Skeptic Depression

Believers and non-believers alike have asked me about the potential depression that comes with a life free of the belief or faith in a purpose granting, paradise promising deity. It's old hat for theists to accuse me of being miserable and depressed due to my life without God, but recently I've also heard from atheists who seem legitimately depressed as a result of their delusion free world view. They've tried to explain to me that they can now understand why the religious people so desperately clutch to illogical, nonsensical, and absurd beliefs. They explain that it makes sense to do so, being that their lives of free thought have exposed to them just how pointless and empty life must be.
In my opinion the meaning of life question is a trite and trivial one- and no, the answer isn't 42. The decision of life's purpose belongs entirely to the individual. The evident understanding that our lives don't have a pre-determined meaning or a guaranteed afterlife waiting for us shouldn't be depressing. I prefer being the lone drafter of my life goals and evaluator of my success. This preference, however does not dictate my position. I didn't decide to take a path of free thought, skepticism and atheism because I like being personally accountable for what I do with my own life. Even if I took the position of those depressed skeptics who consider life meaningless without the illusion of God-given purpose, no level of desire for that perspective could allow me to convince myself of that for which I can see no actual evidence or logical presence of, and if I was genuinely convinced a god exists, no level of desire to the contrary would allow me genuinely disbelieve my own convictions. I might really want to believe that when I wake up tomorrow I'll have a job as Beyonce's personal masseur- but my desires do not inform my actual beliefs.
So, I'm perfectly happy to enjoy the many things life has to offer, even though it also offers plenty of things to be upset about. One of my favorite teachers taught me that nature craves balance. There are emotional valleys and plateaus to suffer through and be enthralled by. We are fortunate enough against all odds to be living beings, to enjoy a sliver of time as a part of this colossal cosmos with an intellect just strong enough to be self-aware, and capable of appreciating the majesty of all existence around us. I consider it a privilege to have the atoms and molecules that make up our physical existence temporarily taking the form of sentient beings with conscious brains.
As living beings with those complex brains, we're able to experience the emotional jolts of terror, love, hope, victory, defeat, and wonder in a way the overwhelmingly vast majority of molecular compositions throughout the known galaxy ever could. In my opinion, the ability to hold those experiences, and the understanding of just how rare and finite they are make this life very special, and I'm humbled and appreciative to partake in it. So no, most other people living their lives don't see eye to eye with me, and I think they'd be better off if they did- and no, life doesn't come with a neat little instruction booklet, or a gift-wrapped objective meaning. But, from my perspective, life is just too short to spend it in depression because of it.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Grappling
• Ignorance
• depression
• atheism
• atheist
• skeptical
• skeptic
• love
• life
• philosophy
• joy
• emotions
• purpose
• meaning

[dancesonpoles]

I am one of those who gets a bit depressed, because even though there are plenty of beautiful and amazing things and reasons to live for, it doesn't change the deep ugly of this world either. The want for something more, such as a world of true compassion, equality, love, and peace. With belief in a God that world is promised, to some extent depending on the religion. I still can't bring myself to believe in one though :/

[GrapplingIgnorance]

@dancesonpoles That's because desires shouldn't inform your beliefs or your understanding of truth.

[Snakepliskinist]

Rarely do I see a perspective that so closely matches my own. "Trite and trivial" indeed. Also, the rational processes of my mind attack and destroy "belief" in much the fashion of the immune system with a foreign organism. I could not prevent either with any amount of desire, nor would I want to. Truth (which cares not for your comfort) is a poison to emotional well-being. If one has an insatiable craving for this poison, the options are: develop a resistance, or die.

[GrapplingIgnorance]

@Snakepliskinist Bingo.

[smv1172]

Do you know of any good non-faith based resources for people who are non-believers, but are dealing with tragedy? Maybe I am not proficient at searches, but I find all manner of guides and such that while supposedly non-religious refer to higher powers and what not. Faith puts things into a frame of reference that allows the individual to rail against or accept that it is part of some grand plan, I would love to see alternatives. Railing against an indifferent cosmos feels lacking.

[GrapplingIgnorance]

@smv1172 I don't rail against anything. When I'm dealing with hard times, I don't need to convince myself that any/every bad thing that happens to be is part of some greater plan set in motion by a higher power. I keep my problems in best perspective as I can given my minute place in the universality, and I understand I only have one life to live, in which good and bad things happen, so I'd rather relish the good than to dwell on the tragically bad.

[GrapplingIgnorance]

@KrisBlueNZ I don't consider a happy delusion to be a contributor to good mental health.

[GrapplingIgnorance]

@BeautifulMagical Sounds like a failed analogy.

[Blaizerazer]

mwa.

[grahamgeons]

Forcing myself to believe in delusions would cause me to be depressed. Without those delusions I'm not confused or depressed. If your depressed and are not deluded your clearly not optimizing the value of your life.

[Keitaro2011]

@dancesonpoles You didn't. It's just a common trap of optimism.

In my opinion, magical thinking can be very empowering if applied correctly.

[dancesonpoles]

@Keitaro2011 I'm confused. Where did I say anything but not doing anything?

[Keitaro2011]

@dancesonpoles You could have faith in humanity. Even for things like reversing death with some advanced technology. However, that shouldn't be an excuse to not do anything. I DID want to go to college to be a physicist and help to perhaps make time travel a reality. I realized that I wasn't cut out for acedemia at all. So now, I'm learning independently C++ which is much more in harmony with the way my brain works. Do what you can. If you think you have a good idea, share it.

[caseykc18]

{2} As the very thought is scary and repulsing. I know that this is depression, i've never felt anything like it.. I'm lonely, sick, stressed, and depressed.

[caseykc18]

I'm usually one to say I'm a perfectly happy atheist... But I have been depressed lately, as I do not fit in, and that I know there is no god. Earth in comparison to the universe is so small... Anything that we could do wouldn't change anything beyond earth. I am deeply depressed lately, and I know not one person who can relate with me. I'm a sophomore in high school, and my peers are cliche teenagers. I truly wish I believed in religion, despite its falsity. I would never commit suicide though

[blancol]

Epic ending.

What is the meaning of life? FCUKING being alive!

[camcan004]

awww... that ending was cute

[dancesonpoles]

@GrapplingIgnorance but that doesn't change the fact that as a human being who naturally hopes for a better, more loving, more fair world, you get depressed from time to time when realizing that there is more logic in a God NOT existing, and that there will never be a true answer for all the negative pain found in this world. Just "the laws of nature." That can be saddening when you've seen true pointless suffering of so many undeserving people and living creatures.