Embrace nihilism! (if you want)
But definitely read Camus and Nietzsche.
Camus is particularly good if you'd like to be exposed to philosophies/ideas that result in happiness, rather than ones that demand you just have it.
But definitely read Camus and Nietzsche.
Camus is particularly good if you'd like to be exposed to philosophies/ideas that result in happiness, rather than ones that demand you just have it.
I don't think I've personally ever "gotten over" existential angst. I don't think I've ever tried because it's been with me for a while and I somehow came about experiencing it without hitting a deep depression. It's just there. Could have been the sets of fantasy books I read as a child/teenager allowing me to step outside myself mentally, or maybe it's a quirk of my upbringing. I was able to, and still am able to, think about suicide, the meaning of life, and how pointless it all is, while maintaining a relatively normal life.
I often explain to friends and/or family about how my logical/conscious self defaults to existential nihilism and they either go, "Uhhh, ok..." or say, "That's impossible. You care. You can't act the way you do and not care."
They're confused that I chose to live, I guess. So many people bias themselves towards a positive answer of the question: Does life have a meaning?
Many say, "Of course it does. If you really thought otherwise you wouldn't be alive."
For them it's: "Life has meaning... so I must live" "Life has no meaning... so I must die"
I think there's a funny middle:
"Life has no meaning... I... Well, I've got no idea, but I'm sure as hell not going to make a choice with no idea... I guess I'll see how it goes."