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For some of you, the point of the title might be absurd. “The difference between nihilism and fatalism?” you might ask with incredulity. “Why, these two are the exact opposite of each other!”

But I’ve learned the lesson well: Never assume anything. This is especially the case when it comes to other people’s ideas. For a long time I naively assumed that if I could see the truth of something, others would too. But, apparently, self-delusion is what many people prefer.

In actual fact, most people to whom I’ve talked about nihilism seem to confuse it either with fatalism or depression. Let’s get this latter part out of the way: depression is, according to the American Psychiatric Association, “a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act.”

Depression is an illness. Nihilism and fatalism are philosophical viewpoints.

But what does that mean, and what are the differences between nihilism and fatalism? Moreover, why should we care?

Well, allow me to make it a bit personal and say that nihilism is a major part of what has helped me remain relatively sane. As the fool says in Ran, in a mad world, only the mad are sane!

The Difference between Nihilism and Fatalism Lies in the Metaphysics of Meaning

Forgetting this fancy heading for a moment – sometimes I can’t help my academic background – what this means is basically this: the difference between nihilism and fatalism is a matter of how each philosophical viewpoint approaches the bigger picture.

Let’s take them one by one to see what’s going on here.

What Is Nihilism?

Avoiding any fancy, complicated words, to the question “What is Nihilism?” the answer is: the denial that there is some underlying, grand meaning behind life or human existence.

For most nihilists, life and human existence serve no particular purpose, have no inherent (more of this in a moment) meaning, and are of no particular value.

The concept of “inherent meaning” refers to nihilists not believing that there is meaning (and value) as a natural consequence of existing. That is not to say that a nihilist wouldn’t find meaning in their own life or individual actions – perhaps that is one point of contact for the misunderstanding between nihilism, fatalism, and depression.

What Is Fatalism?

Fatalism, on the other hand, affirms that there is no meaning in human actions as a result of their inevitability. For a fatalist, everything we do is the only course of action we could’ve taken anyway, because everything is predetermined.

As the name implies, fatalism basically affirms that the best (indeed the only!) course of action is to submit to one’s fate.

The Difference between Nihilism and Fatalism: Practical Outlook

We’ve seen the theoretical underpinnings of each philosophical viewpoint, nihilism and fatalism.

Of course, keep in mind that I only offered a very generic, necessarily incomplete description of each, to keep the post accessible. Each of the two, nihilism and fatalism, has many different hues and interpretations, some of which vary significantly from one another.

Still, even with these brief definitions, we need to focus on the practicalities of the matter. In other words, how does the difference between nihilism and fatalism can affect our lives? What does each viewpoint have to offer?

Fatalism Is about Abandoning Responsibility

I begin with fatalism because I simply can’t accept its premise. Fatalism is a cop-out, the way religion or selecting representatives are excuses for someone to avoid taking responsibility.

Fatalism asks you to sit tight and do nothing, because you can’t change it anyway. More damaging is the effect of self-fulfilling prophecy at play: Anything that happens to a person can be conveniently explained as a result of “fate” or “destiny”.

Nihilism Is about Taking Responsibility

Nihilism – precisely as a result of its not being convinced about the existence of inherent meanings, purposes, or value – is the exact opposite. Essentially, nihilism is about taking responsibility, as there are no gods and no masters to do it for you.

Therefore, we could say that the difference between nihilism and fatalism in terms of results is a consequence of their initial conditions. Surely an ironic remark considering the deterministic premises of fatalism!

“Should I Become a Nihilist?”

Well, you can’t “become” a nihilist, the way you can’t convince yourself to believe in a god – unless your name is Blaise Pascal and you like to formulate ridiculous wagers.

In other words, you can’t choose to believe in nihilism but, as with every solid hypothesisThis poses no claim about whether the hypothesis is true; only that it is presented in a (relatively) straightforward, solid manner. Of course, if we want to be intellectually honest, we should also attempt to debate whether nihilism has indeed presented its case in a solid manner. I think it is a matter of the so-called burden of proof. In my opinion, precisely because nihilism affirms there is no inherent meaning, value, or purpose, it places the burden of proof on other philosophical viewpoints., you can become convinced by it.

As I mentioned earlier – and this is an entirely subjective stance, that may or may not be useful or applicable to others – nihilism has been one of the reasons I have (mostly) maintained my sanity in an insane world.

Nihilism Is not about a Disregard for Ethics (quite the Contrary)

There is no purpose in my life I have to go after; only what I choose to. Similarly, I see no real point in humanity surviving – let alone “saving the planet“. It might not come as a surprise to you if I told you I don’t believe in any sort of afterlife, either – though, to quote Giacomo Leopardi, “Who can know the limits of possibility?”

And if you think the aforementioned somehow affect my ethics or personal motivation, let it be known that I feel very content and motivated in my life, going after things I care about and like (rather than what any external factor, corporeal or not, would impose on me).

I also do my part in taking care of the environment – it’s of no personal benefit or importance to me, but I do it for the hell of it. It’s a nice everyday exercise to categorize your waste, and I prefer to take the bus than having to own a car. Indeed, if this goddamn planet that everyone wants to save had a voice, she would tell us to stop bombing the fuck out of her (killing people in the process) before we even think of talking about plastic straws.

As for gods and devils, heavens and hells… Allow me to end this post quoting Terence McKenna:

The apocalypse is not something which is coming. The apocalypse has arrived in major portions of the planet and it’s only because we live within a bubble of incredible privilege and social insulation that we still have the luxury of anticipating the apocalypse.