Life, naturally, is a one-time ordeal. As far as we know, the lives we’re currently experiencing and shaping are irrevocable and unchanged by whatever we do with ours. Thus, all of our musings or questions about why, how, where, and when such-and-such happens (the reader can decide whether or not to include their own experiences) seem to be of no consequence to the grander scheme of things. The nihilist could retort then that if we are alone with our individual, temporary lives, should there be a purpose to them? Humans long for connections and attention, so if we do experience these emotions despite the apparent apathy of life, why should we bother to even give credence to them? At times, we feel like we have some sort of control over whatever we can get our hands on, but when even the slightest mishap or accident happens—whether on account of our own decisions or through a set of conditions caused by others that we attribute to “life happening”—we feel hopeless. Again, the nihilist would posit why we could still remain in an internal feeling of self-importance if we are constantly barraged by anything that gets in our way. But what nihilism conveniently ignores is that its entire thought processes always consider the individual’s decisions, which is why many of the consequences of nihilistic thought seem to the regular person to be irrational. While the logic is sound, when applied in real-life circumstances, it simply can’t hold up to scrutiny.
However, there still needs to be a balance between virtue and vice here; we must not be entirely hopeful nor hopeless. As a collective species, humans are influenced by ideas that mould every aspect of our lives, from our consciences to our words, and the multivariable relationships external ideas and internal thoughts subconsciously influence whatever we do during the day. Yet the power behind an idea lies less in its logical construction and more in how someone persuasively conveys that the idea is valid and usable in a person’s life. I am not suggesting that persuasion is pure trickery, since if I did, I wouldn’t be writing this post. By including a citation within this paragraph, I am attempting to present a reputable image of honesty concerning my thoughts, and I would be dishonest not to mention that there is some degree of self-importance in presenting myself in that way. Yet that doesn’t entail that every use of persuasion to convince others is valid or even warranted most of the time. If humans are able to use persuasion for the betterment of others, then we can just as well use persuasion for the opposite. All of the thoughts we hold are borrowed or syncretised from others, and over time, ideas compound and compress into denser arguments, corroborated by our advancing use of technology and increased access to knowledgeable sources. This is why the democratisation of ideas is so important; no one person has any ownership of a thought, since thoughts are inherently meant to be shared.
Our thoughts gain impact through emotional connection, drawing us toward persuasive people. Without them, we would remain trapped in our own thoughts and become less open to new or controversial ideas. By exposing ourselves to unfamiliar perspectives, we grow more attentive to the dynamics of life and can, in turn, influence others. However, to receive new ideas, we must first step outside our own minds. This requires more than discarding unhealthy patterns; it means confronting our longstanding beliefs and enduring discomfort with opposing views.
When I started this blog, I really wanted to get something out of it; some new revelation or epiphany that could change my life and, consequently, the reader’s. Yet I’ve only recently realised that such a lofty goal is unattainable whenever I think of what I want to happen. My self-importance, in essence, got in the way, and instead of just writing down what naturally flows from my thoughts, I have been marketing myself.
So, as the title suggests, I am beginning again. Not to just get back to writing more on this blog (since I am horrifyingly late on my upload schedule), but also to think less about thinking more. When life pushes and shoves you, the way you think changes to support your well-being. Yet the concept of “life” is purely conceptual, and blaming my shortcomings or self-doubt on whatever is happening around me is the antithesis of this blog—thinking. ❧
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Colophon: I will be posting here (hopefully) every Tuesday and Thursday, and I promise I won’t be this late next time! – M.S.
