Here it is, I found it:
"First of all reader, you must know that in “one trillion, trillion, trillion (10^1728) years from now the accelerating expansion of the universe will have disintegrated the fabric of matter itself”
That’s just like…your opinion, man.
Yes, you found a quote that says “life, thought, space, and time will perish”. But I don’t see why you think it’s relevant: imagine, for a moment, the reverse of that. Imagine, for a moment, a scenario where some animals would still be grunting at each other a trillion trillion trillion years from now. Or whatever.
If that were the case, would it prompt you to say, oh, how wondrous! Lo, there is meaning! Go, tell it on the mountain! — or would you instead say so what?
Last person out, please remember to turn off the lights and lock the door.
Don’t let the solipsists hear that!
How many nihilists does it take to change a light bulb?
Nil. One trillion, trillion, trillion (10^1728) years from now, all light bulbs will have failed anyhow, so we can just sit in the dark until then.
he wanted a source for the “you’re already dead” line and I showed the line of reasoning that leads to that.
And my question to you remains: say, for a moment, that some hypothetical line of reasoning leads to the reverse conclusion. Say, for the sake of argument, that we’re in a very different situation: one in which, a trillion trillion trillion years from now, there would still be some living things thinking about stuff.
What would change for you in that case? If it’d prompt you to say, oh, if that were so, then there’d be meaning and importance in my life now, then I’d like to hear your reasoning; but if it’d prompt you to say no, even then there’d be neither meaning nor importance, then what you’ve quoted seems irrelevant.
I think one of the causes of your depression and lack of interest in fiction is that it seems that you have no grasp whatsoever of “humor.”
First of all reader, you must know that in “one trillion, trillion, trillion (10^1728) years from now the accelerating expansion of the universe will have disintegrated the fabric of matter itself, terminating the possibility of embodiment”.
Yes, but you’re not looking at the big picture.
Sure, our universe in and of itself has no meaning. But, in the multiverse within which we live, time and space is infinite. In other words, what comes around goes around—somewhere, sometime.
So, OP, chances are your exact configuration of particles will pop back into existence time and time again. Probably not in this universe, but in the various “brane” universes scattered all about.
Each of those particle re-incarnations of you will be you. Your consciousness, your self consciousness, your memories…even your chronic case of constipation and your aversion to tomatoes will follow you forever (that’s even longer than til the end of time).
I estimate that you will pop back into existence once every ~10^2000 years. So eat well and brush your teeth before you die, you’ve got a long wait between appearances.
And, sure as shootin’, given the infinitiness of the situation, on some planet that you pop into existence far into the future, there will be a process of assessment and judgment of prior lives.
You don’t want some future brane judge to say, “hey, I remember that guy from Earth 10^10,000 years ago! He didn’t believe life had any meaning and consequently lead a meaningless life. I sentence him re-live all of his lives, Groundhog-style, till he gets it right.”
The universe in its entirety is not here because of some prior causal event, since there is no “prior”. Hence the heat death of the universe some septillion-odd years from now doesn’t mean what that anonymously quoted person seems to think it means.
I’ve been wondering for some time if our dude is on the spectrum.
From time to time, I’ve wondered: if someone other than the OP — for the sake of argument, let’s say a Christian — wanted folks to pick at and denounce Buddhism, just how would he frame various ‘Buddhist’ tenets? Perhaps while billing himself as someone who, oh, gosh, sure does find the teachings ever-so-very compelling; only, gee willikers, for some head-scratchin’ reason, the stuff only ever seems to induce despair in him and leave him seeking something more?
To answer the OP – absolutely, you can fight Nihilism. All you need is an angry Vietnam vet armed with a bowling ball.
Threadwinner.
Okay, now that that’s solved, on to the next question: can you fight Niles Crane?