How to find meaning in a meaningless world

Summary

This video delves into existentialism and absurdism as responses to nihilism, the belief that life lacks inherent meaning. It discusses how existentialists like Sartre argue for creating personal meaning, while absurdists like Camus embrace life's meaninglessness. The video suggests that one can find fulfillment by living in the moment and doing things for the sake of doing them, rather than seeking a deeper purpose.

Takeaways

• 😶 'Absurdism' is introduced as a philosophy that embraces the meaninglessness of life without seeking to find or create meaning.
• 🌟 'Nihilism' is defined as the belief that there is no objective meaning in the world, often stemming from questioning religious beliefs in the face of scientific reasoning.
• 🤔 'Existentialism' is presented as a response to nihilism, suggesting that individuals can create their own meaning and purpose in life.
• 🍽️ The speaker shares a personal anecdote about cooking for friends, illustrating how some actions can feel meaningful due to inherent human desires for social connection and survival.
• 🧠 It's suggested that the feeling of meaning from certain actions might be biological, linked to our brain's reward system for behaviors that historically increased chances of survival.
• 📚 'Existence precedes essence' is a core existentialist concept, indicating that we are first born into existence and then we assign meaning (essence) to our lives.
• 🤷‍♂️ Albert Camus, an absurdist philosopher, is mentioned as rejecting the idea of creating one's own meaning and instead advocates living life and accepting its inherent absurdity.
• 🪨 The 'Myth of Sisyphus' is used as a metaphor for the repetitive and seemingly futile efforts in life, where Sisyphus is condemned to eternally push a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down.
• 🏞️ The idea of doing things without a purpose is explored, encouraging the audience to consider engaging in activities simply for the experience, rather than for some greater goal or benefit.
• 💡 The script concludes by suggesting that living in absurdity and doing things for the sake of doing them can be an act of rebellion against the search for meaning, and may eventually lead to a more fulfilling life.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video?

The main theme of the video is exploring the concept of absurdism, which is a philosophical belief that life is inherently meaningless and that we should live without seeking a purpose or meaning behind our actions.

What is the difference between nihilism and existentialism as discussed in the video?

Nihilism is the belief that there is no objective meaning in the world, often arising from the questioning of religious beliefs and the inability to prove the existence of a divine entity. Existentialism, on the other hand, is the idea that humans create their own meaning and purpose in life, despite the lack of an inherent or objective meaning.

How does the video define absurdism?

Absurdism is defined in the video as the philosophy that acknowledges life's inherent meaninglessness and the futility of seeking answers to life's existential questions. It encourages living life and performing actions without the need for a purpose or meaning, embracing the absurdity of existence.

Who is Albert Camus and what is his contribution to the discussion in the video?

Albert Camus was a French philosopher and writer who coined the term 'absurdism.' His contribution to the discussion in the video is his philosophy that life is inherently meaningless, and the act of living and continuing the human experience without needing a purpose is a form of rebellion against nihilism.

What are the three options Albert Camus suggests in response to the realization that life has no objective meaning?

The three options suggested by Albert Camus are: 1) Choosing not to live anymore, which he advises against; 2) Taking a leap of faith and believing in something without proof, such as God or existentialist philosophies; and 3) Embracing absurdism and living life for the sake of living, without seeking meaning.

What is the 'Myth of Sisyphus' and how does it relate to absurdism?

The 'Myth of Sisyphus' is a story from Greek mythology, referenced by Albert Camus, where Sisyphus is punished to eternally push a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down. This myth relates to absurdism by illustrating the futility of human efforts and the idea of consciously facing one's fate without needing to attach any meaning to one's actions.

How does the video suggest one might find enjoyment in life despite its potential meaninglessness?

The video suggests finding enjoyment in life by doing things for the sake of doing them, without attaching a purpose or meaning to every action. It encourages embracing the absurdity of life and living fully in the present moment.

What is the significance of the quote 'one must imagine Sisyphus happy' in the context of the video?

The quote 'one must imagine Sisyphus happy' signifies the idea that despite the repetitive and seemingly pointless task of pushing the boulder up the hill, Sisyphus can find joy and satisfaction in the act itself. It represents the absurdist belief in finding contentment in the human experience, even in the face of life's inherent meaninglessness.

How does the video relate the concept of absurdism to the idea of creating one's own meaning?

The video contrasts absurdism with the idea of creating one's own meaning by suggesting that while existentialism encourages finding or creating personal meaning, absurdism embraces the lack of meaning and encourages living life without the need for it.

What is the role of societal norms and morals in the context of absurdism as discussed in the video?

While the video promotes the absurdist idea of living without seeking meaning, it also acknowledges the importance of societal norms and morals in maintaining a functional society. It suggests that individuals can embrace absurdism in their personal lives while still adhering to a base set of morals and standards.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Nihilism and Existentialism

The paragraph introduces the concepts of nihilism and existentialism as a backdrop to the main topic of absurdism. Nihilism is presented as the belief that there is no objective meaning in the world, which emerged as religion was questioned by science. This led to existentialism, the idea that humans create their own meaning. The speaker identifies with existentialism, finding personal meaning in actions like socializing and helping friends. The paragraph also touches on the philosophical concept of 'existence precedes essence,' suggesting that we add meaning to our existence rather than being born with a pre-defined purpose.

05:03

🤔 The Absurdist Perspective on Life's Meaning

This paragraph delves into absurdism, a philosophy that acknowledges life's meaninglessness and suggests living without the need for a purpose. Albert Camus, the originator of absurdism, is introduced as a figure who faced life's absurdity head-on. The paragraph outlines three responses to the realization of life's lack of objective meaning: giving up on life, taking a leap of faith into religion or existentialism, or embracing absurdism. The speaker suggests that absurdism might be a helpful philosophy for those who struggle to find or create meaning, emphasizing the act of living for the sake of living itself.

10:04

🧗‍♂️ The Human Experience and the Search for Meaning

The paragraph explores the human tendency to search for meaning as a survival mechanism. It discusses how the idea of God or a higher power can provide a sense of purpose and peace. The speaker reflects on personal experiences that feel divine or meaningful, suggesting these are ways humans cope with the potential meaninglessness of existence. The paragraph also touches on the subjective nature of reality and how our past experiences shape our perception of the world around us.

15:07

🏋️‍♀️ Embracing Absurdism: Living Without a Purpose

The final paragraph emphasizes the absurdist idea of living without the need for a purpose or meaning. It references Camus's 'The Myth of Sisyphus,' using the metaphor of Sisyphus pushing a boulder up a hill to illustrate the futility of searching for meaning. The speaker encourages embracing life's absurdity by doing things for the sake of doing them, suggesting this acceptance is a form of rebellion against the search for meaning. The paragraph concludes by suggesting that living in absurdity might lead to discovering a deeper sense of purpose or connection with life.

Keywords

💡Nihilism

Nihilism is the philosophical viewpoint that life has no objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. In the video, it is introduced as a concept that arises when traditional religious beliefs are questioned and people start to doubt the existence of a divine entity. The script mentions how the breakdown of religion and the rise of scientific reasoning led to a sense of existential crisis, as people grappled with the idea that life might be devoid of inherent purpose.

💡Existentialism

Existentialism is a philosophical theory that emphasizes individual freedom, choice, and subjective experience in determining the meaning of life. The video discusses existentialism as a response to nihilism, suggesting that if there is no objective meaning, humans can create their own purpose. The script references Jean-Paul Sartre's concept of 'existence preceding essence,' where individuals are seen as first existing and then creating their own essence or meaning through their actions and choices.

💡Absurdism

Absurdism is a philosophy that emerges from the recognition that life is inherently meaningless and that the search for inherent meaning is futile. The video presents absurdism as an acceptance of life's absurdity and a decision to live fully without the need for a deeper purpose. It is exemplified by Albert Camus's philosophy, where he suggests living life to the fullest despite its inherent meaninglessness, as illustrated by the myth of Sisyphus pushing a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down.

💡Sisyphus

In the video, Sisyphus is used as a metaphor for the human condition in absurdism. Sisyphus, a figure from Greek mythology, is condemned to eternally push a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down. This symbolizes the repetitive and seemingly futile efforts of humans in search of meaning in a meaningless universe. The video suggests that embracing this absurdity and finding joy in the act of living itself is a form of rebellion against the meaninglessness of life.

💡Meaning

Meaning, in the context of the video, refers to the search for purpose or significance in life. It is central to the discussion of nihilism, existentialism, and absurdism. The video suggests that the pursuit of meaning can be a form of escapism and that one can find liberation in accepting the absurdity of life without needing to attach a deeper meaning to every action.

💡Consciousness

Consciousness is the state of awareness or sentience, and it plays a significant role in the video's discussion of existential themes. The video ponders whether consciousness resides solely within the body or if it extends beyond it, touching on the idea of out-of-body experiences and the feeling of oneness with the universe. It is used to explore the subjective nature of reality and how our individual experiences shape our understanding of the world.

💡Subjective Experience

Subjective experience refers to an individual's personal and unique perception of reality. The video discusses how our subjective experiences can color our understanding of objective reality, using the example of how someone's upbringing might influence their perception of others. This concept is integral to understanding existentialism, as it highlights the individual's role in creating meaning through their unique experiences.

💡Leap of Faith

A leap of faith is an act of believing in something without logical proof or empirical evidence. In the video, it is presented as one of the options for those who cannot find or create meaning in life. It is the act of choosing to believe in a higher power or philosophy, such as God or existentialism, despite the lack of concrete evidence, as a way to cope with the absurdity of life.

💡Rebellion

Rebellion, in the context of the video, is the act of defying the perceived absurdity and meaninglessness of life by living fully and authentically. It is about embracing life's absurdity and choosing to live without the need for an objective purpose. The video suggests that this act of rebellion against nihilism can be empowering and lead to a more fulfilling existence.

💡Survival Mechanism

A survival mechanism is a psychological or behavioral strategy that helps an individual cope with challenging or threatening situations. In the video, the idea of God and the creation of meaning are discussed as potential survival mechanisms that humans use to cope with the existential crisis of finding no inherent meaning in life. These mechanisms help individuals maintain a sense of purpose and motivation to continue living.

Highlights

Absurdism is introduced as the main topic, contrasting with the expectation of finding meaning.

Nihilism is defined as the belief that there is no objective meaning in the world.

The historical context of nihilism is discussed, including the separation of church and state and the rise of scientific questioning of religion.

Existentialism emerges as a response to nihilism, suggesting that humans create their own meaning.

The speaker identifies as somewhat of an existentialist, finding personal meaning in social interactions and acts of kindness.

Existentialism is further explained through the philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre, emphasizing that existence precedes essence.

Albert Camus and his concept of absurdism are introduced, suggesting living without needing a purpose or meaning.

Camus's three philosophical responses to the realization of life's lack of objective meaning are outlined: suicide, leap of faith, and absurdism.

The myth of Sisyphus is used as a metaphor for the absurdity of life and the human condition.

The idea of finding meaning through creating one's own purpose is critiqued as a form of escapism by Camus.

The concept of living life fully in the present moment, without the need for a deeper meaning, is explored.

The importance of subjective experience in shaping our perception of reality is discussed.

The notion of rebellion against the meaninglessness of life by simply living and doing things for the sake of doing them is presented.

The idea that living in absurdity and doing things without a purpose could lead to discovering a deeper meaning or connection with a higher power is suggested.

The transcript concludes with a call to live life consciously, embracing the absurdity and potentially finding meaning through action.

Transcripts

the answer is you don't you don't find

meaning you thought you were going to

get a real answer in this video no I

actually am going to give you a real

answer but that is the answer that I'm

going to give you it's that uh you don't

try to find meaning and that is what

absurdism is which is the topic of this

unscripted video now to talk about

absurdism let's talk about nihilism

first nihilism a lot of you guys

probably know it the idea that there's

no objective meaning in the

world as soon as religion started to

break down separation of church and

state people started to question

religion with science and try to

objectively prove that things in this

earth cannot be proven by God or are

they come from

natural just happenings of the universe

instead of some Divine entity the idea

that oh maybe God doesn't exist started

to set in and then if God doesn't exist

well what's the real purpose for us

being here who started all of this

what's the point of all of this and what

do we do about it that is nihilism a lot

of people take nihilism just at face

value they don't add anything else to it

and they say to themselves there's no

meaning in this world this [ __ ] sucks

I don't know what to do life is

pointless we're all going to die anyway

so why should we do anything anyways

right you've probably had that thought

before I'm sure I have had that I have

had that thought like many times in the

past and so there were some things that

came out of nihilism first was

existentialism existentialism is the

idea that humans create their own

meaning we are thrust into this world

and we are humans which allows us to

have complicated self-rationalizing

thoughts and ideas and we create things

from our imagination well why don't we

just do that with meaning we can decide

to Place meaning on different things in

our environment in our minds and choose

to create our own purpose out of all of

this I am somewhat of an existentialist

I create meaning out of a lot of things

I do just because I think partly they

inherently feel meaningful to me like

when I see friends and I do nice things

for them like for example when I had

some friends over few weeks ago who were

visiting and I cooked food for them that

felt very meaningful I'm sure there's

some inherent biological property that

made that experience feel meaningful

because it was my brain saying hey

you're hanging out with people you're

socializing you're being social that

means you have a better chance to

survive so keep doing this this is good

for you but I also like to think of

things in bit of a deeper maybe more

religious or just uh I don't want to use

this word spiritual because then there's

some certain negative attributes tied to

that word on the internet right now just

more like some sort of

universal intelligence thing behind it

where I've talked about on this channel

before but anyway I'm I'm I'm getting

too far into the Yap stay on topic with

existentialism few existentialist

philosophers saurin

kard who I don't even know if he would

consider himself an existentialist but

existentialism the idea of it really

came into being it's funny I'm using

that word when John Paul Paul artra

wrote about it in being in nothingness

the idea is existence precedes essence

so Essence is kind of a very complicated

idea within philosophy you can basically

think of it like how we choose to

categorize things and give things

meaning but you are

first brought into this world like I

said you exist and then we add meaning

in essence to things it's not the other

way around there is no inherent meaning

or objective meaning or purpose to this

life and John Paul SRA wrote about this

I'm going to read this quote man is

nothing else but what he purposes he

exists only in so far as he realizes

himself he is therefore nothing else but

the sum of his actions nothing else but

what his life is yeah that sums up

existentialism that's a pretty good way

to go about living if you still can't

bring yourself to believe in the idea of

God if you've never had any sort of

experiences where you felt the presence

of a Divine figure then a lot of people

say well you can create your own meaning

in this life and yeah it's okay that you

know there's no objective meaning to

this and you're kind of coping by doing

that and escaping the fact that

existence might be meaningless and we

may never have an answer to any of this

but why not do that because you have the

ability to do that so you might as well

just do that it's the rational thing to

do one guy though he said you know what

that is cope and I'm not going to do

that because you're kind of being a

[ __ ] by doing that instead I'm just

going to face the absurdity of life and

the meaninglessness of Life headon by

just doing things because I like to do

them and that was Albert Kimu Albert

Kimu he coined the term absurdism which

is the

philosophy that yes everything is

meaningless that

we may never have the answers to

everything but the very Act of existing

and continuing to live on and live The

Human Experience without needing a

purpose or meaning behind your actions

is revolting

against this nihilism it's revolting

against this whole nothingness that a

lot of people feel and I believe uh this

again could be if you if you're also

somebody who cannot believe in God who

also feels like creating their own

purpose is like well then is it really

purposeful if it's coming only from me

like is it really does it really have

meaning if I'm the one creating it then

maybe absurdism is the thing that you

should try out

I am not necessarily advocating for

absurdism I kind of am I am not an

absurdist really myself like I stated

but if you're at that point in your life

where you're having trouble finding

meaning and creating meaning feels

stupid then maybe absurdism that

philosophy can help you out so let's get

into it so what Albert Camu suggested

you could do once you found out there's

no objective meaning to life and you

can't believe in God there's three

things you can do the first one is very

morbid it's you can choose to just not

live anymore and I don't suggest this

option not a good option you definitely

shouldn't do that it is uh yeah that's

that's not cool the second option is a

leap of faith and that's when

you decide to let go and believe in

something even though you can't prove

that thing exists like God or try to

create meaning from a philosophy like

existentialism you decide to take that

leap into the things we cannot prove at

least at this this point in time in

human history like believing in a God

and you decide to put your faith in that

entity and then there's the third option

which is absurdism itself I think no

matter if you're religious

existentialist whatever we've all at one

point in our lives felt like this life

is absurd right like what is actually

going on here when did Life Begin did it

begin with a big bang if it began with a

big bang what came before the Big Bang

and if the Big Bang came from nothing

well then what is that nothing does that

mean nothing is something you can go in

circles forever about these sorts of

questions about where existence comes

from why anything exists at all because

wouldn't it be easier for nothing to

exist at all so why are we even having

some sort of

experience Consciousness itself does it

reside in the body or is it more than

that because a lot of us have certainly

felt our Consciousness outside of our

bodies and have those sort of out ofbody

experiences experiences of what is

commonly referred to as nirvana in

eastern philosophy where you just feel

at one with everything and there's

certainly an argument to be made that

you are just as much everything inside

of you as you are outside of you because

your reality is largely interpreted

based on how you have experienced life

so far

so for example if I have had a really

rough upbringing and most people have

been mean to me I'm probably going to

see a person in the street and think

this person's out to get me they're

probably going to do me wrong if they do

start acting nice to me I'm probably not

going to trust them because that is my

reality of external things in my world

because of what has happened to me so in

that way there is the subjective Veil

over reality

that changes the way we perceive

objective things in our reality like

that person is a human

but how we perceive that human is based

on our subjective experience a lot of

stuff like this I'm going off on

tangents but life is very complex it's

weird and we are always searching for

that something that gives us a reason to

continue living because if we don't have

a reason like what's the point of living

right if if we can't find a meaning in

the things we're doing if all we are

doing is all this stuff to no end and

eventually we're going to perish one day

and no one's going to remember us

probably within the next couple hundred

years especially if you're not winning

any awards or you're not super famous

then what is this all for right so when

you have those thoughts you're

constantly trying to say okay how can I

evoke some sort of meaning out of this

it's kind of our way to survive as

humans I think God the idea of God not

only have we had experiences a lot of us

of feeling the presence of God I know I

have had something like that where a lot

of coincidences happen and they are no

longer coincidences at that point we're

just feeling so at peace with the

present and everything and something

outside of me pushes me to do certain

things and that feels like the presence

of some sort of thing some sort sort of

higher power we interpret those things

as a higher power whether they are or

not kind of as a way to survive it is a

survival mechanism because without

having meaning it's very hard to want to

continue being productive doing good

things for your life interacting with

people being a human being and so Kimu

basically says yeah there's an argument

to be made about existentialism and the

fact that you know he agrees with

existentialist in the fact that there is

no real objective meaning to this and

that you could create your own meaning

out of the things that you do for

example if I'm being productive the

meaning behind it is like you know I

want to be better for my family and for

my friends and just to show up as my

best self and so I can have a lot of

money and

live better and that's the the meaning

behind the thing I do you you know to to

have a better life for myself and then

also have that influence other people

and Kimu certainly says yeah I mean

that's that's one thing you can do but I

think that's a form of escapism

essentially what he says I think I have

a quote here what he said about

existentialists is that they defy what

crushes them and find reason to Hope in

what impoverishes them that forced hope

is religious in all of them to connect

with that another quote is starting from

a philosophy of the world's lack of

meaning it ends up by finding a meaning

and depth in it I don't know if that was

just from what I found online or a Kimu

quote but those things connect right

like we're basically trying to create

our own many religions by creating

meaning out of the things that we do on

a daily basis so Kimu says screw that he

says screw trying to find meaning what

you're doing here is kind of cope

instead just choose to live and do

things for the sake of doing them and

accept that life is absurd life is

always going to be absurd we me we might

never have an answer for this so let's

just [ __ ] let's ride the show let's

do good things let's do

whatever and try to be as free as

possible and in that

freedom do things that feel natural to

our being and hopefully aren't really

negatively harming anyone I'm pretty

sure he would think that way the whole

idea of it though deep down is just

pushing the boulder up the hill the myth

of Copus that's the book that he wrote

about absurdism in his most famous

absurdist philosophy book The Myth of

Copus which I'll leave in the

description I've read it as well I think

it's excellent and he talks about the

myth of Copus which I now talked about

in one of my recent videos where cisus

is this ruler he gets sent to the

underworld and then he is sentenced to

push a boulder up a hill and watch it

fall all the way back down until he has

to roll it back up again for eternity

the gods punished him to do that so he

knows that his efforts the efforts of

pushing the boulder up the hill will

amount to nothing kind of in the same

way that I was explaining you have all

these efforts you put in towards life

but in the end what is actually the

point of all of this you might have that

feeling one must imagine Copus happy

that's what Kimu says one must imagine

that cisus decided to revolt Against The

Gods thinking this was a punishment oh

it's a punishment you put me here

without a purpose a purpose that has no

real end or

productive end goal to it I'm going to

choose to do this anyway even though I

know that this doesn't have any meaning

and that it's going to mean nothing that

I get this Boulder to the top and let's

think about that metaphorically with our

lives I'm going to choose to do it

anyway here's another quote from another

online Source after the rock comes

tumbling down confirming the ultimate

futility of his project Copus trudges

after it once again this is the hour of

Consciousness at each of those moments

when he leaves the Heights and gradually

sinks towards the layers of the Gods he

is superior to his fate he is stronger

than his rock it is consciously facing

your fate without needing to attach any

meaning to what you're doing and just

deciding to do it anyway because I'm a

human I'm here and might as well [ __ ]

experience this right that is what you

must do if you cannot create meaning

right now and you cannot feel the

presence of God in your life and I've

said this in really old video I mean

it's like 2 years old

videos one of my things that I said in

that video three weird ways to enjoy

life more start doing more things

without a purpose why do you have to go

swimming because oh it's going to burn

calories and because it'll help me have

a fit physique why not just go swimming

to go swimming why do you have

to go to sleep at 8:00 p.m. because oh

then I'm set up with the Circadian

rhythm why not just go to sleep at 8:00

p.m. because you want to go to sleep at

8pm for no other outside reason now I

understand it might not be cohesive to

humanity to have everybody just doing

whatever the hell they want and me

personally I don't even agree with that

like like we all have to have at least a

base set of morals and I don't know

about ideals but morals and like

standards we should all live by that

make Society function in a proper way

but just on a day-to-day basis so many

of us especially in the self-improvement

space try to attach meaning to

everything bro like we can't do

something unless it is making us more

productive more fit more happy in the

future we can't just do things for the

sake of doing it if someone like asked

you to go

out and not even do something bad for

you like drugs or alcohol just like hey

you want to come sit in the park ah well

well sit Sitting in the Park allow me to

progress in life how about instead yeah

I might as well like sit in the park

just to sit in the park just to

experience this life just to live live

for the sake of living have you ever

considered that if you ever considered

that you might not need a meaning a

deeper meaning behind every everything

you

do you don't you can choose to live

fully now

consciously face the fact that there is

potentially no meaning to this life and

decide to live anyway that is your

greatest act of rebellion that you can

do so if that is you right now can't

find meaning can't create meaning

without it feeling fake can't feel the

presence of God live in absurdity do

things for the sake of doing them don't

need a

purpose and maybe along the way you'll

feel the presence of God or create want

to create meaning and you'll find what

it is that makes life more worth living

through the act of doing things for the

sake of doing them so how do you find

meaning in a meaningless world

you don't because you never had to

anyway