I’d actually not heard of absurdism until now. I’ve considered myself an optimistic nihilist for some time so this sent me down a nice research rabbit hole regarding absurdism and its overlap and differences with optimistic nihilism. I’d give you two upvotes if I could for the stimulating morning!
this post was submitted on 02 Dec 2025
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One must imagine sisyphis happy
have the same question but I'm too lazy to search, cound you help a fellow lemming by tldr the concept?
The way I understand it is absurdism maintains it’s necessary to embrace the absurdity of existence and laugh in its face. Optimistic Nihilism says nothing matters, so might as well be happy.
I’m likely really oversimplifying and am misspeaking, but that’s what I learned this am.
Thank you!!!
Why not both all the time?
That's what I was thinking looking at this meme. Being both is the only logical thing.
I think that’s pretty similar to Optimistic Nihilism except some subtle differences.
Ehhhh maybe for some but I definitely hit both of the poles and I'm definitely not optimistic about anything.
For a long time I didn't like Nihilism because of the implied negativity. There's no god, no reason no ultimate judge. So it says behave as you like, and I somehow read it as "don't care about anyone else".
Just I feel better when I treat people nicely, when I'm not an asshole. Not out of fear, but because I like to.
It was so eye opening when I found out this is known as optimistic nihilism.
This is the world. Shit happens, good things happen. There is no deeper reason behind it. Things are not important. I can make the world my hell or my playground.
yeah i was kind of the opposite: became an absurdist because things were going wrong, was a nihilist when they were going right.
That’s what a spectrum is
what about those of us who embrace absurdism while things are going poorly and active nihilism when they're going well?
Absurdism is a kind of nihilism. And Nietzsche was not a nihilist.
Nihilism is one of those words that used to have a precise academic meaning, but that meaning has been hopelessly confused by common usage. Academics should make a new word for nihilism.
It's also a stereotype that nihilists are depressed. Because nihilists know that it doesn't matter that it doesn't matter.
Flip it and you got me.
You shouldn't be nihilistic when things are going wrong, things going wrong are often a product of nihilistic actions.
Just up here watching from solipsism as you weird automated entities go about your business.
Oh trust me everything is predictable... At least in the US it is. Just look at openAI, they can somehow continue to manipulate the stock market in their favor by simply saying something related to "AI advancements"
It's like looking in a mirror.