You’re sitting on your porch at 2:00 AM. Looking up. The sky is a vast, terrifying ink-wash of stars, and suddenly, it hits you. That cold, prickly realization that the universe is roughly 93 billion light-years across and you are... well, you're just a person with a mortgage and a slightly overdue library book. It feels heavy. This idea that nothing matters and what if it did is usually where the existential dread starts to seep in, but honestly, it might be the most liberating thought you’ll ever have.
Most people run away from the "nothing matters" part. They think it leads to a dark room and a permanent bad mood. But there’s a flip side. If the universe doesn’t have a pre-written script for you, then you aren't failing at a role you never signed up for anyway.
The phrase gained massive traction largely due to the YouTube channel Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, which popularized the concept of "Optimistic Nihilism." It’s a bit of a mouthful, isn't it? But the core of it is simple: if the universe has no purpose, we get to invent our own.
Why "Nothing Matters" Is Actually a Relief
Let’s be real. We spend 90% of our lives worried about things that don't actually exist outside our own heads. We worry about that awkward thing we said in 2014. We stress over whether our career path looks "impressive" to people we don't even like.
When you accept the premise of nothing matters and what if it did, that social anxiety starts to look a little ridiculous. If the sun is going to expand and engulf the Earth in five billion years, does it really matter that you tripped during a presentation? Probably not. It's a cosmic "get out of jail free" card.
David Benatar, a philosopher known for his rather grim views on existence, argues that life is objectively "bad" because of the sheer amount of suffering involved. But even within that heavy framework, there’s room for a weird kind of peace. If there is no objective, grand design, you are no longer a cog in a machine. You’re just a person. Living. Breathing. Eating a taco.
The "What If It Did" Problem
Flip the coin. What if it did matter? What if every single choice you made was etched into the fabric of reality with permanent ink? That’s high-stakes. That’s a recipe for a nervous breakdown.
If life had a singular, objective meaning, we would spend our entire lives terrified of missing it. Imagine a world where there is one "Right Way" to live. If you don't find that path, your entire existence is a waste. That's a lot of pressure for a species that still occasionally walks into rooms and forgets why we went there.
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Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, wrote extensively about the "Will to Meaning" in his book Man’s Search for Meaning. He didn't argue that the universe hands you a meaning. He argued that we have the responsibility to create it. Even in the most horrific conditions imaginable, Frankl found that those who survived were often those who could find a "why."
But here is the nuance: that "why" doesn't have to be saving the world. It can be finishing a book. It can be seeing your child again. It can be the way the light hits the wall in the afternoon.
The Science of Our Tiny Existence
Science doesn't help the "everything is huge and important" argument much. We are made of stardust—literally. The iron in your blood and the calcium in your teeth were forged in the hearts of dying stars billions of years ago.
Carl Sagan famously said, "The cosmos is within us. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
This is where nothing matters and what if it did stops being a philosophical debate and starts being a scientific fact. We are a biological accident. A brief flash of consciousness in a very old, very cold universe. To some, that’s depressing. To others, it’s the ultimate permission to be happy.
If you are a fluke of physics, then every moment of joy you experience is a victory against the void. You are a pile of atoms that learned how to feel love and taste chocolate. That’s incredible.
Navigating the Practicality of Nihilism
So, how do you actually live this way without becoming a jerk? People often confuse nihilism with cynicism or apathy. They think "nothing matters" means "I can do whatever I want, even if it hurts people."
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That's a shallow reading.
True optimistic nihilism suggests that because this is our only shot, we should make it as pleasant as possible for ourselves and others. Since we are all stuck on this spinning rock together, we might as well be kind.
- The Embarrassment Test: Next time you feel mortified, remember the scale of the Milky Way. Your mistake is invisible from Mars. Breathe.
- The "Main Character" Syndrome Cure: You aren't the center of the universe. This is great news. It means people aren't watching you as closely as you think they are.
- Choosing Your Own "Something": If nothing matters inherently, then you get to pick what matters to you. If you want to spend your life collecting vintage stamps or learning how to bake the perfect sourdough, do it. There is no "objective" scale of importance to tell you you're wrong.
Acknowledging the Void Without Falling In
It's okay to feel small.
The philosopher Blaise Pascal once wrote about being terrified by the "eternal silence of these infinite spaces." He wasn't some edge-lord teenager; he was a brilliant mathematician and physicist. The feeling of insignificance is a natural human response to reality.
But insignificance is not the same as worthlessness.
Think about a movie. You know the movie will end. You know the characters aren't real. In the grand scheme of the "real world," the movie doesn't matter. But does that stop you from crying when the hero dies or laughing at a joke? No. You enjoy the movie because it’s a temporary experience. Life is just a very long, very high-definition movie that you happen to be starring in.
Steps Toward Meaning in a Meaningless World
If you’re struggling with the weight of the void, stop looking at the stars for a minute. Look at what’s right in front of you.
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Meaning is a local phenomenon. It doesn't exist on a galactic level, but it exists on a human one. Your cat cares if you’re home. Your friend cares if you call. The person behind you in line cares if you hold the door.
Stop trying to find "The Meaning of Life." It’s not under a rock somewhere. It’s not hidden in a secret text. It is a DIY project.
Identify your "Micro-Meanings"
Forget the legacy. Forget being remembered in 100 years. What makes today suck less? Is it coffee? Is it the way your dog wags its tail? Those are the only things that actually matter because those are the things you can actually feel.
Lower the Stakes
We act like every decision is a life-or-death struggle. It’s not. Most things are reversible. Most mistakes are forgettable. When you realize that nothing matters and what if it did, you can finally take a risk because the "consequences" are just temporary ripples in a very large pond.
Practice Radical Presence
The universe is a billion years old, and you are here for about 80. You are a blip. But you are a blip that can experience the world. Listen to the wind. Taste your food. Feel the texture of your shirt. This is the only reality you have access to.
Accept the Mystery
We don't know why the Big Bang happened. We don't know if there are multiverses. We don't know what happens after we die. And honestly? That's fine. Not knowing is part of the deal.
In the end, the realization that nothing matters and what if it did is a doorway. You can look through it and see a cold, empty vacuum, or you can look through it and see a playground where the rules are whatever you make them.
The void is there. It’s big. It’s silent. But you have a light, and you have a voice, and for a very short time, you get to use them. Make it a good show.
Actionable Insights for the Existential Crisis
- Audit your stressors: List five things you’re worried about right now. Ask yourself: "Will this matter in 100 years?" If the answer is no, give yourself permission to care 50% less about it today.
- Create a "Joy List": Since you are the architect of your own meaning, write down ten things that genuinely make you happy, regardless of how "productive" or "important" they are. Prioritize one of them this week.
- Engage with your "Smallness": Watch a documentary like Our Planet or look at the "Pale Blue Dot" photograph by Voyager 1. Lean into the feeling of being small until it stops being scary and starts being peaceful.
- Stop waiting for a sign: If nothing matters, there is no "sign" coming from the universe. If you’ve been waiting for permission to change careers, move cities, or tell someone how you feel, this is it. You are the only authority in your life.