If sub specie aeternitatis [from eternity's point of view] there is no reason to believe that anything matters, then that does not matter either, and we can approach our absurd lives with irony instead of heroism or despair.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- If nothing matters from an eternal view, irony is a better stance than despair.
- In plain terms
- If nothing matters, treat life with irony instead of sadness.
- What can you take from it?
- Irony helps cope with the absurdity of existence.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does irony protect against meaninglessness?
Another view
Some may find irony insufficient to overcome despair.
More from Thomas Nagel
Everyone is entitled to commit murder in the imagination once in a while, not to mention lesser infractions.
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