It doesn't matter...

[sprinkles]

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.

 

[Ginkgo]

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.

I think that if nihilism entails purposelessness then, to the common individual, it brings despair as well. Despair is something we all live with, but it brings incentive for finding purpose, so to that extent it is good. We must agree that there are universal psychological traits, all of which must be denoted to any individual psyche.

I think the nihilist must understand the loss of an attitude crucial to the human condition, and to the extent that they value life, some form of at least mild despair must take form.

 

[sprinkles]

I think that if nihilism entails purposelessness then, to the common individual, it brings despair as well. Despair is something we all live with, but it brings incentive for finding purpose, so to that extent it is good. We must agree that there are universal psychological traits, all of which must be denoted to any individual psyche.

I think the nihilist must understand the loss of an attitude crucial to the human condition, and to the extent that they value life, some form of at least mild despair must take form.

Yes. The despair and existentialism stems from previously living with illusions and then finding out that you have no real answers for anything.

That is a very common trait - not being able to answer the hard 'meaning of life' questions in a practical, no-nonsense fashion. The existentialist applies Occam's Razor. The most simple explanation is that there really is no explanation.

They effectively say "There is no answer. So leave it alone and get on with things. Trying to discover your meaning to life is a philosophical waste of time and brings grief."

Edit:
And on that note, I think there is no need to ever doubt one's own motivation for being. It's a strange thing that only adult humans do - animals don't likely consider such things, and young children don't either.

Somewhere one asks "why am I here?" and instead of dismissing this thought like the nonsense that it is, they actually entertain this thought, and in a way make themselves sick by it.