What is nihilism? Explore the meaning and how it can affect you

Mental Health

Nov 25

Clinically reviewed by Dr. Chris Mosunic, PhD, RD, MBA

Nihilism suggests that meaning isn’t built into the world — we create it ourselves. Explore what nihilism means, its history, and how it can affect your mental wellbeing.

You might feel it after a really hard week. That sunken feeling that comes with a low mood, punctuated by the classic "what's the point of any of this?" feeling. If you’ve experienced this, don’t worry, you haven’t gone to the dark side; you’re just experiencing a moment of nihilism.

Nihilism is the idea that life lacks inherent meaning, purpose, or value, and that people must either create meaning for themselves or live without it.

For some people, nihilistic thoughts float in from time to time when they’re exhausted and burnt out. For others, it’s more of a conscious belief system that can either feel freeing or stir up feelings of emptiness and anxiety.

Ahead, we’ll get into what nihilism means, what a nihilistic person often believes, and how this worldview can impact daily life and mental well-being.

What does nihilism mean?

Nihilism is the belief that life doesn’t come with built-in meaning, purpose, or value. The word comes from the Latin nihil, meaning “nothing,” which reflects its central idea that there is no universal truth guiding what matters. Instead, meaning is something humans create for themselves.

In philosophy, nihilism is often described as a response to the collapse of absolute beliefs. When traditional anchors like religion, morality, or cultural ideals lose their authority, nihilism poses the unsettling question: if nothing is inherently true or valuable, then why do anything at all?

This doesn’t mean nihilism is only about despair. Friedrich Nietzsche, one of the most recognized voices in this subject, argued that while nihilism reveals a void, it also opens the door to possibility. If old systems don’t dictate meaning, then people are free to define life on their own terms. This freedom can feel empowering or destabilizing, depending on how someone engages with it.

Outside of academic philosophy, nihilism shows up in everyday life in subtle ways, from doubting whether career success really matters to questioning the fairness of social systems or rejecting traditional measures of happiness (like marriage and kids). Sometimes it’s expressed humorously (think dark memes), and other times it connects with deeper struggles around motivation, identity, or belonging.

What are the key principles of nihilism?

Nihilism isn’t a single, rigid philosophy but more of an overarching idea with different branches. Still, most forms share some common threads that life has no inherent script. It starts with the idea that purpose isn’t handed down from outside sources, like where you live, what you do for work, or if you’re partnered. Instead, people assign meaning to their lives themselves.

Here are some key principles of nihilism:

Morality is not absolute: Right and wrong aren’t seen as eternal truths but as social agreements that shift across time and culture.
Truth is unstable: Whether it’s religious, political, or cultural, nihilism forces people to question whether any system can truly claim to hold the one, universal truth.
Uncertainty is part of the deal: Nihilism doesn’t offer neat answers. It pushes people to live with unresolved questions, which can feel either freeing or unsettling.

There are also subtypes that highlight different areas of focus:

Existential nihilism: This questions the purpose of life itself.
Moral nihilism: This denies the existence of universal moral truths.
Epistemological nihilism: This doubts whether humans can know anything for certain.

These variations explain why nihilism can sound different depending on who’s describing it or practicing it. Sometimes, it’s about morality, sometimes truth, and sometimes about life’s ultimate purpose.

Can nihilism affect how someone lives their life?

Nihilism can make its way into daily choices in ways that are both helpful and harmful. For some, it brings a sense of freedom. If nothing has fixed meaning, then the pressure to meet society’s benchmarks, like climbing the career ladder, owning certain things, or living a “perfect” life, loses its weight and meaning. That thinking may open space for creativity, unconventional paths, and living more authentically.

For others, nihilism feels like a weight and a burden. If nothing matters, why try? This can sap motivation, create a sense of isolation, and make it hard to feel invested in goals or routines. The same perspective that empowers one person can leave another feeling completely deflated.

In practical terms, nihilism might look like:

Questioning whether work, success, or status have real value
Feeling disconnected from cultural traditions or social expectations
Struggling to stay motivated when long-term goals feel meaningless
Finding energy in building a life around personal values instead of outside approval

Whether nihilism becomes liberating or paralyzing often depends on someone’s ability (and support system) to create meaning on their own terms.

4 ways nihilism can impact mental health (and what to do about it)

Because nihilism causes you to question whether meaning, morality, or purpose exist, it can affect mental health in powerful ways. Sometimes it shows up as emptiness or anxiety, and other times as resilience. How someone experiences nihilism often depends on their coping strategies, community support, and ability to create meaning in daily life.

Here are four common ways nihilism can affect mental health, and ways to navigate them.

1. Increased feelings of emptiness

When life feels stripped of inherent meaning, some people find themselves often asking, “What’s the point?” This can lead to feelings of emotional flatness, depression, or disconnection from the world. In clinical psychology, this concept overlaps with the idea of an “existential vacuum,” a term Viktor Frankl used to describe the emptiness people feel when lacking a sense of purpose.

What helps: Research in meaning-centered therapy suggests that even small sources of personal meaning, like nurturing relationships, creative projects, or acts of kindness, can counteract that void. The goal isn’t to find “the answer” but to notice what brings a spark of purpose today.

2. Struggles with motivation

If nothing matters, then getting out of bed, pursuing a career, or sticking with routines can feel pointless. This lack of motivation often mirrors symptoms seen in depression, though nihilism itself isn’t a mental illness.

What helps: Setting small, personalized goals can reignite motivation. Instead of working toward success as society defines it, focus on making daily choices that align with your personal values (helping a friend, cooking a meal, or learning something new) to rebuild a sense of agency.

💙 Get tips on Finding Your Motivation from this session in the Calm app.

3. Existential anxiety

Nihilism can trigger existential anxiety — the uneasy awareness of life’s uncertainty, mortality, and lack of fixed meaning. While it’s not always pathological or extreme, it can lead to rumination and overwhelm if left unchecked.

What helps: Practices that ground attention in the present moment, such as mindfulness, journaling, or time in nature, can ease the mental churn. Clinically, therapies like acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) encourage people to live by chosen values without needing absolute answers to life’s biggest questions.

4. Potential for resilience and freedom

On the flip side, nihilism can also be a catalyst for resilience. When old systems or beliefs no longer feel reliable, realizing that meaning is self-made can be empowering. It gives you permission to write your own rules and focus on what genuinely matters to you.

What helps: Supportive communities, creative outlets, and value-based living all amplify this side of nihilism. Building meaning doesn’t have to happen in isolation. Relationships that uplift you and create a sense of community often serve as some of the strongest anchors of purpose.

💙 Need guidance on paving your own way in life? Practice Non-Judgment with Tamara Levitt on the Calm app.

What does nihilism mean FAQs

What is nihilism?

Nihilism is the belief that life, morality, or truth doesn’t have inherent meaning — it’s not “built into” the universe but created by people. That might sound bleak, but it doesn’t always have to be. Some people experience nihilism as a kind of existential void, while others see it as an invitation to decide for themselves what matters.

Philosophically, it has roots in 19th-century thought, especially in the work of Friedrich Nietzsche. In everyday life, it shows up in small ways, like questioning whether traditional success markers (a high-paying job, marriage, social status) are really meaningful.

Is nihilism the same as depression?

Depression is a diagnosable mental health condition marked by persistent sadness, low energy, loss of interest, and other clinical symptoms. Nihilism, on the other hand, is a philosophical worldview. That said, the two can overlap.

Someone with depression might adopt nihilistic thoughts like “nothing matters” or “life has no point,” which can deepen their sense of hopelessness. On the flip side, not everyone who questions meaning or leans into nihilism is depressed. It’s possible to explore these ideas without it being tied to a mental illness.

What is a nihilistic person like?

Generally speaking, a nihilistic person questions whether life, morality, or social rules have any built-in meaning. In everyday life, that might look like doubting the value of status, career ladders, traditions, or other expectations that many people treat as automatic.

How nihilistic thoughts impact daily life varies from person to person. For some people, this worldview can lead to greater detachment or reduced motivation. Others may feel relieved and more able to build a life around personal values rather than outside approval.

The difference often comes down to coping skills, support, and whether the person can create meaning through relationships, creativity, or community.

What is it called when someone thinks life is meaningless?

Thinking life is meaningless is often described as nihilism, especially when someone believes life has no inherent meaning, purpose, or value. That said, context matters. A philosophical belief that meaning is not built into the universe is different from feeling emotionally numb, hopeless, or unable to function.

If the thought shows up as a passing existential question, it may reflect a worldview or a period of reflection. If it comes with persistent sadness, loss of interest, or trouble getting through daily life, it may be tied to depression or another mental health concern rather than philosophy alone. Messy overlap happens because the brain rarely sticks to one category just to be convenient.

If you find yourself having frequent thoughts that you or your life don’t matter, seek help immediately. In the US, dial 988 for help. In the NHS, visit this resource for more information.

What are some examples of nihilism in everyday life?

Nihilism often slips into daily life in subtle ways. You might question whether working late nights to earn a promotion is really worth it, or doubt if societal rituals like weddings or holiday traditions have inherent value.

It can also show up as humor — laughing at dark jokes or memes about the pointlessness of everything. And for some, it can mean disengaging from certain expectations, like choosing not to pursue a conventional career path or rejecting the idea that happiness must look a specific way.

Can nihilism be a positive philosophy?

Yes, it can be. While traditional nihilism is often associated with emptiness or despair, many people reinterpret it as a chance to break free from rigid systems. If nothing is predetermined, then everything is open to creation.

That can feel liberating and give people permission to design their own values, experiment with new ways of living, or step outside of cultural pressures. This doesn’t erase the challenges nihilism can pose, but it does mean it has the potential to boost resilience, independence, and creativity when approached intentionally.

How is nihilism different from existentialism?

Both nihilism and existentialism center on the lack of inherent meaning in life, but they take different approaches from there. Nihilism often emphasizes the absence of meaning and can stop at that rejection.

Existentialism, by contrast, sees that void as the starting point for responsibility — if meaning isn’t given, then each person must create their own. In practice, existentialism tends to be more constructive, offering a framework for rebuilding purpose, while nihilism is more skeptical and sometimes more destabilizing.

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Calm Editorial Team