 It occurred to me that somehow I'd gotten through another Sunday, that mother was now buried and tomorrow I'd be going back to work as usual. Really nothing in my life had changed. All of us who are born into this world have one thing awaiting us for certain. It's that one day, no matter how smart, how rich, how popular we are, all of our lives will come to an end. The world does not stop. It'll keep moving whether we're here or not. The sun still rises and sets, the seasons come and go, everyone in the world, our friends, our family, and our loved ones will wake up the next day, go back to work, and keep on living. How does this make you feel? Some people find this truth very disturbing, making them feel very sad and even hopeless. This is called an existential crisis. For thousands of years, philosophers and writers have written about it, where they experience deep depression and sadness because of the pain they feel towards their existence. And some of us may be experiencing this today. So what can we do about this feeling? While taking long walks or breathing exercises can help reduce your anxiety, we believe that a shift in perspective is much more important when dealing with existential pain. So in this existential crisis series, we're going to look at the different ways that people have responded to their own experience of it. To do that, we want to examine three perspectives that people have used to deal with their existential pain. Starting with nihilism. Nihilism is a principle which rejects generally accepted beliefs of human existence like morality, values, and meaning. It is the belief that life is ultimately meaningless and that trying to find meaning is pointless. Some popular TV shows characters like Shinji Ikari, Tyler Darden, The Joker, Rick and Morty often display nihilistic behaviors. While nihilism is often portrayed in a negative light in most characters, there are some benefits to believing that life ultimately has no meaning. Because of this, people who are truly nihilistic are not afraid of what other people normally fear. It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything. People who are truly nihilistic are free from the everyday expectations from society and others. They're not scared of how others perceive them, they're not scared to try new things, and they're certainly not scared of breaking traditions that most people feel obligated to follow. To live is to risk it all, otherwise you're just an inert chunk of randomly assembled molecules drifting wherever the universe blows you. Of course, there are some drawbacks to the belief that everything is ultimately pointless, especially when someone takes nihilism to extreme measures. Extreme nihilists can potentially make unpredictable and often destructive choices, regardless of the consequences. Their belief rejects everything that most people depend on, such as community, love, religion and law and order, which frees them from fear of making any type of decision. Extreme nihilists also believe they can do whatever they want, regardless of who might get hurt along the way. Their actions can be reckless, which often causes a lot of pain and harm to those around them, but sometimes even to themselves. Their belief that life is meaningless can drive them to push the definition of free will in a harsh, destructive pattern. In each of their worlds, Rick destroys several parallel universes whenever he deems it convenient. Tyler threatens and hurts other people for his pleasure. The Joker terrorizes Gotham City with his unpredictable nature. One of them are restricted by culture, religion or laws. Why? Let's be clear, all these characters and works of fiction are often exaggerated for entertainment. Not all nihilists behave like this, making one foolish choice after another, and while the belief that everything is meaningless can potentially be dangerous, it can also free you from the fear of trying new things or taking risks that would otherwise scare you. Just to tell you to go ask out that crush, travel the world or go do the thing you always wanted to do. Why be afraid to try new things if nothing matters in the end? Why be afraid of anything? So what about you? Would you consider yourself a nihilist? And what do you think of this video? Let us know in the comments below. If you want to see more videos like this, don't forget to like and subscribe.