Does A Purposeless Universe Equate To Freedom?

As far as the anxious, achievement obsessed 21st century is concerned- nothing ever seems to be enough.

The impact of this is shown clearly in recent global mental health trends. The World Health Organization( 2023) estimates that approximately 301 million people worldwide live with an anxiety disorder, making it one of the most common mental health conditions globally.

More qualifications, more trends, more appearances; all for the sake of perfect portrayal.

Perhaps, through this, the greatest irony of life in this era is that whilst we do have more opportunities, we have increasingly large reasons to feel unsatisfied. In response to this, nihilism is often treated as the villain of philosophy- the belief that life has no meaning, no value and no purpose.

But maybe, nihilism is simply misunderstood.

Nihilism- the philosophical question that life possesses no inherent or objective meaning

Nihilism seems pessimistic; making most people wonder if nothing we do matters, why should we care about our lives? Most people assume that a lack of predestined meaning means an immediate lack of purpose.

That can't be any further from the truth.

For centuries, humanity has struggled with the search for universal purpose. Religion, politics, careers and social media promise a ready-made identity for everyone.

They tell us what shall be of us, what is expected of us and what shall become of us.

Nihilism simply asks us a question:

What if none of these predetermined realities are objectively true?

Rather than becoming a source of despair, nihilism provides us with freedom. If nothing has meaning, then everything becomes possible.

Without any predetermined purpose, failure and societal pressure lose their power. Embarrassment turns temporary, expectations become easily negotiable, and suddenly, the world has less pressure to fit into a mould.

Every person would be free to search for meaning through themselves, rather than through making it their purpose to impress those around them. This aligns with years of research on Self-Determination Theory, which suggests that people excel most when motivated by autonomy rather than social approval.

Modern society thrives on the grotesque idea that the worth of one's life must be earned.

Earnt through popularity.

Earnt through power.

Earnt through appearance.

Earnt through productivity.

But if our meaning isn't built into the universe so strictly, then neither are these standards. These standards turn into something weak and small- inventions by social agreement, rather than inherent truths.

Social media perfectly puts this into perspective.

Everyday, millions are fed with homogenous recommendations, trends and information. Transforming themselves into their own 'brand', something palatable to gain popularity and seek approval.

Every experience becomes content, lives become advertisements and emotions start to become a source of engagement and profit.

This observation is widely supported. It is common to associate frequent social media use with greater social comparison, reduced well-being, and increased symptoms of anxiety and depression, concentrating among younger users.

Through the loss of one's individual living and the valuing of an audience, people stop truly living.

Ironically, a healthy understanding of nihilism under an optimistic lens can undo this. If engagement and approval hold no objective importance, then neither does their absence.

If success is a human construction, then so is failure.

This means liberation, because the fear of judgement reduces once society's standards are no longer significant in our daily lives.

"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart." Albert Camus

Although Camus rejected the label of a nihilist, his philosophy still recognised the absence of objective meaning for humans- rather than surrendering to suffering, he argued that people should embrace life for its very lack of guarantees.

Happiness; rather than being discovered, is created.

Meaning does not have to be "discovered" in a universal sense; people who cultivate meaning through personal choices report greater well-being, regardless of whether they believe life possesses an objective purpose.

Therefore, optimism is not believing everything happens for a reason, it becomes recognising that we make our own reasons.

An afternoon nap has no universal purpose, and neither does having a party with friends. Although these experiences have no purpose, they become meaningful because we let them be.

In this case, the gift of nihilism is permission. Permission to ignore expectations, permission to live freely, the permission to allow yourself to exist in whatever way you see fit.

As Nietzsche famously warned us, the collapse of traditional values would leave society in confrontation with nihilism. Yet he did not believe that humanity was to remain there, instead, he urged us all to become creators of our own values, rather than passive followers or inherited ones.

"Become who you are" Friedrich Nietzsche

In a time of excessive expectations, algorithms and endless comparison, nihilism gives us a surprising solution. Not because nothing matters, but because nothing matters until you decide it does to you.

Perhaps this means that optimism has never been about believing in the positive purpose behind predestined events, but that optimism is the courage to live your life freely and love it anyway.

If our existence arrives without a guide and instructions, then every other day is a blank page on an open book, open for development and imagination.

Nihilism may be the most hopeful thought of all.