this post was submitted on 02 Dec 2025
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A collection of some classic Lemmy memes for your enjoyment

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[–] lemmy_acct_id_8647@lemmy.world 34 points 4 days ago (3 children)

I’d actually not heard of absurdism until now. I’ve considered myself an optimistic nihilist for some time so this sent me down a nice research rabbit hole regarding absurdism and its overlap and differences with optimistic nihilism. I’d give you two upvotes if I could for the stimulating morning!

[–] Barbarian@sh.itjust.works 10 points 4 days ago

One must imagine sisyphis happy

[–] MissJinx@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

have the same question but I'm too lazy to search, cound you help a fellow lemming by tldr the concept?

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

You know that meme of the two guys looking out the bus window, one at a grey cliff, the other at a mountain Vista? It's that. Cliff guy is thinking "Nothing matters 😫" and Vista guy is thinking "Nothing matters 😂"

[–] lemmy_acct_id_8647@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

The way I understand it is absurdism maintains it’s necessary to embrace the absurdity of existence and laugh in its face. Optimistic Nihilism says nothing matters, so might as well be happy.

I’m likely really oversimplifying and am misspeaking, but that’s what I learned this am.

[–] MissJinx@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Thank you!!!

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 10 points 3 days ago

what about those of us who embrace absurdism while things are going poorly and active nihilism when they're going well?

[–] snooggums@piefed.world 14 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Why not both all the time?

[–] froh42@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)

That's what I was thinking looking at this meme. Being both is the only logical thing.

[–] lemmy_acct_id_8647@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I think that’s pretty similar to Optimistic Nihilism except some subtle differences.

[–] froh42@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

For a long time I didn't like Nihilism because of the implied negativity. There's no god, no reason no ultimate judge. So it says behave as you like, and I somehow read it as "don't care about anyone else".

Just I feel better when I treat people nicely, when I'm not an asshole. Not out of fear, but because I like to.

It was so eye opening when I found out this is known as optimistic nihilism.

This is the world. Shit happens, good things happen. There is no deeper reason behind it. Things are not important. I can make the world my hell or my playground.

Ehhhh maybe for some but I definitely hit both of the poles and I'm definitely not optimistic about anything.

yeah i was kind of the opposite: became an absurdist because things were going wrong, was a nihilist when they were going right.

[–] 4am@lemmy.zip 1 points 3 days ago

That’s what a spectrum is

[–] DylanMc6@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

why does the person on the left look like john wilkes booth?

[–] Nangijala@feddit.dk 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Aye,why does this person look like Nietzsche?

[–] DylanMc6@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 days ago

at least nietzsche DIDN'T get shot

[–] Ferrous@lemmy.ml 9 points 4 days ago

Nietzsche was not a nihilist. Nor was he a proponent of retreating when things get bad. Quite the opposite: his whole thing was about affirming your situation and living with high vitality - regardless of what life throws your way.

[–] SaltyIceteaMaker@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

jokes on you i swing between the 2 like a metronome regardless of how well things are going

[–] Jankatarch@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Maybe surrealists can answer this?

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago
[–] yesman@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago

Absurdism is a kind of nihilism. And Nietzsche was not a nihilist.

Nihilism is one of those words that used to have a precise academic meaning, but that meaning has been hopelessly confused by common usage. Academics should make a new word for nihilism.

It's also a stereotype that nihilists are depressed. Because nihilists know that it doesn't matter that it doesn't matter.

[–] semisimian@startrek.website 5 points 4 days ago

Flip it and you got me.

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago

Just up here watching from solipsism as you weird automated entities go about your business.

[–] lmmarsano@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Needs text alternative.Images of text break much that text alternatives do not. Losses due to image of text lacking alternative such as link:

  • usability
    • we can't quote the text without pointless bullshit like retyping it or OCR
    • text search is unavailable
    • the system can't
      • reflow text to varied screen sizes
      • vary presentation (size, contrast)
      • vary modality (audio, braille)
  • accessibility
    • lacks semantic structure (tags for titles, heading levels, sections, paragraphs, lists, emphasis, code, links, accessibility features, etc)
    • some users can't read this due to lack of alt text
    • users can't adapt the text for dyslexia or vision impairments
    • systems can't read the text to them or send it to braille devices
  • web connectivity
    • we have to do failure-prone bullshit to find the original source
    • we can't explore wider context of the original message
  • authenticity: we don't know the image hasn't been tampered
  • searchability: the "text" isn't indexable by search engine in a meaningful way
  • fault tolerance: no text fallback if
    • image breaks
    • image host is geoblocked due to insane regulations.

Contrary to age & humble appearance, text is an advanced technology that provides all these capabilities absent from images.

Principally because I don't know who those bitches are.

[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

You shouldn't be nihilistic when things are going wrong, things going wrong are often a product of nihilistic actions.

[–] solomonschuler@lemmy.zip 2 points 4 days ago

Oh trust me everything is predictable... At least in the US it is. Just look at openAI, they can somehow continue to manipulate the stock market in their favor by simply saying something related to "AI advancements"

[–] AWistfulNihilist@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

It's like looking in a mirror.