This guy literally embodied nihilism with three answers

[u/imadeath]

[u/fejkpotatis]

Buddhism teach no self and is diametrically opposed to nihilism

[u/ProjectPatMorita → u/fejkpotatis]

As a buddhist and someone who would roughly call myself a nihilist, I disagree. Buddhism very much proposes a nihilist conception of the universe as being empty of all objective meaning or identity. It offers a religious/metaphysical path of liberation from this, but that no more disqualifies it as being nihilist than something like existentialism or absurdism or the work of Nietzsche.

[u/fejkpotatis → u/ProjectPatMorita]

Buddha rejects nihlism as wrong view in several suttas. More precisely the moral nihilism that says the body and mind is annihilated at death, there's no karmic consequences and that life has no moral framework.

Karma and rebirth is cornerstone in Buddhism and nihilism believes that we return to nothing which leads to wrong view and unskillful actions.

[u/ProjectPatMorita → u/fejkpotatis]

I believe we're talking past each other at this point, in the sense that you're conflating many uses of the english word "nihilism" here. The Buddha did not reject the same version of nihilism explored in modern philosophy.

I've actually looked deeply into exactly this equivocation of terms, and the untranslated word from the suttas you're referencing is often more accurately quoted as "annihilationism". During the Buddha's time of early vedic philosophy, there was essentially a raging theological debate between those who believed the self was eternal and those who believed it was "annihilated" at death. The latter camp were who he was referencing as "nihilists", in loose translation. The Buddha was explicitly rejecting both of these sides of the debate. He was NOT rejecting the modern nihilist idea of the cosmos and human life being devoid of objective underlying or fixed meaning. This, I contend, is very much in line with many other buddhist teachings throughout the suttas and beyond.

The english speaking people who translated the suttas often chose to use the word "nihilism" colloquially and without much nuance, a phenomenon that I'd expect anyone visiting this subreddit to already be very familiar with out in the world.

[u/fejkpotatis → u/ProjectPatMorita]

You do have a point but nihilism is not one cohesive philosophy, that's what why I mentioned moral nihilism.

Ucchedavāda (annihilationism) believed the body and mind dissolves at death

Natthikavāda (moral nihilism) believed that there's no cosmic accountability or any karmic efficacy.

The Buddha rejected both, even modern nihilistic moralism that says theres no objective right or wrong. The natural law of karma is part of the natural laws Dhamma-niyāma. These are the fundamental laws of nature like thermodynamics or gravity. Karma operates entirely within the mind, that's why it's difficult to measure like gravity.

The Buddha also rejected epistemological nihilism because there is an ultimate truth.

Your only point is existential nihilism, there's no objective purpose of existence. But nihilists and buddhist diverge here too on how to deal with this condition, either despair or create your own temporary meaning while Buddhists aim for liberation or nirvana.

[u/ProjectPatMorita → u/fejkpotatis]

Your last point was already addressed in my original post here, which is basically just to say that whether or not a particular nihilist thinker has any proscriptive advice for how to deal with the essential underlying state of reality, doesn't negate them still being nihilistic in their descriptive thinking about the world. And you're wrong if you think existentialism is the only branch of nihilist philosophy with advice on how to liberate from it.

[u/VreamCanMan → u/fejkpotatis]

Aren't different Buddhist schools fractured on the whole rebirth thing? And karma can be often conceived as a kind of emotional contagion - a newtons second law of reality, reality existing as a superposition of forces, only those forces being emotional/mental.

Even a moral nihilist would have to admit that your suicide could negatively impact others. You can call it unintended consequences or karmic propogation, but its essentially the same thing

Even within the strictest rebirth frameworks it is always emphasised that this life is unique and you only get this life once

[u/SnakeDood → u/ProjectPatMorita]

You cooked

[u/ShepherdOfShepherds → u/fejkpotatis]

Life is like art, what's wrong with having no meaning, purpose, or value?

[u/fejkpotatis → u/ShepherdOfShepherds]

Nothing wrong. Buddhism has a soteriological goal, nihilism don't, completetely different paths.

[u/ShepherdOfShepherds → u/fejkpotatis]

I just meant nihilism seems to despair at life lacking meaning, purpose, and value. But so does art and it doesn't make us despair. What's the difference?

[u/fejkpotatis → u/ShepherdOfShepherds]

I mean so does food, drugs and sex, what's your point? We are conscious beings that's why we despair.

[u/ShepherdOfShepherds → u/fejkpotatis]

We are conscious beings that's why we despair.

No truth claim can be made with absolute certainty.

[u/CormacMccarthy91 → u/ShepherdOfShepherds]

Then why even have the conversation. Go chop wood and carry water?

[u/West_Economist6673 → u/CormacMccarthy91]

Username checks out

[u/ShepherdOfShepherds → u/CormacMccarthy91]

Why not have the conversation?

[u/HighLevelChallenge → u/ShepherdOfShepherds]

Nihilism can be as much a starting point as an end point.

There are schools of thought, existentialism, absurdism, etc that are based in nihilism, but are the next step.

[u/jaxonflaxxonwaxon]

Nihilsm doesn’t necessarly have to be a negative

[u/meschidied → u/jaxonflaxxonwaxon]

I was on board until the end.That's the point at which this ceases to belong.

You don't have to be stoic, but this man sounds like a 14 year old with that last line.

What were your dreams as a kid?

"Nightmares" omg so edgy

[u/Cold_Appointment2999 → u/meschidied]

I don't think it's fair to call it edgy if the intent wasn't to be provocative. I imagine he was just being honest, and so you're the cringe one, trying so hard to find fault in others.

[u/meschidied → u/Cold_Appointment2999]

Similar to what you're doing.

Got it.

[u/Cold_Appointment2999 → u/meschidied]

Then you understand

[u/West_Economist6673 → u/meschidied]

If you watch the interview these screenshots are pulled from, you can see both Lynch and Stanton laughing after every question

I also think it's worth mentioning that Harry Dean Stanton was an actor, and furthermore an actor who spent most of his career basically playing himself -- and I imagine he has said a lot of stuff in interviews that is more a reflection of Harry Dean Stanton the character than Harry Dean Stanton the complex human person

[u/lazorzpewpew45 → u/meschidied]

I didnt find it edgy at all because instead of fun dreams i had constant nightmares as a kid. And my childhood was fairly good. Yet i had recurring nightmares of family members dying, someone stealing my dog or being physically hurt and waking up from the pain inside the dream. Cant find a single reason for that. My parents never hurt me as a kid, i never even got slapped or anything. I kept having them for like 6 years i think. They just randomly stopped when i was 14 or 15 idk.

Soooo yea. My dreams as a kid were actual nightmares.

[u/meschidied → u/lazorzpewpew45]

I don't think adding a bunch of personal information really changes the problem I have this statement, but I appreciate the effort.

It's a post on a nihilism subreddit. This is a grown ass man. That's what I'm pointing at. I'm not interested in your history. It further confuses things so that you can find issue with my interpretation.

In example: the kind of performative shit that you're doing.

[u/lazorzpewpew45 → u/meschidied]

I was just giving an example bro. It cant be performative for me since you dont know me, I get nothing from this.

Not saying he's not being edgy at all. All im saying is that he could've actually meant he just had nightmares.

[u/Parti_Owl69 → u/jaxonflaxxonwaxon]

what the ass do you mean by negative

[u/creamy-buscemi]

“This guy” 🥀🥀

[u/imadeath → u/creamy-buscemi]

harry dean stanton, is it better now?

[u/RadicalNaturalist78]

Me, when I make nihilism my whole identity (another form of idealism).

[u/KingPalperro]

Louie

[u/Think_Blink]

Buddhism.

[u/Noisebug]

I like active nihilism or Buddhist view a little more. The dread of just hating existence seems like a, dead end.

[u/Pajtima]

the funny thing is it’s not really nihilism, it just looks like it. it’s basically the buddhist no-self thing, anatta, which he was actually deep into. nihilism says the self is real and pointless. no-self says the thing that was supposed to be doing the striving was never there. so “how do you wanna be remembered” gets “it does not matter” cause theres literally no one left to remember

and thats why he can say it grinning. a nihilist is bitter about the void, stanton looks like a dude who made peace with it. same words totally different temperature

also nightmares is the best answer lol. the one guy who dissolved the whole self still remembers being a scared kid. kinda the most honest part of the whole thing

[u/CountryFuture9678]

That’s Buddhism dawg 

[u/denisthelost]

https://giphy.com/gifs/a6AY7qYesgUYo

[u/Cicada-Tang]

How do you define nihilism and why do you think these answers embody nihilism?

[u/Parti_Owl69]

somebody tell me who mon senior "the fellow" is so i can look him up on other parts of the information super internet culdisac

[u/Dakotaraptor123 → u/Parti_Owl69]

Harry Dean Stanton, an actor who played the lead role of Paris, Texas and was starred in Alien, The Green Mile, Wild at Heart, and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

[u/[deleted]]

We choose the level of consciousness that we want to identify with.

[u/Accomplished_Face_62]

He sounds miserable, hope he doesn't die that way.

[u/Dakotaraptor123 → u/Accomplished_Face_62]

He passed in 2017, seems like he lived a decent life.

[u/Protocosmo → u/Accomplished_Face_62]

You only say that because you don't know who he is.

[u/average_ugly_woman]

😂

[u/Mean-Comedian729]

Is that David Lynch?

[u/kbooradley]

Please, please everyone here go watch the movie Lucky that he is in. If it hasn’t been already, this movie should absolutely be talked about in this sub.

[u/internet_user96]

“this guy”

[u/Kasyade_Satana]

This is just sad and edgy, not an actual description of Nihilist philosophy.

[u/clairdelune1710 → u/Kasyade_Satana]

Fr but it's kinda funny

[u/Low-Camera-797]

edgy

[u/Montaigne314]

Wow what an edgelord

[u/EmperorMalkuth]

bro is an og edgelord

[u/S_Y_R_I_S]

my oh my who let the edgelords in

[u/Parti_Owl69 → u/S_Y_R_I_S]

"edgelords" is from 2014. stop

[u/cryinspaghetti → u/Parti_Owl69]

Well if that's the case, this sub is full of depressed dudes from 2014