--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...not positive about the definition of…" description: "\"“...not positive about the definition of existentialism but it seems like the opposite of nihilism in which case I suppose I may be.”\" — Autumn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/autumn-88550_existentialism_not-positive-about-the-definition-of-exi_205615.jpg" --- # ...not positive about the definition of existentialism but… ![“...not positive about the definition of existentialism but it seems like the opposite of nihilism in which case I suppose I may be.” quote by Autumn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/autumn-88550_existentialism_not-positive-about-the-definition-of-exi_205615.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/autumn-88550_existentialism_not-positive-about-the-definition-of-exi_205615.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/autumn-88550_existentialism_not-positive-about-the-definition-of-exi_205615.jpg) > ““...not positive about the definition of existentialism but it seems like the opposite of nihilism in which case I suppose I may be.”” [Autumn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker is uncertain about existentialism, suggesting it may be the opposite of nihilism, implying a search for meaning. **In simple terms:** Unsure about existentialism, but sees it as meaning versus nothingness. Key Takeaway Explore meaning rather than dismissing it. Themes meaning philosophy uncertainty Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type philosophical conversational When to use this quote - personal reflection - academic study - creative writing - debate Key Concepts existentialism nihilism Questions to Reflect On - What does meaning look like for you? - How does denying nihilism shape your actions? A Different Perspective Lack of clear definition can lead to confusion or misuse of terms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Definition Existentialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition-existentialism-2135557/) [Existentialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism/) [Existentialism Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism-like-2135556/) [Nihilism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nihilism/) [Opposite Nihilism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposite-nihilism-2135555/) ## Related quotes > [“Obviously simplicity isn’t an unalloyed good — existentialism might be more like jumbling everything together into boxes and sorting it out when you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-kotsko/obviously-simplicity-isn-t-an-unalloyed-good-existentialism-might-be/) [Adam Kotsko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-kotsko/) > [“the problem is not suffering itself or oblivion itself but the depraved meaninglessness of these things, the absolutely inhuman nihilism of suffering.. what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-problem-is-not-suffering-itself-or-oblivion-itself-but-the/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Christian theology is a hair's breadth away from nihilism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milbank/christian-theology-is-a-hair-s-breadth-away-from-nihilism/) [John Milbank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milbank/) > [In the doctrine of the world and humankind as 'will to power and nothing else', Heidegger identified not an antidote to nihilism, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-cooper/in-the-doctrine-of-the-world-and-humankind-as-will-to-power-and/) [David E. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-cooper/) > [Are there any good arguments in defence of moral nihilism? I think not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torbjorn-tannsjo/are-there-any-good-arguments-in-defence-of-moral-nihilism-i-think-not/) [Torbjorn Tannsjo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torbjorn-tannsjo/) > [But why should a religious person be interested in a work like Heidegger's that many regard as the epitome of nihilism? For a start,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pattison/but-why-should-a-religious-person-be-interested-in-a-work-like/) [George Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pattison/) > [Nihilism is but the other side of conventionalism; its creed consists of negations of the current so-called positive values, to which it remains bound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/nihilism-is-but-the-other-side-of-conventionalism-its-creed-consists/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [“...only the one who knows and practices the iconoclastic fury of destruction can possess the joy born of freedom, of that unique freedom fertilized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renzo-novatore/only-the-one-who-knows-and-practices-the-iconoclastic-fury-of/) [Renzo Novatore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renzo-novatore/) > [Courage is impulsive; it is narcissism tempered with nihilism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/courage-is-impulsive-it-is-narcissism-tempered-with-nihilism/) [Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/) > [“Where you come from is gone, where you thought you were going to never was there, and where you are is no good unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/where-you-come-from-is-gone-where-you-thought-you-were-going-to-never/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [That is the most extreme form of nihilism: nothingness (the "meaningless") eternally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/that-is-the-most-extreme-form-of-nihilism-nothingness-the-meaningless/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The Universe will now be set right. Made over to fit my unique view of what should be. Let Nihilism reign supreme!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-starlin/the-universe-will-now-be-set-right-made-over-to-fit-my-unique-view-of/) [Jim Starlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-starlin/) > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [If critics and fanboys weren't suckers for simplistic nihilism and high-pressure marketing, Afterlife would be universally acclaimed as a visionary feat, superior to Inception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armond-white/if-critics-and-fanboys-weren-t-suckers-for-simplistic-nihilism-and/) [Armond White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armond-white/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) ## More by Autumn > [I am who I am if u dont like it then thats your problem I'm not here to please you I'm here to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn/i-am-who-i-am-if-u-dont-like-it-then-thats-your-problem-i-m-not-here/) [Autumn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn/) > [“Love can tame even the wildest of animals, including the human heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn/love-can-tame-even-the-wildest-of-animals-including-the-human-heart/) [Autumn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn/) [Explore all 3 Autumn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn/) ## More Existentialism quotes > [There is no human nature, since there is no god to conceive it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/there-is-no-human-nature-since-there-is-no-god-to-conceive-it/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [“The mission is, not to replace old world mindlessness with new world mindlessness, but to put an end to all forms of brainless authoritarianism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-mission-is-not-to-replace-old-world-mindlessness-with-new-world/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-shepherd-and-one-herd-everybody-wants-the-same-everybody-is-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [If critics and fanboys weren't suckers for simplistic nihilism and high-pressure marketing, Afterlife would be universally acclaimed as a visionary feat, superior to Inception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armond-white/if-critics-and-fanboys-weren-t-suckers-for-simplistic-nihilism-and/) [Armond White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armond-white/) > [“People may have to die, but morbidity will live forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/people-may-have-to-die-but-morbidity-will-live-forever/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [“There are no greater or truer lords, gods, fathers, sons or holy spirits, than the humans. Humans are the highest beings on earth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/there-are-no-greater-or-truer-lords-gods-fathers-sons-or-holy-spirits/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“To seek out the upright. No fall but preceded by a declination. He took great marching steps into the nothingness, counting them against his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/to-seek-out-the-upright-no-fall-but-preceded-by-a-declination-he-took/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/what-are-we-doing-here-that-is-the-question-and-we-are-blessed-in/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“If we are unable to tolerate ourselves when we are alone, how can we expect anyone else to be enriched by our company? Before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-corey/if-we-are-unable-to-tolerate-ourselves-when-we-are-alone-how-can-we/) [Gerald Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-corey/) > [Desire is this absurdity that holds open the infinity of possibility. Ever optimistic, ever resourceful, desire tells us what it sees as it speeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-farley/desire-is-this-absurdity-that-holds-open-the-infinity-of-possibility/) [Wendy Farley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-farley/) > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Life packed a clever one-two punch: cruelty and absurdity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/life-packed-a-clever-one-two-punch-cruelty-and-absurdity/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) [Browse all 984 Existentialism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...not positive about the definition of existentialism but it seems like the opposite of nihilism in which case I suppose I may be.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Autumn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn/not-positive-about-the-definition-of-existentialism-but-it-seems-like/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Existentialism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn/not-positive-about-the-definition-of-existentialism-but-it-seems-like/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/autumn-88550_existentialism_not-positive-about-the-definition-of-exi_205615.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/autumn-88550_existentialism_not-positive-about-the-definition-of-exi_205615.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/autumn-88550_existentialism_not-positive-about-the-definition-of-exi_205615.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...not positive about the definition of existentialism but it seems like the opposite of nihilism in which…” — Autumn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Autumn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“...not positive about the definition of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn/not-positive-about-the-definition-of-existentialism-but-it-seems-like/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn/not-positive-about-the-definition-of-existentialism-but-it-seems-like/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```