Nihilism gets a bad reputation. People hear “life has no meaning” and picture someone in a black hoodie saying nothing matters while staring at the void.
That’s not what nihilism actually claims.
Nihilism says life has no inherent meaning. No cosmic purpose handed down from above. No predetermined plan you’re supposed to follow. The universe didn’t create you for a reason.
But nihilists don’t stop there. Most of them ask: so what now?
This is where nihilism gets interesting. If nothing has built-in meaning, then you get to decide what means something to you. The absence of cosmic purpose isn’t a limitation — it’s freedom.
Think about it this way. If God designed you to be an accountant, you’d better be an accountant. If the universe created you to suffer nobly, you’d better suffer nobly. But if neither of those things is true, you can choose.
You can decide that friendship matters. Or art. Or reducing suffering. Or just having a good time.
The scary part of nihilism — that nothing matters objectively — is also the liberating part. You’re not failing at some cosmic test. You’re not missing the point of existence. There is no point except the one you make.
I think people fear nihilism because they confuse “no inherent meaning” with “no meaning at all.” But those are completely different claims.
The first one might be true. The second one is up to you.