I respect good intentions. I’m tired of people who think good intentions alone are enough. That’s one thing that led me away from religion.

Awe, being excellent doesn't exclude things beyond good intentions, you can do those things too as part of a complete "be excellent to each other" program!

I do strive to be selfless, and to practice empathy. I don't think I could completely rid myself of ego, however - I do think some amount of ego is deserved by everyone, and is in line with valuing yourself as you do others. It's the over-inflated ego that becomes a problem.

Ego, noun; The self regarded as working independent of causes and conditions. The goal is not to get rid of the ego, but to recognize it for what it is and keep it out of the way. Trying to get rid of it just offers it another place to hide.

I'm struggling to conceive how that's possible. What can be blacker than black?

@Wayfarer [independent.co.uk]

Cynicism has no bottom, it just gets darker all the way down forever.

@engineer_in_nj haha, Touché. Cynicism though is a real philosophy going back to the ancient Greeks, vs nihilism which is the rejection of all philosophy and universal truth. For cynics the purpose of life was to live in virtue, in agreement with nature. Living in a way that’s natural for themselves and rejecting materialism. I can actually respect that far more than nihilism

I share your discomfort with labels - I don't tend to like them much either, and people rarely fit into them neatly. I use them here as loose guidelines. I think my personal philosophy is some combination of those 'isms' but doesn't adhere to any strict definition. I think it's fair to say you believe in justice, and so do I. I think justice and truth are at the core of all of those 'isms'.

I think #3 disqualifies you as a nihilist. That sounds like humanism to me.

I had to look up the definition of nihilism. I admit that I was speaking out of turn because I didn't know for sure.

The first definition I found is:

1. a : a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is senseless and useless
   Nihilism is a condition in which all ultimate values lose their value. —Ronald H. Nash

   b : a doctrine that denies any objective ground of truth and especially of moral truths

2. a : a doctrine or belief that conditions in the social organization are so bad as to make destruction desirable for its own sake independent of any constructive program or possibility.

   ---

My personal perspective tracks to 1 a and 1 b. You're right. I fall well short of 2 a. for whatever that's worth.

@RichCC I think nihilism is actually more extreme and dangerous than people think, and religions are a form of it, in that they reject reality in favor of mysticism and the afterlife. So I hope to find here those that reject it. It’s tempting to fall into it though, it’s something I struggle with.

I have a deep reverence for wisdom that comes from life and experience. There are many paths that can lead to the same truth. I think you can't discount books and higher learning either - they come from insight and experience too.

Thank you! Nice to find another Kentuckian here for sure. I've read up a little on Buddhism and took a class on eastern philosophy. I think there's a lot to admire about it, and there's overlap with Taoism with the acceptance of impermanence. I think where I disagree is with the rituals, and with the asceticism.

@Wayfarer The rituals are different everywhere, and as for asceticism--just call me the Whiskey Buddhist. LOL