Man, sure is nihilistic/misanthropistic/generic-vaguely-hipster-outlook in here.

[Hellz_Barz]

Don't forgot our other favourite, the old "I've just last faith for all of humanity". Because idiots around the world are suddenly new to this era.

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

Pack psychology, typical age-related thought patterns... chalk it up to whatever you want, but don't toss nihilism into the category of negativity. Nihilism is just logic.

 

[lacktheknack]

Yeah, that's kind of how the Escapist works. If you're not feeling like you're better than someone - or, for the hardcore, everyone - you're not doing it right ;D

I'm not having a go, no-no-no, that's just what I can make of the attitudes you refer to

It's the internet, if we're not yelling obscenities at each other then we're talking about how superior we are to the rest of the sheeple and about how we're one of the only ones who see the world for what it is.

Wow! Five Ayn Rand fans on the same train! Must be on their way to a convention.

...Alt-text for the win.

[small] No one will get this but me [/small]

I GOT IT! I wanted to type the same thing! Do I get a cookie?

(Is it sad that I often find the alt-text to be funnier than the comic?)

Anyways, The website IS fairly elitist, and elitists are inherently more misanthropic/nihlistic than the plebs they act superior to. We kinda bring it on ourselves.

Not me, I'm all happiness and sunshine, as my array of avatars show.

 

[lacktheknack]

So basically, the reasoning of a lot of people posting in this thread is "They think that they are better than everyone else but they're actually idiots, unlike me."

Wait, what?

Don't play dense, that's the point of most internet arguments.

Either A:

Comprehension/irony fail, or B:

You think that self-murdering arguments are a GOOD thing. Um. Okay then.

 

[LikeDustInTheWind]

snippety snip

I GOT IT! I wanted to type the same thing! Do I get a cookie?

Fine, if you insist. *hands cookie*

(Is it sad that I often find the alt-text to be funnier than the comic?)

Nah, I do too.

Not me, I'm all happiness and sunshine, as my array of avatars show.

Hooray for sunshine and happiness and such!

 

[Klepa]

Puberty. You must remember that.

Exactly this. The nihilistic and misanthropic attitude in here perfectly mirrors the one I had, when I was 16.

It gives me a kind of nostalgic timetravel experience, which is why I keep reading these forums.

 

[Dr Snakeman]

EDIT: Looking at this thread so far, I'm beginning to draw the conclusion that the only thing we despise and claim superiority over more than the human race in general is - wait for it - The Escapist.

That's right. We are all so high up, we are above ourselves

Woah! Is it just me, or did it get really meta up in here?

But really, OP, we're a community of nerds. Groundless cynicism is pretty much par for the course.

 

[Charisma]

It reflects nothing but a very profound, chronic, global existential crisis. The western world becomes more dystopian every day. Realizing your life is functionally meaningless kinda sucks. Taking a position against the misanthropic position might seem clever, and by no means is Randall Munroe an idiot, but the reality is it's every bit as contrived and meaningless.

Dystopian? well gee, life back in the 50's sure seemed like a cake-walk, what with all the world-wars that were going on. Hell, how about something more recent, say the 80's, where the world was on the precipice of nuclear war.

But what about the the middle ages? or the renaissance? dunno if the black plague/spanish influenza/countless wars/religious persecution/invasions/poverty/terrible living conditions/terrible life in general is your cup of tea, but the world today seems a bit brighter than before, doesn't it?

Sure we may have our set of problems, but considering that we have achieved so much and will achieve so much more (seeing as we are more and more educated), a solution to our current predicament is not an unlikely one. It simply takes someone who cares enough to do something about it, so if everyone would start paying attention to the bigger picture (instead of wallowing in an existentialist stupor) we could easily manage.

Erm, do you understand what dystopian means?

 

[Lyri]

Seems like every few posters, there's the one that mentions his/her opinion that humanity/life in general is bad (despite how seemingly irrelevant this is to the actual topic). I don't get what it is about this 'community' that encourages this pseudo-philosophical perspective.

Don't forget the A-sexuals.

 

[captaincabbage]

Puberty. You must remember that.

yeah you pretty much ninja'd everyone else here, good job.

 

[Vault101]

Seems like every few posters, there's the one that mentions his/her opinion that humanity/life in general is bad (despite how seemingly irrelevant this is to the actual topic). I don't get what it is about this 'community' that encourages this pseudo-philosophical perspective.

I do, I swear to god one more person complain about humantiy I just want to tell them to shut the fuck up and love people

I would go out on a limb and say the popularity of yahztee may have somthing to do with it

 

[Vault101]

It reflects nothing but a very profound, chronic, global existential crisis. The western world becomes more dystopian every day. Realizing your life is functionally meaningless kinda sucks. Taking a position against the misanthropic position might seem clever, and by no means is Randall Munroe an idiot, but the reality is it's every bit as contrived and meaningless.

It's a little bit like Marx; people think they're clever for referencing the Opiate quote when indicting religion, never realizing Marx's real point was to absolve it and criticize the critics. And the next step of my point is that I'm no more clever for attacking the anti-misanthropes. Everything is preordained, the script of life has already been written. Nothing anyone can do is new or surprising.

Also, holy shit I'm negative today. Okay, let's run with that. This should be fun.

meaningless? speak for youself, oh sure in the universe we are all insignificant, and we shall all eventually be forgotten after death

but like I give a fuck what the universe thinks (and the western world isnt that bad...mabye in America things arnt too great though)

 

[Sion_Barzahd]

I don't understand why people think nihilism is for those who want to feel superior.

OP: i have to agree with root, its usually the hormones. Also the internet and a general constant state of aggression to strangers in the world seems to brood apathetic states of being really.

 

[Hyper-space]

It reflects nothing but a very profound, chronic, global existential crisis. The western world becomes more dystopian every day. Realizing your life is functionally meaningless kinda sucks. Taking a position against the misanthropic position might seem clever, and by no means is Randall Munroe an idiot, but the reality is it's every bit as contrived and meaningless.

Dystopian? well gee, life back in the 50's sure seemed like a cake-walk, what with all the world-wars that were going on. Hell, how about something more recent, say the 80's, where the world was on the precipice of nuclear war.

But what about the the middle ages? or the renaissance? dunno if the black plague/spanish influenza/countless wars/religious persecution/invasions/poverty/terrible living conditions/terrible life in general is your cup of tea, but the world today seems a bit brighter than before, doesn't it?

Sure we may have our set of problems, but considering that we have achieved so much and will achieve so much more (seeing as we are more and more educated), a solution to our current predicament is not an unlikely one. It simply takes someone who cares enough to do something about it, so if everyone would start paying attention to the bigger picture (instead of wallowing in an existentialist stupor) we could easily manage.

Erm, do you understand what dystopian means?

Yes, and that is why i included the cold-war (should have pointed out the McCarthy-era) and religious persecution in the middle ages, as it represents a time when saying ones opinion was lethal and/or would land you in jail. Which to me sounds like an oppressive state of things.

For you Americans the patriot act might make you think that the entire world is becoming more dystopian, but that doesn't represent every freaking country there is. Hell, for those in Egypt their recent uprising might seem like the opposite of dystopian, that their world is becoming a bit freer and brighter.