comment: >
  
  Is your premise that a thing only matters if it is permanent?  And not permanent like a bridge or a building, but really permanent-permanent, outliving the heat-death of the universe?
  I gotta say, that is not a sensible premise.  You would never say that about something unpleasant. If you had an terrible migraine, you would not say, “Well, doesn’t matter.  After a few days of agony, it will go away.”  If you were hungry, you would not say, “Well, at some point, either some food will go down my gullet, or I will starve to death and the hunger will end.”
  If you are willing to take unpleasant things, not matter how evanescent, seriously and avoid them, then on the flip side you have to cherish pleasant things.  If you regard stubbing your toe, a few seconds of excruciating pain, as a bad thing, then you logically you must regard your life, almost century of largely pleasant experiences, as a good thing, even if it — like everything, everything, exists only temporarily.
context: What you are describing is called "existential dread". It is very common. Many people go through an existential crisis at one point in their life. 
  Ultimately you got the right answer already. You need mental health assistance. 
  What worked for me was getting married and having a child. Now that I have others to worry about I don't think that much about my own death. There may be a different solution for you. Usually there is a solution for everyone. It's an extremely common malady. >
  
  Thank you ..I hope I will find ways but worrying about my child and husband will be also stressful no ?:))) >
  
  It removes the existential dread though. It doesn't completely remove all worries. I still worry all the time about all sorts of things. I'm not sure anything can remove that. You just gotta learn how to manage it. >
  
  Hmmm... I would argue that since nothing matters, then you decide what is important to you. 
  Hear me out. Death comes to everyone. We don't know what lies beyond death. It literally could be nothing. It could be an afterlife. It could be us waking up as a slug or somewhere rich person. Or even more insane, you wake up to the matrix. 
  Regardless of what happens after death or if death is the final stop, at this time you decide what is important to you. 
  Society often dictates the important things. In America, it is the notion of the American dream. A wife with children and a good job. But is that important to you? 
  I'm assuming not. So at this point, you decide. Is it music? Poetry? Trolling people on the internet?!
  I don't know. What I know is that life will always be meaningless. All we can do is enjoy what we have here. The world is at our fingertips. Nothing is stopping you from going out and traveling. Trying new foods, listening to new music, or writing poetry that no one will read but you. Maybe you learn that you hate the pacific ocean but like the Atlantic. 
  So go out and explore. Find yourself. Find what you enjoy. You have this time. Go and live it to the fullest. Ask. Explore. Be a dangerous person in a world of trends. 
  Still be safe though. >
  
  thank you :) >
  
  A good movie I just watched about this is:
  Everything everywhere all at once.
  Exactly the same sense of existential dread where if nothing matters, then you decide to place value in what you want. >
  
  I will look it up .thanks :)) >
  
  There may be no objective, empirical 'purpose' to our lives, that's not something any of us can prove or disprove, and I'm inclined to agree that we don't have one. But I do think there's a sort of ontological assumption baked into the way you're framing life that suggests that through a divine (so to speak) purpose we derive meaning, and to be purposeless is to be meaningless. I contest that assumption about life
  I like to be kind and meet new people, learn as much as I can, and have conversations and do work that helps shape the world into what I want it to be. I will have made the people in my life happy, their lives better, and the world a brighter place no matter how temporary. 
  There's a book I'm very fond of called the road. I don't think you should read it until you're in a better way though. It's beautiful and heart breaking and both crushes and inspires me
  The world has ended in nuclear hellfire. Yet even still people remain and they live and they make choices. A boy and his dad are trying to survive. There are horrible horrible things that happen to them, but there's a few things that keep them going. 
  First and foremost, they have each other. They are both each other's world's entirety, the connection they have and that all of us have to the peoples in our lives is important. They love each other and that's important
  Second, they do so because they are carrying the flame. It's not literal, it's a metaphorical flame and I think it represents kindness, decency, vulnerability, and a faith in humanities ability to embody all of those things. It's a stoic assertion that despite the material conditions they exist in, they do in fact matter. One day they will die, but others will be there to carry the flame just as they had.
  And lastly, the alternative is just making that ending come sooner, to snuff the flame and to make the world a more dim place. It's painful and grim and it will hurt the ones that are left
  I guess to me, it's not the ending that matters, it's the doing. It's the connections we share, and the flames we carry >
  
  I have heard of that book  and know it is amazing :) Thank you >
  
  What does what happens "in the end" matter? We're not living "in the end", we're living in the here and now >
  
  I can explain it this way .,,when I read a really good book and it has sad end I feel like i wasted my time since the end was sad .I know people are different ... >
  
  Why do you continue to read books then? All books end whether they were happy or sad! >
  
  books with happpy end make me happy :)) >
  
  But you close that last page and it's still the end. So if you spend your final moments in life happy, you'll be content with that? >
  
  ofc .if I die old and happy I will be happy ..
  but i know the world is full of suffering and not all people die old and happy ... >
  
  Why would there not be suffering? Without suffering how would we know happiness? >
  
  I've been struggling with the same thoughts for the past few years, so I certainly understand the feeling! 
  For me, it's been helpful to reframe what it means for something to "matter". Something does not need to be permanent to having meaning: experiencing a delicious meal, feeling moved by a beautiful song, sharing a moment with a loved one, feeling a sharp stab of pain... all moments are temporary, but they're still meaningful. 
  I hope that there is something after death. But if there isn't, and my candle is extinguished forever, the fact that I've lived means everything to me while I'm alive. And if I live my life well, I hope to positively impact the people around me, who will impact the people around them, carrying a ripple of my life far beyond my time on earth. >
  
  Thank you 
  for sharing your experiences >
  
  Full disclosure: I agree that things are meaningless, as in things don't have inherent meaning; we give them meaning. 
  
  I was christian as long as i remember myself ,I lost my faith in religion and god several years ago and since then I deal with depressing thoughts time after time .I deal with existential crisis and nihilism time after time 
  
  I can imagine that's rough. 
  Christianity comes with a lot of perks pre-installed: meaning, purpose, value. 
  Giving that up is not easy. Such things form part of our identity. 
  But I can assure you this is just a phase. And you didn't lose "everything". 
  Obviously you still care: you're emotional, you reach out by making this post. You're looking for solutions. That's very admirable. 
  It's important to remember that nihilism doesn't mean "nothing matters at all". It just means that meaning isn't handed to you with a bowtie on it. 
  If nothing we do matters, then the only thing that matters is what we do. 
  
  I am reminded often that ,,in the end everyone dies and nothing matters . no matter how successful and happy you are death is final stop
  
  Well, everyone does die. No reason to lie about that. Death is the most certain thing in life. 
  It's not fair, of course. Also no reason to lie about that.
  "fair" has nothing to do with death. You live your life, no matter what life, and at some point you die, regardless of anything. Many people who deserve to live, die, and vice versa. You don't know when. You don't know how, or why. You don't know what happens after, or whether anything happens. 
  It's true, but it's certainly not fair. And that's a hard pill to swallow. 
  It's easy to think things don't matter if you focus on how they end. Because in between then and now, they exist for a rather long time. 
  Plus, the fact that our existence is finite, makes every moment valuable. 
  
  It is my goal to change my negative thinking pattern and would love to get your different ideas 
  
  Personally I'm into existentialism and absurdism. 
  Existentialism is pretty straightforward: you have a self, you exist. Everything beyond that, is open to interpretation. How your self relates to the your body, the world, other people, etc. (Edit: some existentialists believe the self is like the immortal soul in christian theology, some believe it's a product of the brain, some believe all kinds of different things.)
  Absurdism helps me deal with the absurdities in life. Like death. Makes absolutely no sense. I could spend years breaking my head apart over it. But I can also recognize it is absurd, and move on to better things. 
  Hope this helps :) best of luck on your journey, fellow traveler >
  
  Thank you :)))) >
  
  You're very welcome :) >
  
  You're not alone in feeling that way. When you are raised into a system of belief that offers clearly-defined problems and spiritual, esoteric solutions, you find yourself with a view of the world that is contingent on having a firm foundation from which to build knowledge. What you're describing, and experiencing, is having that foundation pulled out from under you.
  My sympathies. I've been in this boat.
  We humans have spent thousands of years trying to identify a single, unifying "purpose" to everything, and haven't been able to do so. It hasn't been for lack of trying. As uncomfortable as it is to think about, that means you are never going to have firm answers to the big questions you have about the nature of existence. At least not to your satisfaction.
  But accepting this doesn't have to be a negative experience. It's an inevitable one nonetheless. Life may not have an objectively identifiable point, but that realization can be very liberating when you subsequently realize this means you are entirely free to experience your existence without the threat of punishment for doing it wrong. There is no wrong way to exist. You are doing just fine, and always have been.
  You can't overtly avoid existential discomfort, but you can rest assured that you're not alone. Life is its own reward, and you are among a privileged few human beings who have ever existed or will ever exist. You're seeing something happen that hardly anyone will ever get to see, in a universe that is bigger than comprehension allows you to fully conceive of.
  And you are *free* to do with that what you wish. >
  
  Why do things that end not matter?
  Movies end, relationships end, parties end.
  Things end, that doesn't make them worthless. >
  
  Sounds like you could use some philosophical study.  So many ways you can go from stoicism to Nietzsche, systems thinking.  You didn't stumble on something that people haven't been dealing with for centuries - it's just new to you. >
  
  thanks any suggestion.which is simple and basic but makes sense ? >
  
  I think it's good to have a broad base, but systems thinking is pretty simple and easy to understand, and integrates well with Buddhism, if you want to have something more spiritual about it.
  Basic idea is to understand reality in terms of nested systems.  Systems have "emergent properties" which cannot be attributed to any one of the system's parts.  In humans, one of these properties is consciousness.  Systems seek equilibrium using reinforcing (positive) and balancing (negative) feedback loops.
  I can view myself as part of the system of my family, company, community, etc. and can identify what I should give and take from each based on what is needed or what is offered.
  You can take this as far as you want, but you can find purpose here, and if nothing else, you are a link in the chain of life's evolution as so many multitudes have been before leading to you. >
  
  Why do you elevate "the end" as the only time when the events, accomplishments, experiences, etc of one's life can be evaluated?
  What does "the end" matter if you insist nothing matters? >
  
  The only thing left is our reputation and legacy.
  If at my funeral one person says that I made a difference in their life then I did good! >
  
  You’re right nothing matters. But that’s not as depressing as it sounds.. it lets you ascribe meaning to anything you like. >
  
  thanks >
  
  Whatever you do, please don't return to religion for a solution. All it does is cover that void, it doesn't fill it >
  
  I agree..I want to become spiritual though but never religious >
  
  As one atheist to another, I would say… yes, you’re right that there’s no objective purpose or meaning to life. No god or higher power telling you what you’re supposed to do with the limited time you have on earth. But why would that be a bad thing? 
  This is an invitation to make your own meaning. Decide your own purpose. Choose to live life how and for what you want. If nothing matters, then you can decide what matters. 
  To me, life has meaning when I’m happy and I help others. Life has meaning when I have people to love, a loving animal to cuddle with, and creative pursuits to enjoy. I fulfill my life’s purpose by playing with my dog, or calling my mom, or donating to charity. I get to decide that, and thank the universe that I have the freedom to decide how my life is best lived. >
  
  Thank you !!!!! >
  
  Why does it matter that things should matter? Once you abandon the presupposition that things need to matter, then you realize that it is okay for things not to matter. >
  
  I hope I get to that point >
  
  
  I am reminded often that ,,in the end everyone dies and nothing matters .no matter how successful and happy you are death is final stop '
  
  Everyone dying and nothing matters can be mutually exclusive.  
  Everyone will die, nothing changes that. But your experiences with them right now can matter right now. >
  
  That's the basis. Now what do you do with it ? 
  There's some school of though that tried to answer this. Hedonism, existentialism, absurdism... Make your pick.
  If you are forced into life and have nothing special you have to do within it, you might as well have some fun don't you think ? >
  
  yes but I want( ed ) life to have some special meaning ..I am very lost bc all these years religion gave me some comfort of being secure and special..and now seems like everything is gone >
  
  Then make up some. That's the beauty of it. It's much more a blank page than a dark void. >
  
  thanks ..I always view it as dark void so I definitely need different perspective .blank page idea seems much more interesting :)) >
  
  You’re depressed. >
  
  maybe ...like i mentioned I plan to get mental help for it ! I am sure I have severe anxiety though :)) >
  
  Hi! What’s wrong with having a finite amount of happiness? If one lived forever your happiness could be infinite! In my opinion, that’s asking a little too much considering all the great things we already have in this life. I put to you that, in fact, if you lived forever then (with no motivation to do anything before you expire) that’s the case where nothing really matters. >
  
  Thanks ...:)))finite life is also scary but around 200 years maybe would be better >
  
  This life is temporary, the next one is eternal. >
  
  hope so >
  
  You should try to find pleasurable things in life and go for them. >
  
  Why must something not be temporary to matter?
  If someone was going to torture me, but the torture would be temporary, only lasting several months, this would still matter a lot to me.
  Similarly, the Holocaust was temporary, but it seems difficult, to me at least, to follow why it wouldn’t matter because of that. >
  
  I agree even one second torture matters ...trust me holocaust stories make me feel so sad as well ...i wish I had the same feeling about happy stories :))) >
  
  But if people can use their lives to do things like prevent torture and genocide, would this make their lives matter? Given that things like torture matter? >
  
  makes sense :)) >
  
  Nihilism isn't the position that life is meaningless: it's the position that life is without intrinsic meaning.  This is an important distinction.
  Ultimately, this means thst "meaning" is whatever you want/need it to be.  Maybe it's your SO. Your kids.  Your career.  Your music...whatever. 
  And it isn't a static, stagnant thing. It can change along with you. >
  
  thanks :)) >
  
  Just because nothing matters in the long term (as in beyond your death) doesn’t mean there is no meaning to existence in the short term (while you’re alive). If existence is just a short period of consciousness, we might as well do what we wish during it. 
  One way to think about is that the only thing that truly matters is what we do while we are alive. Beyond that we, obviously, can’t do anything. >
  
  OP i pretty much agree in the end we all go to 1 of 2 places also I wanted to say that I really like how this post isn’t aggressive a lot of the posts in here are really aggressively trying to get their point across and it’s annoying it is refreshing to see this kind of post >
  
  haha nope my goal here is to realize that I am wrong and people are right ... >
  
  3 things that helped me...
  1. Reframe - everything matters. Breathe, smell, listen, be present
  2. Understanding values - www.motivationalinterviewing.org/sites/default/files/valuescardsort_0.pdf
  3. Ownership - I decide how I feel and how I choose to live my life >
  
  The purpose of life is to pursue whatever it is that gives your life meaning. And in that pursuit, you will struggle and feel like nothing matters. But if you're persistent and sufficiently lucky, you will find that meaning.
  If that doesn't help, just think of it this way "Well, it's better to just keep going than to just go die. At least something good could happen if I keep going. That's better than literally nothing." >
  
  I struggled with the same thing for years. I went to therapy and read this book Nothing and Everything and it helped me see things differently. 
  Growing up Christian instilled in me a deep belief that everyone's life has a purpose, and that purpose is to worship God. I later became an agnostic athiest, but the deep belief that my life should have a particular purpose that I need to find never left. I fell into existential crises every few months when I would panic that I didn't know what my purpose was and that life really didn't seem to have one on a grand scale. 
  Reading that book gave me a framework for accepting that the universe has no single purpose, and, because of that, I can choose my own personal purpose. The author calls it "creative nihilism" as opposed to the "depressive nihilism". Depressive says that there is no purpose so everything is meaningless. Creative nihilism says there is no purpose so go create your own. 
  Focus on developing a set of core values that resonate with your own gut feelings about life, and then build a life that serves those values for no other reason than YOU want that for yourself. I found this way of thinking opened a door to my inner self expression that I had not experienced before. I let go of my need for a larger purpose for my life (most days), and accept and enjoy the life I have. 
  So, I don't aim to change your view, that "life is temporary, everyone dies, so nothing really matters in the end", but I do believe based on my experience that you can hold these beliefs AND find joy and meaning in the small and big moments in your own life for no other reason than they matter to you. >
  
  Thanks will definitely check the book :)) >
  
  Everything changes (that's one of the only universal truths) and so nothing can be relied upon forever. Any attachment to anything will result in pain when that attachment is broken. 
  At the time of death you certainly do lose anything in your life you were attached to. But so what? Do you remember how torn up you were the last time you died, before your current life? How about the one before that? And before that? And before that? No? Then I guess those things truly never did matter then. Almost like it was silly to get attached to them in the first place. 
  Why do you see everything being temporary and passing as a negative thing? It's the most freeing thing I can think of personally. Is it because you want something you can hold onto forever? If you let go of everything I think you'll realize there was never any reason to hold on in the first place. 
  If you seek grounding in anything passing, you will not be grounded. If you let go of passing temporary phenomenon, you have nothing but ground. In truth, because everything is passing, you have nothing to gain and nothing to lose. You've arrived! 
  This doesn't mean that "good" and "bad" don't exist. Relying on passing phenomenon will only cause pain as those attachments will be broken, and thus this lifestyle leads away from grounding and towards inevitable pain. That's bad. A lifestyle of non attachment leads to less suffering (potentially even the elimination of all unnecessary suffering one day, for not just yourself but every living being) and so is Good. 
  Try Buddhism! I recommend strictly things the Buddha himself taught (Theravada) but there are many Mahayana "Sutras" that teach stuff well too. >
  
  thanks .any book for beginners ? which is easy and makes sense? >
  
  Look I don’t read know a lot about philosophy (I really like it tho) but from what I gather Nietzche also tried to tell people we can find our own purpose and be happy with it. Absurdism is just accepting that everything is meaningless and doing whatever the hell you want. Stoicism says that we shouldn’t be worried about death, we can’t control it therefore it’s useless to agonize over it and we don’t even really know what happens when we die for them the present moment  is the only thing that matters. 
  Probably butchered a lot. But I hope some of those thoughts resonate with you, I strongly recommend studying different philosophies just for fun :)
  My favorite one at the moment is Buddhism but I find it quite similar with stoicism as well. I hope my superficial knowledge will be of some use >
  
  I am so sorry to see any person feels this way about life.  All life is precious.  At risk of sounding “peachy”, regardless of the way you feel about yourself, God loves you whether you believe in him or not.  At the very least talk to a strong Christian friend.  Christians are filled with joy and live life with purpose.  That is not to say many are without some MAJOR FLAWS.  Hypocrisy is one of the mainstays of Christian communities.  It is very hard for many people to get past.  I understand because I have been there and experienced it firsthand.  Christianity however is not flawed.  A true relationship with God and yourself will never steer you wrong.  I truly wish you the best and will say a prayer for you. >
  
  Don't tell this to Stalin/Hitler/Putin >
  
  OK so we are made of energy right? Energy cannot be destroyed right? So where do you think we go when we die? Our energy has to go somewhere so there has to be something after this life .period. That's why it matters what we do here >
  
  When you listen to music, do you do it only for the sake of reaching the end, or do you enjoy the process itself? You need to enjoy the journey, not the destination.
  Thinking in terms of utility is not good, it comes from a place of necessity and not natural desire, but if you must think in terms of utility, do so on a proper scale.
  Considering just 1 second of your life is not helpful, neither is asking "what will this matter in a million years?". It's also not good to compare yourself to large groups of people. The larger your scope, the less significant you will seem yourself.
  The best confidence comes from within yourself, and the same goes for things like faith. If you need something external to spice up your life, though, I suggest philosophy or spirituality. A lot of highly intelligent people went through atheism and back to faith, so faith isn't just for stupid people.
  But this would be the best: To believe in yourself with no logical reasons or arguments required. To have just your existence be enough, and to do things just because you want to. If you rely on nothing, you're invulnerable, as you stand on your own with nothing to lose. >
  
  "Nothing we do matters in the end, and that is precisely why we are not shackled by the burden of expectations, the fear of eternal judgment, or the failure to meet up to an arbitrary definition of what makes our limited time "not wasted". Time cannot be wasted, for there is no greater purpose to life than simply living it. Because we have no greater purpose, we are free to set our own. To create self-defined goals for which to strive. For some it may be nothing. For some it may be pleasure. For some it may be creation. For some it may be improving the lives of others. It is because we have no greater purpose, that time spent on goals set by one's self cannot be time wasted. In the end, nothing matters, and therefore you have no reason not to do what you want rather than whatever illusion or greater purpose is forced on you by others or even your own misguided thoughts."
  -V1, ultrakill >
  
  This kind of sounds like an existential crisis, where there just doesn’t seem to be any meaning in life anymore. Although it’s so ubiquitous that it seems to be a normal process of life, I agree with your realization to seek mental help! Whether it be a therapist, a friend, family, or even the internet like right now, it’s always nice to express.
  I understand your take on the significance of life. Sometimes it feels as if death takes away the significance of life. Many times, it feels as if life is meaningless because the society is constantly searching for purpose, yet we find none in the face of death.
  Nonetheless, life is still worth living. Rather than thinking about the death that will ultimately come, we should cherish the short time we have for life and make our impact in the world. When facing others’ death, I would always remind myself to not be sad over the fact that they died, but be sad over the fact that they once lived. Death is inevitable, and since it’s so inevitable, we might as well as make something of the short time we have, whether it is making an impact on the others around us, or making an impact on yourself by simply enjoying your own passions. Eleanor Roosevelt’s book You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life literally said “the purpose of life is to live it”. That’s how arbitrary life is.
  It’s hard to find purpose. Sometimes living the same days over and over again is scary as living starts to lose its purpose. How you give it meaning is up to you, whether you want to create a purpose to fulfill or find significance in your current life. It’s hard, but I hope you place value in the things you do. <3 >
  
  Life matters because you make an impact on the world that won't be forgotten by the people you knew. >
  
  Life is temporary, there is no afterlife, you only get one shot - which means every action you take is critically important. There is no higher being righting your wrongs. You are the one who has to make the world and moral, good place. You have to give your life meaning.