DE Weekly: Cynicism, Nihilism, & Rick and Morty
Below is an archived email originally sent on November 11, 2024.
Cynicism, Nihilism, & Rick and Morty
Cynicism and nihilism are two of the most pervasive ideologies of our time. That’s a bad thing. Don’t get me wrong–I’ve thought a lot about both, and I totally get it. I get how the state of the world could entice people to think this way. But these ideologies are pernicious ones–they eat away at you over time and corrode your soul and your spirit.
I’ll be honest: I have a short fuse when dealing with cynics and nihilists.
It’s because I believe, deep down, that we can willingly reject these ideas if we want. We will all feel them at some point–most of us as angsty teenagers, or perhaps during periods of great hardship–but we must reject them.
It’s what Camus offered as the only possible solution for the meaninglessness of the world: revolt. Revolt against the absurdity and live a meaningful life on our own terms.
But everywhere we seem to look these days, creeping in through our screens into our ears and into our eyes is the shadow of nihilism. It’s no wonder so many people feel so lost.
There’s a podcaster I like: Chris Williamson. He’s the host of Modern Wisdom and shares insightful takes on lots of things.
He had this to say about cynicism:
“Being black pilled guarantees that you can’t be accused of naivety. This is a huge driver for why cynicism is so popular I think. I am honestly so bored of cynicism on the internet . . . I'm sick of seeing comment sections just filled with self-defeating, world-hating nihilists who are adamant that the world is against them and it's people who have goals that are the issue.”
This hits the nail on the head for me. It sums up the way I feel pretty nicely about the constant negativity that we are subject to, and can’t seem to escape if we try.
And like I said, it is hard to escape. It even seeps into the TV shows we watch to forget about the real world. Take Rick and Morty for example.
I used to love Rick and Morty. Not so much anymore. There was an episode (one of the best, in my opinion) back in the early days called “Rixty Minutes”.
In this episode, Rick replaces the family’s cable box with one that allows them to watch infinite channels from infinite realities.
In these realities, Morty and Summer’s parents, Jerry and Beth, see that there are many where they would have been “better off” without giving birth to Summer–happier, wealthier…
This causes Summer to spiral and plan to run away. Before she can, though, Morty confronts her.
He explains some of the adventures that he and Rick have been on, and some of the universes they have visited. At the end of his spiel, he tells her he’s not even her real brother. He’s her brother from another universe.
He then says one of the most memorable lines from the show: "Nobody exists anywhere, nobody belongs anywhere, everybody is going to die. Come watch TV.”
Like I said, I used to be a big fan of this show. And this was a quote that I used to think was pretty good. But here’s a secret–it’s only halfway true.
In saying this, Morty–like Camus–discovered something about the world: it has no plans for you. Seeing different universes will do that for you, I guess.
But unlike Camus, he didn’t take the right lesson from that. He decided that nothing matters, that everybody and everything can be replaced, and that no choice he makes is permanent. Perhaps his grandpa Rick was to blame for the negative conclusions.
What I wish he would have realized is that nihilism is only the symptom. Existentialism is the remedy.
What I mean by this is that I understand him. I think we all do. I think we’ve all felt the seductive pull of nihilism before. I just wish we all saw the way out.
I think existentialism, through its philosophizing of the meaning of life, finds a solution for cynicism and nihilism. It says, “No. I will not fall prey to the seductive prongs of nihilism. I will revolt.”
Chris Williamson says that “Cynicism is a guarded response. You're setting yourself up against disappointment. Its role within the system is to protect you against experiencing anything bad. It is a pre-emptive strike against a perceived threat.”
Again, I believe he’s right about that. Cynicism and nihilism are natural feelings and natural responses to some situations. But they’re a cop-out. They’re just too easy.
The hard choice, but the right choice, is carving out meaning in our lives on our own terms. It’s in revolting.
I think the longer you live, the more you’ll see this is true. I’ll leave you with a quote from the late, great comedian Norm Macdonald:
”At times, the joy that life attacks me with is unbearable and leads to gasping hysterical laughter. I find myself completely out of control and wonder how could life surprise me again and again and again, so completely. How could a man be a cynic? It is a sin.”
Thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Brandon J. Seltenrich
P.S.––
Here’s a “life hack” for you–you can enjoy shows like Rick and Morty and other modern pop culture that tackles topics like nihilism, but you don’t have to subscribe to them wholesale. There’s some good stuff in there, but then there’s some stuff that’s complete shit. Don’t be like Rick. Be like Camus. Revolt.
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