http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheAntiNihilist

"Life may be meaningless.

The future is not."

2nd Lt. Felicia Heidemann, a Shell-Shocked Veteran, Sound of the Sky , a Moe "There can't possibly be any meaning in this world. But isn't that wonderful in its own right? Because if there isn't any, we can find our own."

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Basically, an Anti-Nihilist, Existentialist or Optimistic Nihilist is someone who decides to be nice, moral, heroic, caring, loving and/or compassionate for the same reasons the Straw Nihilist decides to be The Pessimist Chaotic Evil Omnicidal Maniac. The Anti-Nihilist is someone who knows how terrible the world is, but instead of succumbing to despair, decides to create meaning, values and purpose in life out of it.

This is the sort of character that goes by doctrines along the lines of "Don't cling to pain. Don't expect happiness. Don't fear loss. Accept reality as it is. Enjoy the good. Endure the bad. Don't make a big deal out of anything. Be selfless, and unconditionally kind and just, without ever expecting a reward. We're all going to end up as piles of dust, so why not be nice to each other and get those pleasant fuzzies?"

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Instead of angsting all the time about "Life is short, we're all gonna die and you can't stop it forever, thus we might as well start killing each other right now", this type thinks more like "Life is short, we're all gonna die and you can't stop it forever... so why not make each others' lives worthwhile and enjoyable? The only thing that matters is letting people know that you care about them, because whatever someone is, has, or can do doesn't mean a damned thing in the end." Compassion, love and empathy - these may be denounced by the pessimists as nothing but fictional lies, but even if they are, to the anti nihilist, these are fictions still worth believing in.

The Anti-Nihilist is very likely to adhere to a Utilitarian morality to work For Happiness, although this isn't a universal rule; there are Anti-Nihilists whose morality might border on self-made Blue-and-Orange Morality. Expect this declaration of nihilism to be uttered as a form of shutting up other nihilists' breaking lectures on Despair and how Humans Are Morons. Thus, very likely to take form as a World-of-Cardboard/Patrick Stewart Speech. It will likely include Silly Rabbit, Cynicism Is for Losers! because this guy is enjoying himself while the other guy wallows in misery.

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Another distinguishing feature of the Anti-Nihilist is their tendency to consider concepts like "fate" and "destiny" complete hogwash. After all, if the future is set in stone, they're already going to do what they plan on doing, so it doesn't matter anyway. Might as well have fun with it and do some good. This very attitude may even make them Immune to Fate by simple virtue of not giving a flip about what the normally Self-Fulfilling Prophecies say. Some anti-nihilists manage to Screw Destiny in the face of an ironclad prophecy via Loophole Abuse, and may do so simply for the joy of eliciting a Flat "What" from the Fates and cynics.

Compare Determined Defeatist, who is pessimistic not about the world but about his own chance of success, but has a similar "let's try anyway" mentality. See also Übermensch for the type of person who believes in creating their own meaning and morality, but may not be quite as caring or considerate of others in the process. May choose to be a Small Steps Hero; though they don't believe there's any real "Bigger Picture" to fight for, that means the little pictures are more important.

May overlap with Knight in Sour Armor, who is character that, besides his cynical views, decided to be a good guy not because of the beliefs that it can change the world for better, but just because is the right thing to do.

I Am What I Am is the process of embracing the Anti-Nihilist worldview.

The philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche is closer to this trope than it is to The Theme Park Version of nihilism described under Straw Nihilist.

See Existentialism for the philosophy that encourages living in Real Life as this character.

Examples:

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Anime & Manga

Comic Books

Comic Strips

Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, in Phoebe and Her Unicorn, cheerfully notes that the universe is devoid of all meaning or purpose. But it's okay, because not only is she a fabulous unicorn, she also has sparkles.

that the universe is devoid of all meaning or purpose. But it's okay, because not only is she a fabulous unicorn, she also has sparkles. In one particular strip of Calvin and Hobbes, the duo is relaxing under a tree when Calvin starts questioning if there is no God. Hobbes simply shrugs, and comfortbly says he'll take it anyway.

Fan Works

Films — Animation

In Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear experiences a major Heroic BSoD when he realizes that he's a toy and not a real space ranger. This trope comes into play when he accepts who he really is and what he can do. Woody: Look... over in that house is a kid who thinks you are the greatest, and it's not because you're a Space Ranger, pal. It's because you're a toy. You are his toy!

Buzz: But why would Andy want me?

Woody: Why wouldn't Andy want you? Look at you! You're a Buzz Lightyear! Any other toy would give up his moving parts just to be you. You've got wings! You glow in the dark! You talk! Your helmet does that... that... that "whoosh" thing! You are a cool toy! As a matter of fact, you're too cool. I mean—I mean, what chance does a toy like me have against a Buzz Lightyear action figure? ...Why would Andy ever want to play with me, when he's got you?

(Buzz contemplates the "ANDY" marking on the sole of his shoe, and becomes resolute)

Buzz: ...Come on, Sheriff. There's a kid over in that house who needs us. Now let's get you out of this thing!

Zootopia introduces ZPD Chief Bogo as a textbook example of Da Chief - cynical, short-tempered and having exactly zero patience for Naïve Newcomer Judy. However, it slowly becomes apparent that he has Hidden Depths that are in line with this trope, as well as Knight in Sour Armor. When a dismayed Judy confesses to feeling like she "broke" the city (by accidentally helping ignite a new flare-up in racial tensions Bogo : Don't give yourself so much credit, Hopps. The world has always been broken. That's why we need good cops...like you.

Isle of Dogs: Chief is a gruff and proud stray dog who doesn't sugarcoat the fact that life on Trash Island is terrible. In spite of this, he still encourages the other dogs in his pack to not give up and survive the island's terrible conditions.

Films — Live-Action

Literature

Live-Action TV

Music

Van Der Graaf Generator tackles the subject with "Lemmings"; the first half dealing with the meaningless of life, and the second concluding that ending it all won't fix anything. They also tackle this subject more directly in "A Place to Survive", with the music affirming the hardships and futility of life but but encouraging the listener to never give up.

This trope is prevalent in the album Lateralus by tool. The lyrics grapple with themes of alienation, helplessness, and disgust at the state of the world, but ultimately come to the conclusion that being bitter won't make things any better and that it's up to everyone to choose what makes their life meaningful.

Misery Index addresses this with "Gallows Humor" and "The Weakener": while falling into apathy and nihilism as a coping mechanism to deal with the fact that the world is full of awful things and horrible people is very easy to do, those horrors won't care about your lackadaisical, "so it goes" attitude when they're at your doorstep, and furthermore, the infectious quality of those attitudes is extremely harmful when something terrible is rising before your eyes and the people who see it for what it is are drowned out by the people who have chosen not to care. The essential gist of the two songs is that while nihilism is a very attractive way to deal with the fact that the world sucks, it's also very, very dangerous.

Within Temptation's "Covered by Roses" addresses the fragility of human love: Covered by roses

When this dance is over

We all know all beauty will die.

The choirs have awoken

Left no words unspoken

Remember you as long as I can

Hold you in my arms all night

And spill the wine until the end

We all have our place in time,

Need to live every moment

The song "Matches" by Sifu Hotman, featured on Welcome To Nightvale address this kind of mentality, and about how humanity is capable of truly awe-inspiring things, regardless of there being no greater purpose in life. The reason I'm not a nihilist

Is someday I wanna live like they do in Star Trek

Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra - "Kiss The Sky" has this philosophy too, specially the chorus Too late to keep the world from dying It's not too late to spread the love you have

"Save Your Serpent...---..." by Ego Likeness encourages this attitude: Build no temple

Just remember

What you came from

Who you are

And you're owed nothing

Just feel lucky

To leave a trace of who you are.

"Kill Your Heroes" from Awolnation is a tract for this philosophy.

"A Song About an Anglerfish" by Hank Green is about a man who realised that the deep sea anglerfish is happy despite having no reason to be happy, and is trying to convince himself to also be happy despite having no reason to be happy. For years this rule has kept me out of hopeless despair

You simply do not feel what is always there

I ask my brain to entertain that pain is the same

That if I feel it all the time, can you really call it pain?

The title track from Father John Misty's album Pure Comedy presents a heavily cynical and nihilistic view of humanity, society and life in general before ending on a note of optimism and companionship. Oh comedy, oh it's like something that a madman would conceive!

The only thing that seems to make them feel alive

Is the struggle to survive

But the only thing that they request

Is something to numb the pain with

Until there's nothing human left

Just random matter suspended in the dark

I hate to say it, but each other's all we've got

"Land Of Confusion" by Genesis describes a Crapsack World, however, the chorus says: This is the world we live in

And these are the hands we're given

Use them and let's start trying

To make it a place worth living in

Delain: In "The Tragedy Of The Commons" and "Danse Macabre", the narrator talks about the futility of their efforts and the inevitability of death but decides to live and fight. In "Masters of Destiny", the narrator suspects that the higher powers are playing her, then decides to make her own choices anyway. "To Live Is To Die" says life is short, urges the listener to be kind and asks, "Tell me how you'll fill the void / Screaming sorrow or screaming joy?"

"Dance In The Graveyards" by Delta Rae states that We All Die Someday, but it won't stop us from dancing in joy before or after we die.

Seems to be part of the meaning of "No Promises" by Icehouse: even though life might give you things like like gold and gems one moment, nothing is certain, and you have to make sense of things yourself.

Myths & Religion

Norse Mythology has a variation as its Central Theme. The mythology teaches that the gods are in constant battle to keep the universe intact. They all know it's doomed, yet continues to fight and are going to continue through Ragnarök until they have died. It's better to try to win even if futile, than simply surrendering. Moreover, some prophecies of Ragnarök (Depending on the Writer) claim that although civilization will collapse and the vast majority of humans and gods will die, the very fact that they fought to exist will allow some kind of new cosmos to be rebuilt from the wreckage. For this reason, C. S. Lewis considered Norse religion the noblest form of paganism, and wrote that if God told us he was dying, it was better to die nobly with him than to join the forces killing him and "win." Similarly, the Poetic Edda states: "Cattle die and kinsmen die, thyself too soon must die, but one thing never, I ween, will die,—fair fame of one who has earned." Though the Norse believed in several afterlives, they did not consider the deeds done in life as the key to a certain afterlife like Valhalla, but the manner of death. Instead they spoke for giving oneself a good reputation because that was the only thing that would be left of them in this world.

Traditionally considered the writer of the biblical book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon is perceived as this by some, even to the point that some argue it inspired Buddhism to a degree. The book doesn't downplay the existence of God, but doesn't shy away from detailing the futility of human life or the acts of humanity as a whole, noting that the good can suffer and the wicked can prosper. However, it also recalls the joy to be found in various aspects of life and in doing good. Ultimately subverted; in the end, Solomon finally declares that man does, in fact, have a duty: to fear God and keep his commandments, because in the end, he will bring all good and evil deeds into account. This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. Anyone who is among the living has hopeeven a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.

Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sunall your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Usually, this is the classical response of agnostics, atheists, deists, Epicureans and the like to accusations of nihilism and hedonism; since some theists think that if there is no god or gods (or the god in question is apathetic) who will give us a meaning in such a miserable life, everyone would be Driven to Suicide. "The fact that we have only one life to live should make it all the more precious." Also, some philosophers say that one must find their own meaning in life, not a pre-made one.

Podcasts

Merle of The Adventure Zone: Balance summarizes his general life philosophy as being one of finding happiness and making others happy because "no one's getting out of this life alive anyways."

Tabletop Games

Planescape: The Bleak Cabal is canonically an example of this. Life is meaningless and cruel so hey, no need to add more meaningless cruelty to it by your own actions. The Bleak Cabal runs Sigil's soup kitchens and asylum, and are at a whole a rather decent bunch even if most of them are insane to one degree or another. Sure, their actions won't make any difference in the long run (but in their view, nothing does anyway), but it helps today. They may be the only example on the page that exist in the afterlife, surrounded by evidence of gods, and still hold to this philosophy. Of course, beholding a being of divine power and acknowledging it as an empirically superior being are two different things. A 2nd Edition Planewalker's Handbook described three "archetypes" for Bleakers, of which the middle one fits this trope well (and the first not at all): Perpetually depressed: "Nothing means anything, so why bother doing anything?"

Perpetually cheerful: "Nothing means anything, so why not do anything?"

Perpetually mad: "Nothing means anything, so anything means anything!"

The more idealistic characters in Exalted. Sure enough, the world is gangbanged from all directions by undead, Wyld mutants, demons, and other awful things. The folks in charge of defending it are too busy politicking. Heaven is a sham and a scam, and the patron god of heroism is a crack addict. But—and this is a massive but—you're a hero, possessed of a power to drastically change the world. And by "hero", it's hero in an archaic Übermensch sense: you get to decide what is right or wrong, answerable only to your own conscience (or the lack thereof).

Nurgle, the Chaos God of disease and despair in Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 is, surprisingly enough, like this. Yes, all things will eventually die and rot, and you will most likely never achieve your dreams, but does that matter? Instead of angsting over it or spending you life trying to reach an impossible goal, you should just be happy with what you have. Nurgle loves you no matter what you do. Of course he is the god of disease, so while he genuinely does care for you, his idea of caring involves "gifting" people with terrible diseases... Well of course. Diseases are made out of millions of lifeforms. Someone needs to love those too.

Similar to the Bleak Cabal above, this is also canonically the attitude of the faithful of the Sovereign Host in Eberron. People of Khorvaire know for a fact that the afterlife is a dreary, gray wasteland known as Dolurrh where the best they can hope for is for their soul to slowly fade away into nothingness. The gods are unresponsive, and even angels and fiends can't say whether they even exist. Despite that, the Sovereign Host teaches that life is for living and people should find meaning in creating the world they'll leave behind. Nearly every other religion's teachings have a hard time with this truth and include some idea about how their faith will let them escape Dolurrh.

Magic: The Gathering: Arguably, the Abzan clan, from the Plane of Tarkir. Yes, life is tough and food is scarce... but that just means it's all the more important to look after each other and what little nature exists in the desert that they live in. They prioritize family, and every family has a tree that they protect with their lives. This stems from their colors: primarily white (emphasizing community) with some green (emphasizing nature) and black (emphasizing pragmatism). The more sympathetic interpretations of the Black color in general fall under this. All the other colors focus on ways to shape the world to one end or other, but Black encourages its followers to live the best lives they can in a harsh, cruel, unreasonable world that cannot be meaningfully improved or changed. The Aetherborn, introduced in Kaladesh, take Black's stand on this (above) to its extreme. They are born with the knowledge that their lives are very short, and so are determined to live life to the fullest. This even extends to their deaths, as rather than holding a funeral, an Aetherborn near death will hold a party, with mandatory attendance of friends and associates. "Death might come tomorrow, but todaytoday I am alive."

"When you have the chance, take it. Laugh, sing, dance. Don't allow the night to end. When the time comes, let go. Nothing lasts forever."



Theatre

In Avenue Q, the main character, Princeton, starts off as a fresh-out-of-college idealist searching for his purpose in life. By the end of the play, he still hasn't found it and fears he may never find out why he even exists. To comfort him, the other characters say that very few people, if any at all, find their purpose, and the best thing to do is just enjoy life as it comes, because nothing is going to last forever. Don't stress, relax, let life roll off your back. Except for death and paying taxes, everything in life is only for now.

The Book of Mormon plays with this trope. At the end, the cast concludes that Mormonism, as with all religions, most likely isn't true. However, if it spreads good morals and makes people happy, than there's no harm in believing in it anyway.

Near the end of The SpongeBob Musical, SpongeBob sings that if they only have seven minutes left to live, they should make them the best seven minutes of their lives instead of arguing with eachother.

Video Games

Visual Novels

Takumi Nishijou from Chaos;Head becomes this by the end of the story. Despite being the polar opposite initially as someone who wanted nothing more but to be constantly happy and not face any struggle or strife in his peaceful life. After the living hell of a nightmare he's put through and facing his own Despair Event Horizon upon realizing his life is a lie and that he technically isn't real, he understands all too well how horrible the world really is, but comes to realize that with the support of other people who are struggling and traumatized the same way he is, and with someone to live for, he can survive in this world and make something of his life, and be happy despite it. His life, despite being a delusional one, is still worth living, and he is his own person that can take control of said life, and instill the worth in it.

from Chaos;Head becomes this by the end of the story. Despite being the polar opposite initially as someone who wanted nothing more but to be constantly happy and not face any struggle or strife in his peaceful life. After the living hell of a nightmare he's put through and facing his own Despair Event Horizon upon realizing It's not too uncommon for Nasuverse protagonists to be Anti-Nihilists. In Fate/stay night, Shirou lives his life by this sort of doctrine, even though he doesn't realize it. The "Unlimited Blade Works" route causes him to actively seek it, as he realizes his life is empty and the only thing he finds meaning in is selflessly sacrificing himself for others. Tsukihime's protagonist, Shiki. holds a similar view. The main difference between his and Shirou's outlooks is that Shiki sees everything as meaningless because of his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, which force him to see the world and everything in it as being as fragile as cardboard, and as such can derive meaning for himself simply from living a good life in what little time he has (and he has even less than a normal person, also as a result of his powers). That said, Nasu himself has come and said this small difference is enough to make so that Shiki and Shirou would never get along.

During Hatoful Boyfriend Yuuya is revealed to be this. A terrible thing he did as a child weighs on him enormously, but he uses it to drive him forwards and can be incredibly kind and thoughtful. Part of the plot of Holiday Star is him using his acceptance of what's happened and his refusal to reject the memory or the deed to drive away a soul-absorbing spirit thing, and spreading some of that sentiment to others.

Web Animation

Kurzgesagt: Cheerful, colorful videos that frequently describe with brutal honesty how harsh and uncaring the universe is, but always with an eye toward reminding the viewer that the lack of purpose in the universe means that each person is free to find whatever meaning they can, and that time is precious. They call this "optimistic nihilism", which they explain in this video . It's the idea that if universe doesn't have any plans for us and we don't know what happened before we were born and we won't be sentient once we'll die, there's nothing scary about being dead. Also, because we only get one chance, we might as well use that time to be happy and help others. And finally, because there's nothing after death, the bad things that happen to you during your lifetime do not matter.

. It's the idea that if universe doesn't have any plans for us and we don't know what happened before we were born and we won't be sentient once we'll die, there's nothing scary about being dead. Also, because we only get one chance, we might as well use that time to be happy and help others. And finally, because there's nothing after death, the bad things that happen to you during your lifetime do not matter. In the final episode of Season 5 of Arby 'n' the Chief, Arbiter has some shades of this in his words to Trent Donnovich, who he discovered to be having an affair while engaged to his friend/love interest Claire. Doubles as a "The Reason You Suck" Speech. Arbiter: It doesnt surprise me that a dose of emotion would have a toxic effect on an emotion-deprived cretin like you. Whos really the plastic one here? Your bleak outlook on life is poisonous. Maybe the world is a big sinking ship. But we cant accept that as an inevitability and use it as an excuse to act like shitheads. We have to be the change we seek. We have to build something better for ourselves.

engaged to his friend/love interest Claire. Doubles as a "The Reason You Suck" Speech. RWBY: In the final episode of Volume 4, Ruby reveals herself to have developed into this in her letter to Yang; she's now aware of the bad things in the world, but has resolved to continue fighting the good fight anyway. The theme is also expressed in the Volume 4 theme, "Let's Just Live", and continues in the Volume 5 theme, the heroes may have suffered and lost, but they can resolve to fight on regardless. After the revelations about Ozpin's past in Volume 6, the group becomes this outright. They know that it might not even be possible to defeat Salem Notably, Ruby's anti-nihilist worldview helps her partially resist the Apathy's mental compulsion, which makes victims more traditionally nihilistic to the point of giving up and waiting to die.



Web Comics

There is a xkcd strip in which the white beret guy uses this trope when confronted with a more typical nihilist.

in which the white beret guy uses this trope when confronted with a more typical nihilist. This A Softer World strip sums it up pretty well. "Nothing matters at all. Might as well be nice to people."

A Softer World strip sums it up pretty well. "Nothing matters at all. Might as well be nice to people." When the Shadowchild asks her what the importance of being good is, Digger has this reply : Digger: Because it's a cold, hard, miserable world sometimes, and there's suffering enough to go around without any of us making it worse.

: Dechs of Antihero for Hire once got a medium-sized lecture from a mercenary out to kill him (during the fight), about how his morals are meaningless and the people he protects would not return the favour and so on. Eventually the mercenary left, making it clear that he probably could win, but it wasn't worth the risk; but it left him rattled and doubting everything. At the end of the chapter, Wrench shakes him out of it by simply asking "does it matter if it matters?".

This ◊ Dresden Codak doodle uses a hole in the chest as a metaphor. While most people try to fill theirs up, the anti-nihilist enjoys it for what it is.

Web Original

SCP Foundation: Of all things, it features this with SCP-1281, which is a message from a dead alien race. The galaxy is dark, empty and cold. It spins inevitably toward death. You will die too, one day. Perhaps you will have longer than we have. We hope so. But one day you too must vanish. Until that time, you must light the darkness. You must make the night less empty. We are all small, and the universe is vast. But a universe filled with voices saying "I am here" is far greater than a universe silent. One voice is small, but the difference between zero and one is as great as one and infinity. And when your time is passing, please send this message on , so the next voice can speak against the darkness. The SCP Foundation's world also has Gamers Against Weed, a group of anartists who looked at AWCY's philosophy and flatly rejected it. Bluntfiend, one of the founders, outright states that yeah, the universe is meaningless — but that just means that you have to give it some meaning. This philosophy (and a lot of Homestuck) is also what caused Eli and Lyris to decide not to blow up the Earth.

This is ultimately the main message of Nemo Ramjet's web-novel All Tomorrows; taking us through the overarching history of mans' future and then; when it's all over, saying that the important part isn't how things ended up, but in those individual moments of life throughout our history.

Web Videos

The Nostalgia Critic is developing into someone who thinks that life is stupid and the world has very few good things in it, but cares deeply about protecting children and displaying Honor Before Reason Undying Loyalty to the people he likes.

Costa McClure of Lovely Little Losers. Costa: And I'm not letting you give up, either. Because it is pointless. And so is life. But everyone else manages to suck it up.

AFK: Serena expresses this viewpoint, that life has no meaning or divine oversight and is ultimately pointless, but people can make it for themselves nonetheless.

Western Animation

Futurama: Bender, depressed at learning that as a robot, he has no Free Will and can only do what he was programmed to do, seeks solace at a Robot Monastery. The Ab-Bot tells him that his order has accepted this, but rather than be depressed about the fact that their purpose in life is pre-determined, they choose to revel in fulfilling that purpose to the best of their ability. Ab-Bot: Are we automatons? Yes. But we are magnificent automatons.

Bojack Horseman: Mr. Peanutbutter from believes that "The universe is a cruel, uncaring void. The key to being happy isn't a search for meaning, it's to just keep yourself busy with unimportant nonsense, and eventually you'll be dead." As of Season 3, Bojack himself seems to have become one. Bojack: See, Sarah Lynn? We're not doomed. In the great, grand scheme of things, we're just tiny specks that will one day be forgotten. So it doesn't matter what we did in the past, or how we'll be remembered. The only thing that matters is right now, this moment, this one spectacular moment we are sharing together. Right, Sarah Lynn?

At the end of episode "Rick Potion no. 9" of Rick and Morty, Morty is positively traumatized by the events: After Rick ruined the whole planet beyond repair, they jumped dimensions to a reality where everything turned out fine but both of them had died soon afterwards, allowing main!R&M to bury their own corpses and blend in . In the later episode "Rixty Minutes", however, we see on two occasions that he has coped with it in an anti-nihilistic way: First, when the rest of his family choose to use their new interdimensional TV channel package to look for realities where they were famous and successful, Morty says "I don't care about myself" in a relaxed, indifferent manner. Second, when Summer is about to run away from home from finding out she was an unwanted pregnancy , he stops her with a heartwarming speech talking about his earlier experience. Morty: I'm a version of your brother that you can trust when he says don't run. Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everybody's gonna die. Come watch TV? Jerry (Morty's father) may also be one, given that he keeps going despite his entire life being terrible. The quote "Life is effort and I'll stop when I die!" sums it up. It didn't just take a lot of intelligence to get where Rick Sanchez is supposed to be for someone who swam across the vast ocean of realities that make purpose of humanity very insignificant or even irrelevant by default, all the while not driving himself to commit Seen-It-All Suicide after realizing this in his lifetime; as his grandson Morty learned in "Rick Potion #9". Doofus Rick (a ricks's alterate version), Like other Ricks, he believes that life is "dangerous and complex and unyielding," but while other Ricks choose to use this as an excuse to inflict cruelty on whoever they need to for the brief aggrandizement of themselves, Doofus Rick does the opposite, reasoning that even just trying to get by is winning in and of itself.

. In the later episode "Rixty Minutes", however, we see on two occasions that he has coped with it in an anti-nihilistic way: First, when the rest of his family choose to use their new interdimensional TV channel package to look for realities where they were famous and successful, Morty says "I don't care about myself" in a relaxed, indifferent manner. Second, when Summer is about to run away from home from finding out , he stops her with a heartwarming speech talking about his earlier experience. Pearl in Steven Universe, particularly in the episode "Keep Beach City Weird", where she tells Steven that conspiracy theorists like Ronaldo are simply trying to find conflicts where none exist in an attempt to feel like their lives are more important than they actually are. Sounds pretty cynical, until you realize she's telling this to a kid in order to make him feel better. Pearl: Oh, Steven. Humans just lead short, boring, insignificant lives, so they make up stories to feel like they're a part of something bigger. They want to blame all the world's problems on some single enemy they can fight, instead of a complex network of interrelated forces beyond anyone's control. Notably, it's also a bit hypocritical given that she does hold a very strict Black-and-White Morality and wallows in self-pity every once in a while.

South Park, in the episode, "All About Mormons". The town is introduced to a family of optimistic and kindhearted Mormons. When the family tells Stan of the story of Joseph Smith, Stan yells at them for believing in something so ridiculous and factually incorrect. Later, Gary, the family's youngest son, tells Stan that he doesn't actually believe in Mormonism, but it doesn't matter, as everything good in his life is because of his family's Mormon beliefs. Incidentally, Trey Parker and Matt Stone would later go on to create The Book of Mormon.

Real Life