How do I stay WARM and OPEN when evil is a reality? (The Antidote to Nihilism) ❦ Conversation #3

START HERE: https://mussar.center Where does your mind go when you just let it wander? And have you ever noticed how bad things can either make you better or worse? Mussar is the discipline of directing your attention to the things and people you want in your life. It's also a habit you should develop now so those negative experiences will push you in a positive direction instead of just spiralling.

There is evil in the world and if you haven't already encountered it firsthand, you will. When we come face-to-face with the reality of evil we're tempted to become cold in one of two ways - either the grumpy emoji takes over and we get hard, reactive, and closed, or the yawning emoji kicks in and we stop caring and become bored and cynical. But that doesn't have to happen. Mussar is a way to become warm again. It's a way to stay open and keep caring when your heart just wants to tap out and die.

The temptation to grow cold isn't just a danger to individuals - it's one of the greatest threats to the world today. The attitude behind the yawning emoji has become the dominant philosophy in our postmodern age. Nihilism suggests that nothing really matters, that your life is meaningless, and that you should probably just give up. The problem is that cold nihilistic hearts don't just live in a cold world - they create a cold world. That's why it will take a movement of Mussar practitioners with warm, open, caring hearts to save the world.

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#Mussar #Philosophy #Nihilism