--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...\"I might be entertaining the idea of…" description: "\"“...\"I might be entertaining the idea of tamping down my nihilism. Just a bit. Not because life is not meaningless—I think that’s inarguable. It’s just..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed0/daryl-gregory-10433_existentialism_i-might-be-entertaining-the-idea-of-tamp_813877.jpg" --- # ..."I might be entertaining the idea of tamping down my… ![“..."I might be entertaining the idea of tamping down my nihilism. Just a bit. Not because life is not meaningless—I think that’s inarguable. It’s just that the constant awareness of its pointlessness is exhausting. I wouldn’t mind being oblivious again. I’d love to feel the wind in my face and…” quote by Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed0/daryl-gregory-10433_existentialism_i-might-be-entertaining-the-idea-of-tamp_813877.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed0/daryl-gregory-10433_existentialism_i-might-be-entertaining-the-idea-of-tamp_813877.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed0/daryl-gregory-10433_existentialism_i-might-be-entertaining-the-idea-of-tamp_813877.jpg) > ““..."I might be entertaining the idea of tamping down my nihilism. Just a bit. Not because life is not meaningless—I think that’s inarguable. It’s just that the constant awareness of its pointlessness is exhausting. I wouldn’t mind being oblivious again. I’d love to feel the wind in my face and think, just for minute, that I’m not going to crash into the rocks.” “You’re saying you’d like to be happy.”” [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character contemplates suppressing nihilism to briefly enjoy simple, sensory experiences despite life's inherent meaninglessness. **In simple terms:** Temporarily ignoring life's emptiness can bring brief joy. Key Takeaway Allow yourself moments of sensory pleasure. Themes nihilism existentialism pleasure escape Mood melancholic hopeful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - reading - personal reflection - mindfulness - seeking joy Key Concepts meaninglessness awareness temporary relief Questions to Reflect On - What small sensory experience can you cherish now? - Can brief joy offset deeper meaninglessness? A Different Perspective Such moments may be fleeting and cannot resolve deeper existential dread. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awareness Pointlessness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness-pointlessness-292820/) [Existentialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism/) [Humour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humour/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Meaningless Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningless-think-292819/) [Nihilism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nihilism/) [Nihilism Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nihilism-just-292821/) [Tamping Nihilism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tamping-nihilism-292818/) ## Related quotes > [I don't see any point in nihilism... just as I suppose the nihilist sees no point in everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-don-t-see-any-point-in-nihilism-just-as-i-suppose-the-nihilist-sees/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Horror, almost better than any of the other genres, pits the will to live against the will toward nihilism. I just think that's worth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karyn-kusama/horror-almost-better-than-any-of-the-other-genres-pits-the-will-to/) [Karyn Kusama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karyn-kusama/) > [There is no meaning in our world And no meaning is us who live there We, meaningless, think of the world Although knowing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/km-ii/there-is-no-meaning-in-our-world-and-no-meaning-is-us-who-live-there/) [KM II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/km-ii/) > [Humans do not engage in activities that are meaningless. If you think you see people doing things you find meaningless, look again and try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-jenkins/humans-do-not-engage-in-activities-that-are-meaningless-if-you-think/) [Henry Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-jenkins/) > [“...not positive about the definition of existentialism but it seems like the opposite of nihilism in which case I suppose I may be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn/not-positive-about-the-definition-of-existentialism-but-it-seems-like/) [Autumn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn/) > [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 Daryl Gregory > [“The human egg is a Mrs. Bennet, desperate to marry off her daughters...It is a truth universally acknowledged that a sperm must be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/the-human-egg-is-a-mrs-bennet-desperate-to-marry-off-her-daughters-it/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“He lit the cigarette and inhaled gratefully. "You want one?" "No thanks. Had a touch of the cancer a few years ago." "What kind?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/he-lit-the-cigarette-and-inhaled-gratefully-you-want-one-no-thanks/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“startled awake. Ollie froze for a moment, staring in his direction. The kid scrunched his face and yawned like a bear. I said to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/startled-awake-ollie-froze-for-a-moment-staring-in-his-direction-the/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“Fayza leaned in, squinting, as if she didn’t hear me correctly: one of the library of power moves that adults used to signal that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/fayza-leaned-in-squinting-as-if-she-didn-t-hear-me-correctly-one-of/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“The business travelers, however, were all business, from their business jacket to their business skirts and their skinny business shoes. They sliced through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/the-business-travelers-however-were-all-business-from-their-business/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [Every other writer's process is sort of vaguely scary and appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/every-other-writer-s-process-is-sort-of-vaguely-scary-and-appalling/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“There was a scientist who did not believe in gods or fairies or supernatural creatures of any sort. But she had once known an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/there-was-a-scientist-who-did-not-believe-in-gods-or-fairies-or/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“What was the point of being a mind anchored to this read weight-or dying weight, that was it, a blooby mass already becoming old,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/what-was-the-point-of-being-a-mind-anchored-to-this-read-weight-or/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“A BS in any neuroscience without a master's or PhD was a three-legged dog of a degree: pitiable, adorable, and capable of inspiring applause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/a-bs-in-any-neuroscience-without-a-master-s-or-phd-was-a-three-legged/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“Frankie did as he was told. He popped the last three cubes form a tray and slid the empty container back into the freezer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/frankie-did-as-he-was-told-he-popped-the-last-three-cubes-form-a-tray/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [The best aunts aren't substitute parents, they're co-conspirators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/the-best-aunts-aren-t-substitute-parents-they-re-co-conspirators/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“Then they were off again, across the unbroken sprawl of Chicagoland, a single city made up of interlocking strip malls, decorated at random intervals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/then-they-were-off-again-across-the-unbroken-sprawl-of-chicagoland-a/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“You know why I’m raising you kids to be Cubs fans?” Buddy shakes his head. “Any mook can be a fan of a winning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/you-know-why-i-m-raising-you-kids-to-be-cubs-fans-buddy-shakes-his/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“The gun, my young friend, is that dark cousin of the placebo, the nocebo. If a placebo provides false benefits, the nocebo imparts false…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/the-gun-my-young-friend-is-that-dark-cousin-of-the-placebo-the-nocebo/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) > [“I met him in the hospital.' I saw the eyebrow raise in my peripheral vision. 'Yeah, that hospital. He believes that powerful telepaths are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-gregory/i-met-him-in-the-hospital-i-saw-the-eyebrow-raise-in-my-peripheral/) [Daryl Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) [Explore all 65 Daryl Gregory quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-gregory/) ## 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": "“...\"I might be entertaining the idea of tamping down my nihilism. 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