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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 ''[[So Ra No
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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Note that the title of this page is based more on [[Nietzsche Wannabe|popular misconception of Nihilism]], rather than the actual philosophy as conceived by Friedrich Nietzsche, which was somewhat closer to this in reality.
See [[
{{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}}.
{{quote|
▲* [[Crazy Awesome|Jack Rakan]] from ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima (Manga)|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
* Elmer C. Albatross of ''[[Baccano
* ''[[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 ''[[So Ra No
* 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|
* Main point of [[Kino's Journey]]: "The world is not beautiful, therefore it is".
== 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.
* [[
** There's actually a surprisingly deep quote in ''[[Batman and Robin (
{{quote|
* Despite hanging out with various Norse gods and calling [[The Mighty Thor|Thor]] "oathbrother", Beta Ray Bill does not believe in God in the theological sense. This doesn't stop him from being a true hero.
{{quote|
== 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|
* 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.
** ''[[
*** 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]]:
{{quote|
*** Wesley outright states the existential nature of the character Angel (as well as the series itself) when he says:
{{quote|
*** Contrary to Angel, his son Connor also encounters an existential crisis, but he acts as a [[Foil|mirror image]] to his father by going the opposite route and becoming a [[Nietzsche Wannabe]].
* Dean Winchester of ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'' to some extent, at least up until episode 2 of season 4.
* Implied by Oma Desala in ''[[Stargate SG
{{quote|
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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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* This is the life philosophy of the [[Mind Hive|Geth]] in [[Mass Effect]]. {{spoiler|The usual philosophical conundrums of organics are easily answered by the Geth: Why do we exist? What happens after death? For the Geth, they were created to be menial labor for the Quarians, and their memories are archived after "death". Since they are no longer performing their original task and have been "disowned" by their "gods", they have created their own purpose: total unity of ther [[Mind Hive]] in a single giant "Dyson Sphere" platform (though a more accurate analogy would be a Jupiter Brain). The True Geth (which Legion is from) want to do so on their own terms along technology paths they find themselves, while the Heretic sect took an easier, more controlled path under the command of the Reapers.}}
* The [[Assassin's Creed]]; "Nothing is true, everything is permitted." There is no God. There is no Devil. There are only [[Humans Are Flawed|Flawed Humans]], the children of flawed [[Precursors]]. So if we wish to live in peace, prosperity and freedom, ''we'' must build a civilization that permits those things.
{{quote|
'''Ezio Auditore da Firenze''': ''...merely an observation of the nature of reality: To say that nothing is true is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile, and that we must be the shepherds of our own civilization. To say that everything is permitted is to understand that we are the architects of our actions, and that we must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic.'' }}
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== Visual Novels ==
* In ''[[Fate/stay
== Webcomics ==
* There is a ''[[
* [http://asofterworld.com/index.php?id=767 This] [[A Softer World]] strip sums it up pretty well. "Nothing matters at all. Might as well be nice to people."
== Web Original ==
* [[
== Western Animation ==
* [[Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure|According to Rufus]], the entire future will be based on this:
{{quote|
== Real Life ==
* [[
* Soren Kierkegaard's "Knight of Faith", one of the major influences to the Existentialist trope. You fully accept that following such stuff about God and ethics are ultimately an absurd goal in this life, but in contrast to the aesthetic "nihilist" and the otherworldly "knight of infinite resignation", you still prefer to make the most virtuous out of it.
* 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
* 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.
* [[Albert Camus]], despite [[The Stranger]].
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[[Category:Heroic Spirit]]
[[Category:Philosophy Tropes]]
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