What is meaningless?

[Brian Peacock]

For example, does the rejection of theistic doctrines entail nihilism?

Can there be anything without meaning?

Etc etc...

[Animavore]

I don't believe that there can be such a thing as meaningless to humans and possibly other animals with a brain and central nervous system. Maybe to plants and germs.

[Brian Peacock]

Just a little thinking brought me to the same conclusion, yet nihilism (in whatever form) broadly suggests that meaning is somehow intrinsically absent, in human experience and/or in everything.

[Animavore]

Yet even nihilists write books expressing their viewpoint. As long as you've got love and hate of things then those things have meaning. The only nihilist without meaning is a dead one.

[Brian Peacock]

The only nihilist without meaning is a dead one.

Thats a slogan begging for a t-shirt.

[Forty Two]

For example, does the rejection of theistic doctrines entail nihilism?

Can there be anything without meaning?

Etc etc...

Meaning is made of thought. It isn't a thing. Meaning is whatever a human thinks is meaningful.

Everything can be without meaning. Existence is. Meaning is an opinion or value judgment placed upon things and events by humans.

[Tero]

It all depends on the mood and the chemicals in your brain. If there is only suffering, there is no meaning.

[Brian Peacock]

For example, does the rejection of theistic doctrines entail nihilism?

Can there be anything without meaning?

Etc etc...

Meaning is made of thought. It isn't a thing. Meaning is whatever a human thinks is meaningful.

Everything can be without meaning. Existence is. Meaning is an opinion or value judgment placed upon things and events by humans.

I don't know about that. An opinion means something, for sure, but Meaning isn't just an opinion about something. That startling rustle in the bushes has meaning: Wind or creature? Prey or predator? Dinner or Death? etc? That rustle in the bushes is information, and in that sense Meaning seems tied to information, experience and to the environment, and to the circumstances in which they impact on each other.

When a nihilist tells us that there is no meaning or value in anything they appear to be disregarding certain types of information which, as information does, populate their experience - and yet a nihilist is not without experiences and knows, for example, what it means to poke a tiger with a stick or to try and stop traffic with their chin.

To say that there is no meaning or value in anything is a meaningful thing to say, for the nihilist, but I suspect that nihilists only mean that certain types of things have no meaning or value - perhaps mostly those things which others say they do find meaningful and valuable. IF so then the nihilist is not merely disregarding certain type of information pertinent to their own experience, but also on some level they are disregarding the experience of others where they consider the experiences of others to be populated by information they don't care for or consider meaningful enough.

Nihilists are a funny breed.

[Hermit]

Perhaps there is an unspoken word missing, as in nihilism holds that there is no ultimate meaning, the sort of absolute values somewhere out there in the ontological sky. Of course that means (lol) that nihilism does not recognise "lesser" meanings, such as those gained through empiricism as meaningful. That, however, is an "insight" nihilists habitually ignore in their day to day lives.

[laklak]

You. You are meaningless.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

[jamest]

I think that humans who are intelligent enough to ponder existence and find absolutely no meaning to their life, do and can suffer from depression to the point of suicidal tendencies. There was a guy who frequented ratskep who was very dismayed by his nihilistic tendencies - Andrewwhatever, I forget his exact name. Such thoughts can obviously have a negative impact upon one's previous aspirations and motivations. I don't see the point in sticking our heads in the sand over the issue.

On the other hand, even though I'm a theist [of sorts] I am inclined to think that hedonism would suffice to give sufficient meaning to my life if I were not of that persuasion. Honouring one's nature, and all that.

[laklak]

Andrew4Handle? Yeah, he didn't have the cheeriest outlook I'd ever encountered.

[Brian Peacock]

But he seems to have appreciated our favourite German import after Grolsch - George Fridrich.

[surreptitious57]

No meaning to anything at the end of the day. It just is. It has a function but no purpose
Learn that and learn to overcome the nonsensical fear of death and you have it cracked
Keep your emotions to a minimum and keep away from all other human beings much as
possible and make sure you have something to do to pass the time while waiting to die
I do not recommend this but it works for me and so I would not change it for anything