There are certain truths that are like cracked doors, and the door won’t open enough for you to walk through unless you make a commitment. Cracked doors can be completely shut, at least for a time, but an open door can never be completely shut again.

In order words, when you make a commitment you are going to be held to that commitment.

We have a desire for meaning that sustains across time. Many will never contemplate meaning unless asked. When asked, they will say that they have access to this type of meaning when they actually don’t. They are the many that don’t commit to walking through the door of nihilism, the truth that the world and life is ultimately meaningless.

As I said, the ability to walk through the door requires a commitment. That commitment is the belief that the desire for sustained meaning can be fulfilled.

Some are able to accept the truth of nihilism and walk through the door. This means that, at some level of consciousness, they held the necessary belief about sustained meaning. However, they back out of the commitment eventually. Consequently, they are stuck in meaning crisis.

They are unable to deny the truth of nihilism while no longer holding the belief in sustained meaning. This is no place to be. It’s better to honor the commitment.

Those people who think that the answer is to never walk through the door of nihilism are mistaken. The door cracks open more and more over time. The result is people suffer through meaninglessness without being conscious of it and with no chance of accessing the sustained meaning that serves as the antidote.

To be clear, I am aware that I am making the contradictory claims that (1) nihilism is true and (2) sustained meaning is possible. One must commit to holding this contradiction in order to open and walk through the door.

There are consequences for not holding to that commitment.

What does someone who honors the commitment look like? Does a person who continually engages in meanings that they know are not sustainable honor the commitment? Does someone who acts as if the world is meaningful honor it?

The committed person kills unworthy meanings in his life and holds himself to the truth of nihilism. His world and his life become dead. But at his own doing. He commits because he believes and he believes because he commits.

Despair is associated with nihilism so there is a part of us that sees itself as being righteous and just for avoiding and denying the truth of meaninglessness. However, it is unjust to allow yourself to struggle with the desire for sustained meaning in a world and in a life that cannot fulfill that desire.

Holding the truth of nihilism while maintaining the desire for sustained meaning will orient you toward the transcendent, chaotic unknown. It is another struggle, but at least it’s a new struggle where you don’t have to keep lying to yourself about the injustice you are committing on yourself.

A sophist zealot doth think himself a sage ... since time immemorial their legions have punked themselves and anyone who will listen.

It's 23:22 PT on December 14, 2022.

A time and date to remember.

Why?

I agree entirely with a post by FellaGaga-52.

Only the will born out of despair is strong enough to navigate through it. That requires exposure, belief and endurance.

There is a fear that, through exposure, despair will swallow you up. The only people who slowly drown in despair are those who don’t believe in sustained meaning. They allow their soul to make the deal with the devil for immediate, temporary relief. In doing so, they damn themselves.

How to live a meaningful life:

(1) Take into account the circumstances of your life
(2) Aim to provide the most value and be as useful to life as you can within your context
(3) Be honest with yourself when the value that you are providing to life in the grand scheme is insignificant
(4) While holding to the truth of (3), use that judgment to go to battle with (1) in order to maximize (2)

"Whoever has come to know the world has discovered a carcass, and whoever has discovered a carcass, of that person the world is not worthy."

"Whoever has come to know the world has discovered the body, and whoever has discovered the body, of that one the world is not worthy."

I was thinking that myself. Amazing.

Go away pussy.

No problem. He's being like Jesus.

You’re not like me.

Scratch a zealot ... and reveal a very ugly thing. Same as it ever was.

Keep talking. I’m going to turn you into an example.

Let's hear how we are different.

And so I effortlessly reduce sophist zealotry to its basic nature to your satisfaction, but when I offer rebuttals to your cherished doctrines it's a "rant" by an idiot. Explain how this is the case.

Eventually, you will reach a failure point with this where the effort and attention required to battle (1) is no longer providing a worthwhile return. You seem to have gone as far as you can go. You are stuck in regard to meaningful progress, no longer able to significantly improve the circumstances of your life in order to provide more value to life at large.

At this point, the move is to keep doubling down on (3). Keep trying to access more willpower (using self-judgment) even though you don’t know how to meaningfully deploy it. Trust that in the future the right direction will reveal itself to you.

Maximize your willpower + stay in relationship with your desire for sustained meaning + kill unworthy meanings which are distracting you + trust the path will reveal itself

The struggle in your heart is sacred. Protect it like you protect the pupil of your eye.

Simple explanation. So simple, in fact, that there at least a small chance that even you will understand it.

Here was your response to craig1120:

Your response to him is one, clear understandable sentence that has the added virtue of mimicking craig's own style.

On the other hand, rants tend to be rather lengthy and often seethe with anger.

Or, to put it in a manner that even you might understand (if you try): Your response to craig1120 was short, eloquent and with no hint of vitriol.

In other words: Your response to craig1120 was the very opposite of a rant.

I trust if you put in the requisite effort that you will appreciate my explanation.

The real craig1120 is exposed by this one, short post.

First off, since this isn't your own private thread, you have no legal or moral standing to tell someone to "Go away."

Secondly, a truly enlightened person (or, in your case, someone who pretends to be enlightened), wouldn't express himself in such a crass manner.

Thirdly, all of us make mistakes and say things that we later realize we shouldn't have said. However, you never expressed any remorse over what you said, or showed an ounce of humility by at least saying something like, "Sorry, I shouldn't have said it that way."

No remorse or repentence.


In other words, you ain't even 10% as enlightened as you pretend to be.

Thank God!

Ok, I’m a fraud.