In Defense of Humorous Nihilism
John Marmysz looks on the funny side of absolute nothingness.
And just as with those who are able to think themselves into believing in God, those who are not are still able to think themselves into believing in a more or less constructive alternative to the sort of nihilism that [consciously or otherwise] is embodied by, say, the sociopath. As long as you can convince yourself that nihilism is actually the start of something better than God and religion all you have to do is sustain the belief itself. For example, my own assumption that as a moral nihilist you are in a position to acquire so many more options in life. Why? Because unlike with the moral and political and spiritual objectivists, you don’t have to ask yourself “what would Jesus do?” or “what would Kant do?” or “what would Marx do?” or “what would Satyr do?”
Any behavior can be rationalized because no behavior is judged by God or, as an atheist, by his political and philosophical equivalent.
Why? Because the more problematic God and religion becomes in an increasingly secular world, the more ominous the fact of it becomes. If no transcending font, mere mortals are on their own. But there are as many secular narratives here as there are religious ones. And if that wasn’t ambiguous enough there’s the part where pop culture, mindless consumption and sex! sex! sex! become the new Gods for many. Also, how is “social media” not in many ways just another manifestation of nihilism?
Trust me though: Only if that is actually possible.
In other words, it is one thing to trump the philosophical despair that can flow profusely from nihilism with humor. And another thing all together to trump it when that philosophical component is also deeply embedded in circumstantial despair as well.