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Could someone tell me if they're completely different or not?

They share a lot of similarities, but I wouldn't say they're the same thing.

What is the difference?

There's a correlation, sure, but it depends on the outlook of the individual nihilist. I for one am a rather optimistic and hopeful nihilist.

I wouldn't say they are similar. Pessimists just expect the worse of a situation. Nihilists believe that there is no inherent universal order, but rather than be gloom, they embrace it as a chance to create their own destinies.

Originally posted by Dr. Matthew
Could someone tell me if they're completely different or not?

They are different things. A nihilist can be optimistic about lots of things. Nihilism in essence means that you don't believe there is greater meaning to life. Pessimism is a state of mind in which you believe that it is more likely that bad things happen.

Originally posted by Dr. Matthew
What is the difference?
Nihilism is the belief that there's no purpose to life.

Pessimism is when you see the glass as half empty.

Originally posted by Lestov16
they embrace it as a chance to create their own destinies.

So, isn't that like a humanist? Or am I wrong?

The Nihilist: "Life is essentially meaningless."
The Pessimist: "That's not good."
The Optimist: "Then make your own meaning."

Pessimists are more doubt centered.
A nihilist is more hope oriented.

who cares

It doesn't matter.

I just tried to find the nihilism website, but all that came up was "Page does not exist".

Originally posted by Dr. Matthew
Could someone tell me if they're completely different or not?

If you take warhammer 40 000 which alore spreading a lot of nihilist idea, and thematics.... In the overall.. You think what do you want to think.. You can think like the chaos --> tommmorow will be worst than today so I cannot wait. (I may exgerate a little)where in fact the world islike this and that doesn't really matter to you...Because you are a nihilist, you are just roking when the other are crying if you want.. Or you are like the other..

It your choice to believe than tommorow .

Because their is pessisimism and pessimism.. All nihilist have this pssimism in mind -> don't expect something for the future it won't look good to see...

The second one is : does we care about it? No matter if the world blow up, you will still have a control of emotion, you can still enjoy the future... There is a hope of hapiness nomatter the consequences combined with a crittic spirit... (Being happy without being in a disey world or thinking like a disney character...)

Still pessimism is a step to the nihilism...


To came back to warhammer 40 000 franchise there is joy even in the darkest apest.. Look at grandpa nurgle spacemarin humor..... There is a Dark and dry humor...

In fact, the galaxy slowly dying in the atrocity of war and chaos, is not a reason to stop laughing !

Edit to be clear... Nihilist are paradoxaly pessimists.. They believe than in stoping to believe in falase hope you can hope some kind hapiness....

You're words are broken and nonsensical, and your point is skewed and erroneous. Do betterer.

Originally posted by Lord Lucien
You're words are broken and nonsensical, and your point is skewed and erroneous. Do betterer.

In some aspect the nihilsm is somekind of non sens... Nihilism is a belive that found itself on stoping to believe.

This is true, but clearly this is not making sens.

You're not making any sense. English that b*tch up properly.

Someone explain existential nihilism to me.

Life and existence is without inherent purpose, and everything is intrinsically worthless. In a nutshell.


But pessimism/optimism is relative, and is better used prior to the word for one's existential attitude. It's like the adjective to nihilism's noun. I for one am optimistically nihilistic--nihilism to me feels like the accurate description to reality's true nature. The two terms aren't fundamentally antonyms or substitutes for one another.

Nihilism only proposes that life is intrinsically meaningless, not that it's thoroughly meaningless. I suppose it asks and perhaps even demands you generate your own meaning.

How the movement begin?
Remember who started this movement?
Not the idea the movement...

His ideas?
The pessimism was a phase, a step, to adopt the nihilism philosophy...

There is multiples ideas behind Nihilism. The Idea of it was better before. It getting only worse with the time.... Etc etc.....

Nihilism is about realizing than the actual word is hopeless, it won't go in a better way, it won't reach a better shape because life is meaningless.

And in the same time... There is hope. Because know you know the truth you are free to think and do whatever you want you are allowed to believe whatever you want to believe. But at least you know than you will always partially doing wrong.... So you will respect other philosophies....

There is the Idea of believing in nothing... The nihilism admit than if you begin to belive in nihilism you begin to believe in something...

There is also the notion of easy and cheap criticism...

No never forget what Nietzsche said....