Existentialism holds that individuals are solely responsible for giving their own lives meaning and creating their own essence, without predetermined notions, as existence precedes essence. Nihilism believes that life has no inherent meaning or purpose, as nothing ultimately matters given our inevitable death. Existentialism counters that while we may come from nothingness, being alive provides the opportunity to create purpose and meaning through our own free will and decisions.

1. Existentialism & Nihilism:
What’s the Difference?

2. What Is Existentialism?
• Existentialism is a philosophy that originated in Europe and became extremely
popular after the devastating events of WWII. One of the first people to
describe themselves as an existentialist was a man by the name of Jean-Paul
Sartre. The basis of his thought can be summed up as follows: “What all
existentialists have in common is the fundamental doctrine that existence
precedes essence.” To put this in simpler terms– we as human beings have no
predefined box that we must fit into.

3. • We create meaning for our lives by the decisions we make and the
paths we decide to go down. This does not mean we can do whatever
we want without consequence, as the actions we take define who we
are. So, if you say “I am a kind person”– but then proceed to viciously
insult people, an existentialist will look at you and determine that you
are in fact very mean, despite what you claim to be. This is because
you are being judged based on the actions you take, and not by what
you think you are. You are held fully accountable for your behavior
and this shapes your reality moving forward

4. • According to Sartre, one day a student of his walked up and asked for
advice about a moral dilemma he was facing. The boy could either join
the military and become a small part of a large movement, or he could
stay home and take care of his mother– making him the focal point of
her entire life as she could barely take care of herself. Sartre told him
that there was no right answer. It was up to the boy to decide what he
deemed to be more important, thus giving him free will to decide his
path. Existentialism tells us that we are the artists of our lives, and we
are free to create our own destinies– we have no ineluctable fate.
There are millions of different paths to choose from and we are not
bound to a singular timeline. What a freeing thought indeed!

5. Having an Existential Crisis?
• Alas, on the downside of such freedom, many people may face something
called existential dread. This means that they are overwhelmed by the amount of
uncertainties life has to offer. For example– imagine being alive in the olden days,
completely fine with following your religion because that is all you have ever known until
one afternoon a philosopher announces: “Actually… we come from nothing! Never mind
about that whole worshipping God ordeal!”. You would likely be taken on a roller coaster
of emotions, as you begin to have an existential crisis. Without religion or a set of rules to
follow, one might become anxious at the idea of “not knowing”. Not knowing what’s next,
not knowing why we’re here, and not knowing what the grand purpose is of life.
• Ironically, that is the beauty of existentialism – we create our grand purpose in life without
any preconceived ideas getting in the way. Life does not give us meaning, but we give
meaning to life.

6. What Is Nihilism?
• “If we believe in nothing if nothing has any meaning, and if we can affirm no
values whatsoever, then everything is possible and nothing has any
importance. "Albert Camus
• Nihilism is another European philosophy that arose during the 19th century
when people started to become tired of the local governments and wondered
what made people in power more important than your average joe. The masses
also started to question religion, after philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche claimed
that “God is dead”. Well, if God is dead… what has been the point of all the
worship and dedication to serving said “God”? The rise of this thought process
alone led many people to question the purpose of everything if we came from
nothing.

7. • The word itself comes from the Latin term, nihil, which means “nothing”. What
makes someone a better candidate to rule a nation, if everyone was born from
nothingness? If there was no real point to anything, why do some people get to be
treated better than others? These are a few questions that a Nihilist would ask you.
• To get into the mind of the Nihilist and fully understand the theories of
Nihilism better, ask yourself why you believe what you believe. Where did the idea
come from and why was it presented to you? Who created your belief system and
why? If you keep digging deeper, you will get to a point where there is no longer a
definitive answer. Regardless of religion or science, the question “why” or “what is
the point” will never have a direct answer. This is where Nihilism comes into play.
The conclusion to them is that there is no purpose or answer. We are here merely to
just survive and someday die. Nothing we do truly matters, as we do not know the
tangible source of where we were before life and where we will go after.

8. • Nihilists quite literally believe in nothingness. They do not believe there is good
in the world, nor do they believe there is bad. It is the idea that our world simply
exists, as it did before humans came around. Our planet did not give us a
tangible list of rules to follow, therefore humans created the ideology of
morality themselves. A nihilist would ask– “well, what human was deemed
important enough to create such morality laws?”. No answer could possibly
satisfy the nihilist mind.
• Nihilism claims that there is no grand idea or purpose, so therefore there is no
meaning to life. Life is what you make it, but don’t become too attached,
because we all have the same fate: death. How uplifting! Although, it can feel
liberating to accept this mindset. If nothing matters, why not have fun and do
whatever you please

9. The Difference Between Existentialism and
Nihilism
• “Why do we argue? Life’s so fragile, a successful virus clinging to a speck of
mud, suspended in endless nothing.” Alan Moore
• The questions that arise with Nihilism are answered with the ideologies of
Existentialism. Nihilism says nothing matters because we came from
nothingness, so do whatever you want because who cares about anything?
They claim there is no objective meaning to life, therefore there is no purpose.

10. • Existentialism comes in and says that you give meaning to your life. Regardless if
we came from nothing– you are here now and that is what matters. As long as you
are alive at this very moment, you can decide your fate and nobody can take that
power away from you. Your grand purpose is to create a life you believe is worth
living. Live as your most authentic self, without the opinions of others swaying you
in different directions. When we take away the restrictions of religion or the
limitations of social structures, we are only left with ourselves. Who are you when
nobody’s looking? Who are you if you were born into a white box, hidden far away
from the teachings of others– it’s just you and your own ideas, who are you then?
• A Nihilist would answer that question and say you are “nothing” and “it wouldn’t
matter”. An Existentialist would say you are “anything you’d like to be” as you
create your reality. And that is the grand difference between the two– one decides
that if there’s no God or source, there’s no point. The other says perhaps you are a
God, as your life’s destiny is in your own hands based on the choices you make.