around force involved in things it should've stayed out of.

I'm fascinated with the fact that we never outgrew it, never evolved past it. It's such a backwards and rigid thing that I honestly can't believe we haven't left it behind. I can imagine centuries and centuries ago people needed to be told killing was bad because you will die and burn forever but how does that apply to this day and age? Shouldn't it be the most reasonable thing that our actions be controlled by morals, guilt, rationality, law, etc. If someone has to threaten you with eternal damnation in order for you to be good, than how good are you?

I'm repulsed by the mindlessness of it. It reads as nothing but mass control and simultaneously giving up control. It reads as controlling mindless masses who need to blindly follow something and never question it. I believe "the Lord is my shepherd" is very much on point. It reads as avoiding taking accountability. It reads as avoiding the fact that our lives are in our control. We have no inherent purpose and no one but us is guiding our lives. Our actions have direct consequences. God didn't save that person's life, it was the surgeon who performed the surgery for fifteen fucking hours. We are conscious creatures and we should be exercising critical thinking and not giving up control of our lives because "someone has a plan for us and all will be as he has imagined it".

I'm repulsed by the fact that it's spoken of as something that revolves around loving and forgiving and yet fear is at the center of it. We should believe in God because if we don't we are forever doomed? Religion gives you permission to meddle in other people's lives an question them and judge them? Religion gives you permission to look at a person with piercings/tattoos/skull accessories/black eyeshadow and feel free to tell them they will burn in hell? Religion gives you permission to look at two people who love each other in a way your beliefs don't align with and tell them they will be eternally punished for it?

I'm repulsed by the fact that it's based on lies and a superiority complex. Religion is apparently virtue and purity and mercy and yet it's caused and justified more suffering than anything else in the world. Religion painted women as silent servants in servitude of men and for the obvious reason men liked that and used it as much as possible and they still do. Countless women were burned for being "witches", people were tortured so they would accept a religion, countless other crimes were committed because it was "in the Lord's name".

I'm repulsed by the fact that nothing stands in the face of delusion. Religion is seen as the objective truth and whoever doesn't believe it is wrong, in denial, lost, has to be saved, waiting for God to be speak to them, etc.

I'm fascinated by the fact that the world is led by a cult and no one wants to admit it.

[drakkonyan]

Reminder that hating humans is not an alternative to loving nature. You add nothing by saying you wish human kind went extinct. You add nothing by saying humans are irredimable monsters. You are helping no harmed animal nor plant nor fungi nor microorganism by shitting on humans and, as a nature lover, you are my least favorite kind of "nature lover" because you don't like nature, you hate humans

[neuroticboyfriend]

if we die in the end and there's nothing after, feels like there really is no grand point to living. but that would also mean the same for dying. it's all just about when it ends and what happens before that. it could end tonight. it could end tomorrow. it could end years or decades from now. fuck if i know. at this point, i'm just here because death only happens once. here for the ride, even though i still wanna cut things short. guess that's good enough.

[suleikazuleika]

I'm still catching up on Phase 3 of the High Republic, but trust me, even if the Acolyte doesn't go into it?

Blame the Nihil.

You're going to watch the show and go, Why does the Jedi do this? It doesn't make sense!

It's the Nihil's fault.

These notherfuckers...

[borderlinevamp]

Something I struggle with when it comes to having white friends is there like inherent belief “all humanity is guilty” mindset.

I commented to a friend that when video essayist talk about “the human races guilt” or “Americans need for conquest” I all ways say “who is WE?”. She responded about something about collective human guilt and I just…

My family was enslaved or being displaced for most of the last 200 hundred years,

My ancestral country is still to this day punished for getting independence.

No, i don’t see ALL humanity as equally guilty. And while I recognize we all have a responsibility to do better and no one is truly “innocent” in capitalism…when I say “who is we” I mean it. My ancestors are not responsible for half the reprehensible shit that caused us to be here today. Sorry.

[nihil-ism]

Before and after the sleep token concert tonight.

Aside from feeling like an old man ("my feet hurt my back hurts I need water" - you know the drill) I am thoroughly excited. What a wonderful experience!

...also I think I scared two girls in pajamas when I stalked the foyer of the hotel for something to drink right now...

[stargatelov3r]

hmmmm..

*BOOP*

*runs*

(Trying to find a good gif and failing)

*dramatically drags myself across the floor trying to reach you*

*must. boop*

My paw trembles, just moments away from its goal it stops, i collapse completely, unable to boop.

[artemisnihil]

I despaired over the lack of Eragon/Vanir fanfiction, but I can’t find even one fic that even mentions Iorunn! She was openly flirting with Eragon at every clanmeet! He blushed and called her a great beauty every time he happened to look at her! Am I the only one who sees the potential here?? Where are all the obscure Eragon shippers???

He is a rider and thus needs a partner who is as long-lived as him. No human will do. The elves are obvious, but it could be a dwarf! Eragon and Iorunn would be such a power couple!!

[askdewydrop]

“Don’t rile up Swiss when you get home”…bitch…you know very god damn well I’m gonna rile him up by asking if he wants treats or to go for a walk…and then do nothing about it. What can I say? I’m a dick…

[rants-n-chants]

These past years have been a tragic comedy, where I play the role of a bewilldered clown. No one is laughing. Least of all am I.

[digizoidkimmyc]

I'm so mad about Alien 3. (Spoilers ahead)

In Alien and Aliens, they could have made Ripley the only survivor. But in a deliberate subversion of the genre, they don't. She saves the cat. Then Newt, and Hicks, and Bishop. It's not much - the vast majority of the characters are still dead - but it's symbolic. That there's more than just death and hopelessness in the world, and in the end life goes on.

And then Alien 3 throws it out the window. I don't mind Ripley's death. It's a heroic sacrifice, and that makes it satisfying in its own way. But I can't forgive killing off Newt and Hicks and Bishop in the very beginning.

Up until this point, as dark as the movies were, they always ended on a bittersweet note of hope. The cat lives. The girl lives. And then Alien 3 tells us we shouldn't have believed it. "How dare you care about these characters," it says. "This is a horror series. Everyone dies. You should've known that." It's just so... nihilistic. So needlessly bleak. And it spits in the face of the series' themes.

I will forever live in denial about this. Not just because I liked the characters, but because I can't accept such a sudden change of tone, can't accept that Aliens' ending was all for naught, that I shouldn't have been foolish enough to care in the first place.

I won't accept nihilism. I can accept a bleak story, even a tragic one, but not a story without hope.

This is what the Death of the Author is for. Why we write fanfiction.

They lived because I said so.

[somelocusts]

"The climate's fucked anyway so why bother?"

"Both sides are the same and everything's rigged anyway so don't vote."

"Nobody listens to these petitions/emails/phone calls anyway."

"Protests are just pointless displays to make people feel like they're doing something."

"Things will be better once the Baby Boomers are dead."

"I bet most of these fundraisers are just scams anyway."

"I'm saving my energy for when the Revolution happens!"

I don't know man, I think most of you are just looking for a political narrative that absolves you of all responsibility and lets you feel smug while still doing nothing.