sprinkles
Mojibake
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2012
- Messages
- 2,959
- MBTI Type
- INFJ
I think people often become nihilists when they fixate on the consequences of their actions, their lives, and the future of the human race from a perspective that holds that this reality is finite. Such a perspective naturally leads to over-analysis, despair, boredom, mischief, and meaningless recreation which is compensatory for a lack of philosophical closure in one's worldview. By "closure", I mean coming to terms with the finite by believing in the infinite. Closure does not entail a lack of critical thinking; in fact I would say that it simply makes critical thinking dependable.
One does not necessarily have to despair. This crisis is a separate deal.
I think when people bring up existential despair they are in fact saying more about their own psyche than they are saying about nihilists.