"Nihilism has no substance. There is no such thing as nothingness, and zero does not exist. Everything is something. Nothing is nothing." Victor Hugo
“I have one life and one chance to make it count for something… My faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.” Jimmy Carter
What's the matter with us? Children and teens get gunned down in schools and we don't change a thing? Terrorists swarm the nation's capital and we shrug it off as they get pardoned for attacking police and threatening lawmakers? A pandemic sweeps the world, killing millions, and we still question public health attempts to combat more of them? Overzealous mortgage salespeople cause a crushing recession, but overzealous crypto salesmen are just fine?
The term "lol nothing matters" rose along with the presidency of Donald Trump. No matter what outrageous things Trump did or said, his poll ratings never budged. People still supported and made excuses for him, and they still do. He distorted the truth to the point that reality itself didn't seem to matter, and was aided by impenetrable information bubbles that reinforced the distortions. The fact that there were no consequences for his many actions, (or actions of the many more corrupt wealthy people who preceded him) gives many the idea that it doesn't matter what people do.
Climate change is inevitable, so why worry about it? Gun violence is inevitable, so there's no point in trying to fix it. And corruption in all levels of business and government are unavoidable, so you're a fool to expect anything better.
What I've never understood is why some thought this funny. LOL stands for laughing out loud, and the erosion of standards of truth, decency, and honesty seems to be hardly something to laugh about. I guess it's to somehow lessen the depressing reality that comes from realizing that nothing matters. We all like to think that we are good people, but when we see bad behavior rewarded, it crushes our sense of morality and agency. Why even try to be good if nobody cares?
Nihilism, or the rejection of all religious and moral principles in the belief that life is meaningless, seems to rise throughout history when things look dark. It's a peculiar mass mental illness that extinguishes hope and community while emphasizing the pursuits of selfish pleasures. To even begin to tackle the problem, we must first try to identify the causes. This particular strain of nihilism appears to have the following causes.
1- The rise of social media and the reality that bad behavior rarely has consequences. Anonymity gives rise to behavior that would never happen in person.
2- The hollowing out of the middle classes as income inequality continues to worsen. People lose hope when they realize that the barriers to a good life are higher than they can ever overcome.
3- The short term emphasis of capitalism that has given less and less consideration to long term needs like infrastructure, healthcare, the environment, and retirement security. If people see tougher times ahead, it makes it harder to hope for the future or for their children's future.
I don't see any easy solutions to the three items above, but I still believe that humanity has the abilities to learn from them and make them better, if only they choose to hope that it could happen.
Somehow we need to find a way to hope again. The reality is that everything matters, even the small stuff. Every action today has a butterfly effect that ripples out over time in ways we can barely imagine. Personally, I believe that karma exists, and even though some people fail to face consequences for a long period, they eventually must face them one way or another. Good deeds produce good results, and bad deeds eventually cause misery and suffering. Sometimes it takes years, decades, or generations for the consequences to be fully felt, but our actions matter greatly.
So even if mankind is doomed to tough times ahead, every action we take or don't take can still make those times a bit worse or a bit better. We all can make a difference, even if it's just in our tiny corner of the world. We can make healthier choices, treat others better, and get involved in our communities. We might not see the immediate results, but absolutely our actions can make a difference in the lives of others, including those who aren't born yet.
That's why I love the Jimmy Carter quote above. Carter lived the credo that he should do what he can for as long as he can, and he ended up being one of the most revered Americans of all time- making a huge difference for many, many people.
LOL- everything matters. There, fixed it.