Life is too short for basic shit. Assuming there is no ultimate meaning in life (optimistic nihilism), then —

The best life is in which you task yourself an awesome and epic (self appointed) mission(s) in life.

It’s up to you!

Also recognize that these mission(s) can, and will, and must change over time. Certainly my life mission at age 12, 21, and 32 are different than my life missions at age 50, 60, and 70.

You will create the future, and your own future.

Let this insanely optimistic thought drive you forwards, upwards, and beyond!

ERIC

PHILOSOPHY by KIM

Philosophical Essays

• Differentiation vs Equalization
• My Passion to *Become* Something More
• No Aesthetic or Ethos is Forever
• What is Your Higher Purpose in Life?
• IT WILL NEVER SATISFY YOU.
• How to Decide
• Things You *Want* to Do vs Things You *MUST* Do
• Towards a More Beautiful Mode of Existence and Future
• EXTREME GRATITUDE.
• AMAP (As Much as Possible) or None.
• Why or How Does it Matter?
• The Philosophy of Time and Events
• How *Not* to Resent
• FORWARD LOOKING
• DOMAIN FLEXIBILITY.
• The Miracle of Human Growth
• EXTREME ADAPTATION.
• Why Plan?
• You Don’t Need to Justify Yourself
• The Philosophy of Ego
• True vs False Passions
• How to Achieve Tranquility
• On Making Your Own Philosophy
• The Purpose of Life is to Create New Life
• Think On!
• The Wisdom of Doing Nothing
• Congruency
• My Thoughts on Meditation
• The Philosophy of Purpose
• Emulate Yourself
• Good Fear, Bad Fear
• For the Betterment of Humanity or Just Yourself?
• What you *really* believe in and care for is manifested through your actions (or non-actions)
• Why Culture is Your Enemy
• YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE KING.
• LIFE IS INHERENTLY GOOD.
• Artistic, Physical, and Philosophical Muscles
• All New Experiences are Good Experiences
• What is the Purpose of X?
• UTILITY.
• Philosophy is a Luxury
• The Attempt is More Interesting than the Result
• Joyfulness vs “Happiness”
• Effectiveness Over Happiness
• Self Actualization
• MAXIMAL ENGAGEMENT
• Life & Pain
• On Living Every Day with No Regret
• Learn as if you’re going to live forever, live as if you’re going to die tomorrow
• Live Every Day Like it Were the Last Day of Your Life
• Self-Determination
• FALSE GRATITUDE vs REAL GRATITUDE
• HOW TO LIVE MORE
• THE UPSIDE OF TRAGEDY
• Satisfaction is a Sucker’s Game
• Supreme Repose
• WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE? According to ERIC KIM
• STUBBORN, FLEXIBLE
• EVERYTHING HAPPENS AS IT *SHOULD* HAVE HAD HAPPENED
• Good Addiction, Bad Addiction?
• What is the Best Life?
• The Philosophy of Thinking
• The Philosophy of Conspiracies
• Conspiracies
• Growth
• Skepticism.
• What Do You Really Want Out of Life?
• Seem or Be?
• Learn Through Pain
• Respect Yourself
• In Praise of Elitism
• Why Independent Thinking?
• I Will Never Die
• Bitter is Better
• The Genesis of Nihilism and Existential Dread
• The Ethics of Personal Enrichment
• Good vs Not Good
• Punished by Privilege
• Abstinence Over Moderation
• Just Leave Others Alone
• You Can Only Critique that Which You Truly Understand and Love
• ERIC KIM Critique of Metaphysics
• Only Trust Philosophers Who Deadlift
• Heuristic: If Someone Talks Shit About Others Behind Their Back, Most Likely They’re Also Talking Shit About You Behind Your Back
• Virtue is a Privilege
• What Are Your Life Goals?
• Honesty
• Why I’m Anti Moderation
• No Spite, No Malice.
• Ascending Life or Descending Life?
• Double Edged Sword
• Ignorance.
• Why I Don’t Trust “Nice Guys”
• Why You Must Share Your Opinion
• Selfish Isn’t Evil
• Wisdom is the Goal
• YOU ARE KING.
• MASTER YOURSELF
• What is “Good” for You is Often what is Bad for You
• Care.
• BITTERSWEET
• ONE REP MAX
• Morality and Ethics is the Snare
• BY HELPING YOURSELF, YOU BEST HELP OTHERS
• Insanity is Good.
• Think Deep.
• PHILOSOPHY IS THE FUTURE.
• Open Mind vs Closed Mind
• ENTHUSIASM IS GENIUS
• Towards a More Critical and Rigorous Line of Thinking
• How to Encourage and a Foster Independent and Free Thinking
• What is the Purpose of Life?
• WHY PHILOSOPHY IS SUPREME.
• Elitism.
• I Cannot Form an Opinion About Somebody Until I’ve Met Them in the Flesh
• ALL GENETICS ARE GOOD GENETICS.
• Happiness vs Freedom
• The Birth of a Hater
• My Way Isn’t the Right Way
• Walking as an Existential Thing
• Why I’m So Tolerant
• Mortal Gods
• THE HUMAN SPECIES
• Why I’m So Skeptical
• Just Follow the Money
• Why Selfish?
• WHY WE CANNOT BLAME OTHERS
• Why Are We So Anti Elitism?
• What Actually Interests You?
• How to Become Yourself
• SELF HATE
• Optimistic Fatalism
• Death is the Ultimate Creative Constraint
• FLUX.
• How to Think for Yourself
• FLESH
• How to Live the Best Life
• Why Live a Life Without Regrets?
• Why Plato Ruined Art and Aesthetics for Us
• Self Respect
• Hypocrite vs Contradict
• Ideals vs Reality
• Spaceship Philosophy
• What is Your Ideal Life?
• MY EXTREME GRATITUDE TOWARDS LIFE AND BEING ALIVE!
• Critique of Utilitarianism
• Don’t Treat Others the Way You Want to Be Treated
• The Eternal Recurrence of Tragedy and Joy in Life
• Elite Asceticism
• Why I Don’t Like Numbers
• Action and Reaction, Cause and Effect
• The Antidote to Nihilism: The Philosophy of Nothingness
• ERIC KIM Notes on Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• EXPLOIT CHAOS.
• WHY I DON’T BELIEVE IN GENETICS
• Self-Wisdom
• The Future Belongs to the Fearless
• INDIVIDUALISM
• Why Live Forever?
• THIS TOO WILL PASS.
• Why Education?
• How to Become Yourself
• Things Shouldn’t Go Back to the Way They Used to Be
• Why Am I So Cruel?
• The Great Joy of Existence
• Virtue for the Sake of Virtue
• NO DISDAIN.
• INTELLIGENT IGNORANCE
• A LIFE WITHOUT PAIN, DIFFICULTY OR TRAGEDY ISN’T A LIFE WORTH LIVING
• BITTER IS BETTER.
• EXPLOIT THE BEST FROM TRAGEDY AND LIFE 
• DISREGARD FOR SELF-PRESERVATION
• PAIN.
• WHAT IF EVERYTHING IS NOT GONNA BE ALRIGHT?
• Tomorrow is Never
• Life is the Ultimate Creative Constraint
• EMBODIED REALITY
• BLACK SWAN
• THINGS WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THE WAY THEY USED TO BE
• What are you *really* afraid of?
• HAPPINESS ISN’T THE GOAL
• Philosophy is King
• Why is Selfish Evil?
• YOU’RE CONSTANTLY IN A STATE OF BECOMING
• ENTITLEMENT A SIN?
• NARCISSISM
• BE BRUTALLY HONEST WITH YOURSELF
• WHY FREE WILL?
• OBEY YOUR OPINION
• EGO IS GOOD.
• WHY IT IS GOOD TO BE INTO YOURSELF
• Seek the Good Pain
• Anti-Perfection in Photography, Art, and Life
• Can You Become an End into Yourself?
• WHY I LIVE
• Why I Hate Decline
• Why I Eat
• Why am I So Positive and Optimistic?
• EFFORT IS ENJOYMENT
• Never Stop Gaining
• TRUST YOURSELF
• A Life of Maximal Personal Independence
• What Do You Desire to Become?
• What Do I Want from Technology?
• Stratified Society
• Do You Love or Hate Reality?
• On the Brian, Body and Mind
• I’m Maximally Happy, Now What?
• Care over Fame
• ACTIVE NIHILISM
• Never Stop Subtracting
• How to Live a Happier and More Epic Life
• A Risker Life is a Better Life
• Only Work on Things You Can Imagine Doing for Eternity
• How to Maximize Your Happiness
• Influence
• The Gladiator Makes His Plans once He Enters the Ring
• Meditations on Meaning in Life
• There is Nothing More Interesting than Human Beings
• Is Hope a Vice?
• EGO
• Why Be Unique?
• Happiness is Metabolism Health and Strength
• You’re the Hero
• Is Productivity a Virtue or Vice?
• Why Do We Prize the Rare?
• The Joy of Uncertainty
• How Should I Best Use My Time and Life?
• A Life Without Pain or Suffering Isn’t a Life Worth Living
• Free or Unfree?
• What Do You Really Care For in Life?
• Anti-Satisfaction in Life
• Why Think?
• The Eternal Return
• Only Do What is Best for You!
• Truthiness
• Why Be Happy?
• Permissionless Living
• In Praise of Unconventional Wisdom
• Become the Change Which You Wish to See in the World
• Happiness
• Beyond Freedom
• Idolize People, Not Stuff
• What Makes You Stronger? What Makes You Weaker?
• Why Hate?
• The Secret of Happiness
• You’re Constantly in a State of Becoming
• Life is about Choices, Not Obligations
• Anti-Nihilism
• First, Do What is Best for You.
• Live Dynamic
• How to Prosper
• Is the Point of Life to Be Satisfied?
• SUPREME EFFORT OF WILL.
• How to Become more Idealistic
• Thrivival 101
• Create Yourself
• Non-Small
• Inspiration
• How to Live a Heroic Life: Dare the Heights!
• Human Augmentation
• Prune
• Happiness: Do What You Want to Do (And Don’t Do What You Don’t Want to Do)
• Avoid Vain (Empty) Pursuits in Life
• Modern Slavery
• Kill the Leeches
• Wisdom Augmentation
• Why We Need Friction in Life
• Straight Line Philosophy
• What’s Your End-Game in Life?
• Create Your Own Happiness Today
• Desire Both Pain and Pleasure in Life
• Try the Impossible
• SELF-RESPECT
• Anti-Social Extrovert
• Never Blame Anybody But Yourself
• Human Flourishing
• Simpler, Not Better.
• How to be Free
• Embrace the Extremes
• Cultivate Your Own Culture
• COURAGE.
• Thrivival
• Inner Power
• How to Live a Purposeful Life
• My Definition of Happiness
• Why Change is Good
• Why Work?
• How to Live the Happiest Possible Life
• The Two-Pronged Approach to Maximize Joy in Your Life
• You Always Have Another Option!
• INFINITISM
• Never Stop!
• What is Your Self-Directed Purpose in Life?
• Live Today Like it Were Your Last
• Do You Photograph to Live, or Live to Photograph?
• ARTIST-PHILOSOPHER
• Live Life to the Fullest!
• In Praise of Selfishness
• Why You Must Be a YAY-SAYER to Succeed in Entrepreneurship and Life
• Why I Love Walking
• Live Life Like a Video Game!
• Simple Luxuries in Life
• Treat Your Life Like a Fun Experiment!
• Only Prove it to Yourself
• You Don’t Always Need to Feel Joyful to Live a Fulfilling and Meaningful Life
• Life is Too Short to Be Bored!
• Money Cannot Destroy Boredom
• How to Find Inspiration in Life
• Why You Must Ignore Haters to Succeed and Win in Life
• An Active Life is a Happy Life
• My Simple Joys in Life
• Never Stop Striving
• How to Motivate Yourself in Life
• How to Be Optimistic in Life
• How to Dictate Your Purpose in Life
• In Praise of a Dynamic Life
• PURPOSE.
• How to Enjoy Life
• Photography Therapy
• How to Conquer Regret
• Take Your Play Very Seriously.
• How to Prosper
• Memento Vivere
• Destroy in Order to CREATE
• Trust Your Body More Than Your Mind
• Make Photos to Make Meaning in Your Life
• Seek Knowledge, Not Information
• The Purpose of Human Life
• How to Overcome Impedence
• Why I Love Death
• How to Be Centered in the Eternal Now
• How to Be Happy
• Why Do You Care What Others Think of You?
• Why I’m Happy
• Why?
• Why I’m So Prolific
• How to Reduce LAG in Life

Masters of Philosophy »

• Seneca
• Marcus Aurelius
• Publilius Syrus

Personal Philosophy »

• You Are the Light of the World
• Your Soul is a Diamond in the Rough
• Why Live?

Stoicism »

• How to Be a Stoic Street Photographer
• How to Use Photography as Self-Therapy
• How to Free Your Soul From Disturbance

Zen Philosophy »

• How to Be a Zen Street Photographer
• Zen in the Art of Street Photography
• How to Find Tranquility in Your Photography

Life Lessons »

• How to Conquer Your Fears in Life
• Conquer Yourself
• How to Focus

Learn more: Start Here >