Nihilism

I was wondering what your views were on nihlism. It is my understanding that sadists (myself included) and psychopaths are in effect hedonists to the extreme. Hedonists being that we use people, animals, places and things for our own gratification all the time. But since i think maybe we are at our core "empty" and need to fill that space all the time, perhaps we are also nihilists. Perhaps moral nihilism and such... thoughts?

It's not worth having views on nihilism.

Hedonism and nihilism are contraindicated, since hedonism is itself a moral philosophy - one that figures pleasure to be the highest (and perhaps only) virtue. With true nihilism, there is no ethical magnetic North, and hence there can be no objective virtue.

Sadism, on the other hand, is not a philosophy but a mental disorder - and one that does not necessarily presuppose nihilism, judging by the long stream of Roman Catholic nuns who have taught school over the centuries.

mdorr1334 wrote:I was wondering what your views were on nihlism. It is my understanding that sadists (myself included) and psychopaths are in effect hedonists to the extreme. Hedonists being that we use people, animals, places and things for our own gratification all the time. But since i think maybe we are at our core "empty" and need to fill that space all the time, perhaps we are also nihilists. Perhaps moral nihilism and such... thoughts?

I'm going to have to agree with Lannibal regarding Nihilism in this context. I might also add that nihilism, although it may lead to feelings of "emptiness", is not itself the psychological state of "emptiness". I think you are referring to anomie, which is the general mood of despair at the perceived pointlessness of existence that one may develop upon realizing that there are no necessary norms, rules, or laws. Was this what you were referring to?

Regarding hedonism, I think all people are hedonists, they just differ in the extent of their appetite and ability to delay gratification.

I am not a psychopath, but I like hurting people. What sadistic acts do you enjoy performing the most, and what do you think you derive from them - power, arousal; both?

mdorr1334 wrote:I was wondering what your views were on nihlism. It is my understanding that sadists (myself included) and psychopaths are in effect hedonists to the extreme. Hedonists being that we use people, animals, places and things for our own gratification all the time. But since i think maybe we are at our core "empty" and need to fill that space all the time, perhaps we are also nihilists. Perhaps moral nihilism and such... thoughts?

Yo, just giving my 2 cents:

Firstly, I find it's generally not a good idea to use the word 'nihilism' since it tends to be a cause of debate. For example, a lot of people will tell you that there aren't any true nihilists, since such a person would have no motivation to act whatsoever. I tend to find that 'absurdism' is often an appropriate word, expressing a similar concept but a little more human.

Secondly, I sort of match your criteria, albeit working backwards. That is, I was raised a normal, social boy with no psychopathic tendencies but since 'discovering' absurdism intellectually as a teenager they have developed gradually (and consciously), leading to a strong lack of guilt and a much more hedonistic lifestyle, and more recently some sadistic spells as well. I understand that this is outside most definitions of 'psychopathy', but I thought you may find it interesting anyway.

Thats not psychopathy, that's AsPD.

Learned psychopathic behaviors are a personality disorder, or depending on your definition of sociopath.. it could also be a sociopath (Commonly accepted as learned, or "Created" psychopaths via trauam or other such events).

0101_0101 wrote:
I'm going to have to agree with Lannibal regarding Nihilism in this context. I might also add that nihilism, although it may lead to feelings of "emptiness", is not itself the psychological state of "emptiness". I think you are referring to anomie, which is the general mood of despair at the perceived pointlessness of existence that one may develop upon realizing that there are no necessary norms, rules, or laws. Was this what you were referring to?

Regarding hedonism, I think all people are hedonists, they just differ in the extent of their appetite and ability to delay gratification.

I am not a psychopath, but I like hurting people. What sadistic acts do you enjoy performing the most, and what do you think you derive from them - power, arousal; both?

I ama sexual sadist to the extreme. I've posted what I got arrested for. You can figure out what i like doing in my free time if you read them. As for what I derive from them it's power, arousal and orgastic pleasure all in one.