Are most Autistic people consider themselves as nihilistic?

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palaua
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03 Jan 2018, 8:15 am

I believe nihilism is the closest philosophical point of view for most Autistic as accepting life as a merely more than illogical state where everybody feels disconnected or falsely try to cope with religions or faith in good things.



magz
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03 Jan 2018, 8:37 am

When I was religious, I feared very much that if I stop, I would fall into endless nihilism.

But the reality turned up to be closer to this:

Image
(source: https://xkcd.com/167/ )


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Leahcar
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03 Jan 2018, 9:33 am

I do sometimes slip into nihilistic thoughts, especially when I'm down, but I don't think extreme nihilism (i.e. where you think along the lines of, "what's the point in doing anything or bettering myself - we're going to die anyway") is not healthy.

Usually, though, I would not consider myself nihilistic - personally I think there is a meaning to the life we live, but we won't find that out until we die.


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Trojanofpeace
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03 Jan 2018, 9:43 am

My working assumption is that existence is waaaaaayyy beyond human comprehension. In trying to work it all out (which is natural for our inquisitive minds) we always seem to hit upon an empty void where we run out of answers and it all points to pointlessness and futility. This is painful and anxiety inducing to all - AS, NTs, whatever (except squirels, who seem endlessly optimitic about it all). Manufactured answers get provided here to bring hope, including religion (or Star Wars, whatever your fancy). And if it brings comfort to people and allows them to find meaning and continue in life, so be it, good on them.

For me, I take resolution in that it is a pointless and painful experience to even go down that road. If you even found out the answer to 'the meaning of life' it would be like the holy grail - a poisened chalice you will wish you never supped from.

I'm not going to spend my life worrying about what I cannot understand or comprehend - and by cannot i do not mean not intelligent enough, I mean it goes way beyond our physical and mental capability and limited understanding of our micro and macro environment.

This, my friends, is why pubs were invented. Retreat to it at once!!



EzraS
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03 Jan 2018, 12:46 pm

I think someone referred to me as a nihilist recently. Not sure if that fits. I know I'm indifferent to most everything or apathetic or whatever don't really care.



kraftiekortie
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03 Jan 2018, 12:48 pm

I have never been a "nihilist." I had some elements of that sort of thought, briefly, when I was in high school.

I like the works of Camus---but I find some of his moral sense to be somewhat revolting.



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03 Jan 2018, 12:54 pm

I think a nihilist goes on and on about how bad or pointless or worthless things are. I just don't care. There's nothing I can do about the state of things.



kraftiekortie
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03 Jan 2018, 12:56 pm

Technically, a nihilist is a person who believes in "nothing."

But the connotations, and the overall meaning, of the term, have changed over time.



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03 Jan 2018, 12:58 pm

Definition of nihilism - the rejection of all religious and moral principles, in the belief that life is meaningless.

I am not nihilistic. I do reject religious principles, in part because life is far too meaningful to fritter it away in the belief that an invisible sky fairy will reward me in some other, later existence.

As far as I can tell, I was dead for billions of years before I was born, and I'll be dead again at some unidentified point in the future. These amazing, lovely decades in between are the only experiential existence of which I'm convinced. I mean to enjoy them while I can and to give my children even better opportunities to enjoy them while they're here too.


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kraftiekortie
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03 Jan 2018, 12:59 pm

I don't believe in God---but I believe in at least some of the moral principles which are part and parcel of religion.



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03 Jan 2018, 1:04 pm

I feel Ezra is much more of a skeptic than a nihilist.

Nihilism is a pretty strong denunciation of things.

People frequently feel they are "farther along" in their denunciation of morals than what the actual truth is, I have found.



Last edited by kraftiekortie on 03 Jan 2018, 1:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

magz
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03 Jan 2018, 1:15 pm

MissChess wrote:
Definition of nihilism - the rejection of all religious and moral principles, in the belief that life is meaningless.

Okay, then I'm not a nihilist. I'm kind of agnostic when it comes to God but have strong belief in moral principles.


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EzraS
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03 Jan 2018, 1:16 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:
Technically, a nihilist is a person who believes in "nothing."

But the connotations, and the overall meaning, of the term, have changed over time.


I have beliefs, there's just not much heart and soul behind them. Even if I sound passionate and dogmatic in my writing, I essentially don't really care.



kraftiekortie
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03 Jan 2018, 1:24 pm

'Not really caring" does not mean "not believing."

I remember being an adolescent, and seeking to be blase about everything--seeming "not to care." I thought that meant that I was "mature," and that "nothing affected me." False machismo.

In fact, as I grew older, I realized that I actually "cared deeply" about things which I thought I "didn't care too much" about.



Last edited by kraftiekortie on 03 Jan 2018, 1:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

palaua
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03 Jan 2018, 1:38 pm

EzraS wrote:
kraftiekortie wrote:
Technically, a nihilist is a person who believes in "nothing."

But the connotations, and the overall meaning, of the term, have changed over time.


I have beliefs, there's just not much heart and soul behind them. Even if I sound passionate and dogmatic in my writing, I essentially don't really care.


Since we consider evolution as scientific and religion and spiritual sort of views as pseudo scientific irrational. Science refuse to consider any alternative existence other than what we can observe by our physical senses or technology.

If we think there's nothing after death and our acts have no consequences other than what the law system consider as illegal there's no such thing as bad or good since these are only subjective views and don't reflect anything. It doesn't get you anywhere further to be a "good person" when your acts have no consequences. There's no God or angel or whatever which could observe your acts and put you to hell or heaven afterall. If we die then our consciousness and existence will fades away so from this point if a leader wants to nuke this earth and exterminate 6 billion people he will not face with any charges as life is meaningless from a scientific point and only reduced on the material world therefore once you die you won't exist anymore it doesn't matter what you do in a nutshell.



kraftiekortie
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03 Jan 2018, 1:42 pm

Doing "good" things get you somewhere----because they are good things. You get a "selfish" delight in doing "good" things, and another person benefits from the "good" thing you did. Win/win.

And, when you expire from this world, good deeds, possibly, will be remembered by future generations. Your fame could spread far and wide as a result.