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The Anti-Nihilist: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
{{quote|''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.''|A [[Moe]] [[Shell-Shocked Veteran]] from ''[[
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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Basically, a Nihilist that decides to be ''nice'', ''altruistic'', ''virtuous'' and/or ''ethical'' for the same reasons the [[Nietzsche Wannabe]] decides to be an [[The Unfettered|unfettered]], [[Social Darwinist]], [[Omnicidal Maniac|omnicidal]] [[Complete Monster]].
Instead of angsting all the time about "[[Crapsack World|Life is hell,]] [[Downer Ending|we're all gonna die]] [[You Can't Fight Fate|and you can't fight fate,]] [[Put Them All Out of My Misery|thus we might as well start killing each other right now]]", this type thinks more like "Life is hell, we're all gonna die and you can't fight fate... [[You Are Not Alone|but why not make each others' lives worthwhile and enjoyable in the meantime?]]"
The Anti-Nihilist is very likely to adhere to a [[Utilitarianism]] morality, although this isn't a universal rule; there are Anti-Nihilists whose morality might border on self-made [[Blue and Orange Morality]] (see the philosophy of [[Friedrich Nietzsche]]). Expect this declaration of defying nihilism to be uttered as a form of [[Shut UP, Hannibal|shutting up nihilists']] [[Hannibal Lecture|lectures]] [[Despair Speech|on Despair]] and how [[Humans Are Morons]]. Thus, very likely to take form as a [[World of Cardboard Speech|World-of-Cardboard]]/[[Patrick Stewart Speech]].
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{{examples}}
== Anime
* The main conflicts in ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'' have shades of this, with the [[Hot-Blooded]] protagonists representing this trope while their opponents appear to be [[Nietzsche Wannabe
▲* The main conflicts in ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'' have shades of this, with the [[Hot-Blooded]] protagonists representing this trope while their opponents appear to be [[Nietzsche Wannabe|Nietzsche Wannabes]] {{spoiler|[[Well-Intentioned Extremist|there's more to them than that]], but they're still ''very'' depressed people}}.
* [[Crazy Awesome|Jack Rakan]] from ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]''.
{{quote|[http://www.mangareader.net/mahou-sensei-negima/316/5 Truth? Meaning? That crap ain't got nothing to do with my life!]}}
** Fate Averruncus appears to be growing into this as of late.
* In ''[[Madlax]]'', the eponymous heroine is a gun-for-hire in a civil war-torn country, yet this only makes her more appreciative of life and its small everyday joys; e.g. she visits her client and target ([[Suicide by Cop|same person]]) on the night before his assassination to comfort him. In the end, it is she (or {{spoiler|the part of Margaret corresponding to her}}) who defeats the [[Nietzsche Wannabe]] of a [[Big Bad]].
* Elmer C. Albatross of ''[[Baccano!]]'' has pretty much this exact outlook. The guy had a horrible childhood and as a result adopted this sort of unsettling [[Stepford Smiler]] personality and obsession with happiness. Basically, he feels the world sucks so much that it's important to be happy.
* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'''s Shinji Ikari grows into this trope at the end of [[The Movie|''End
** Kaji also has very strong traits of it. He knows more about what's going on than almost anyone else, yet he's the only character who appears genuinely happy. During one very close battle against an angel that appears to be the final moments before the end of the world, he is watering the melon patch he is growing, with the battle being visible in the distance. If the world does not end on that day, then the melons need to be watered. If it does, then it won't matter what he is doing in the final moments anyway. Either way, he can't do anything to change what's going to happen in the next ten minutes.
* The character Panaru in episode three of ''[[Boogiepop Phantom]]'' is respected for having this philosophy and teaching it to others.
* {{spoiler|[[Shell-Shocked Veteran|Filicia Heideman]]}} from ''[[
* Makina from ''[[Shikabane Hime]]''. The final scene in the anime is of her repeatedly punching her archenemy Hokuto (a fellow fighting-zombie) in the face after all is lost: it's the first time she ascribes meaning to her existence.
{{quote|Makina: You're not an undead! You're alive! And so am I!}}
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== Comic Books ==
* He's slightly different from the example, but [[Watchmen (comics)|Rorschach]] has a similar philosophy. Instead of abandoning rules and discipline due to a nihilistic outlook he decides his rules and principles are all the more important in a world that has no more meaning than the one we impose on it.▼
▲* He's slightly different from the example, but [[Watchmen|Rorschach]] has a similar philosophy. Instead of abandoning rules and discipline due to a nihilistic outlook he decides his rules and principles are all the more important in a world that has no more meaning than the one we impose on it.
** Rorschach is arguably more of an [[Ubermensch]], considering his largely misanthropic view of life. It's shown that he does care about what few friends he has in the world, though.
** Dr. Manhattan also develops into this by the end.
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== Fan Fic ==
* Harry himself, in ''[[Harry Potter and
== Film ==
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* Many [[Discworld]] books have this theme, especially ones focusing on Death and Sam Vimes. Pretty much reflects [[Terry Pratchett]]'s [[Real Life]] views.
* The books of ''[[His Dark Materials]]'' end up coming around to this theme, more or less, with a bit of a [[Fantastic Aesop]] courtesy of Dust. But it's former nun Mary Malone who first reaches the conclusion: that though once she felt that no God meant no purpose to the world, the need to keep Dust alive, that is, wisdom, curiosity, education, and kindness, gives the worlds purpose. In other words, "There is now!"
* [[First-Person Smartass|Christine]], the narrator of the novel ''[[Faction Paradox|Dead Romance]]'' thinks like this when she's dismissing one of her friend's uber-depressing, [[Wangst
{{quote|''What I'm getting at is that in a pointless, empty universe a good time is as meaningless as a bad time, so you might as well slap on a smile and get on with your life.''}}
* Professor Pangloss in [[Voltaire]]'s [[Candide]], who goes through Hell and back and comments on the weather.
* The narrator of [[Ted Chiang]]'s short story "Exhalation" is watching his universe wind down to equilibrium. Rather than despair, he implores future explorers to "contemplate the marvel that is existence and rejoice that you are able to do so. I feel I have the right to tell you this because, as I am inscribing these words, I am doing the same."
== Live Action TV ==
* Inherent to all of [[Joss Whedon]]'s work.
** ''[[Firefly]]'':
*** Mal fought for freedom and honor in [[The War of Earthly Aggression|The War Of Coreward Aggression]]. He lost, and has come to terms with that. But at the same time, he refuses to be a slave or a thug - even when the entire 'Verse insists that he has to obey a higher authority or act against his principles to survive, he remains Captain Malcolm Reynolds. And he aims to misbehave.
*** Simon also has something of a tendency toward this. He specifically states that acting morally means even more out in the black without an authority to impose it.
*** River recognizes that all meaning is "imbued" and thus there really is no "meaning" to begin with, River has a surprisingly positive outlook on life, and sees things in a very innocent way (i.e. the loaded gun everyone was freaking out about took the form of a harmless stick in her mind). Objects In Space is actually an exploration of these two character types, juxtaposing River against Jubal Early, who's definitely a [[Nietzsche Wannabe]]. Faced with the same realization as River, Jubal's response was to become a complete psychopath who tortured his puppy.
** [[Angel]] from [[Buffy]] once had the revelation that life has no purpose or meaning, thus making even the tiniest act of kindness an end in itself. Angel's [[Koan]]:
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* The Bleak Cabal in ''[[Planescape]]'' 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 soupkitchens 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''.
* 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.
== Video Games ==
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* Usually, this is the Classical response of atheists, agnostics, deists, Epicureans and the like to accusations of nihilism. After all, if there's no god (or God is apathetic) who will give us a meaning in life. "The fact that we have only one life to live should make it all the more precious."
** Likewise, the only way to live on past your death is through others. [[The Power of Friendship|Might as well ensure that you can keep people smiling, even after you're gone.]]
** Indeed, many if not most atheists embrace this as their world view in place of any belief in a higher power or afterlife.
* [[Friedrich Nietzsche]]'s version of the Anti-Nihilist in particular is less of a "utilitarian" who works [[For Happiness]] and more of a "Let's [[The Ubermensch|live by our own rules]] while being [[wikipedia:Arete|awesome]], [[wikipedia:Virtus (virtue)|manly/virtuous]] and [[Magnificent Bastard|magnificent]] at it". It should also be noted that he pointed out that a way to make life suck a little less could be through charitable acts (note that he didn't say that it would make you happy, just feel less angsty/guilty/whatever)
* There might be older instances of this trope that couldn't be properly called Nihilists, since they predate the movement, but they should go through a Discussion first, so as not to dissolve the trope into meaninglessness.
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[[Category:Heroic Spirit]]
[[Category:Philosophy Tropes]]
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