Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy

Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy

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Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy
Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy
The Void of Relationships

The Void of Relationships

Relationships form a useful distraction, but they have a void in their center.

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Martin Butler
Dec 11, 2024
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Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy
Martin Butler's Negative Philosophy
The Void of Relationships
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woman sitting outdoor during daytime
Photo by Kyle Broad on Unsplash

Most people think relationships with others are essential, they form valuable distractions from the void that sits at the heart of all of us. Our world is comprised of thought, emotion, desire, and sensation. If we could eliminate these things, what would be left? The answer, of course, is nothing, a void. And so we make ourselves as busy as possible to avoid the void, creating a tapestry of ideas, emotions, desires, and sensations, and the more of these, the better because it takes us further away from the bottomless dark pit that sits at the center of us all. It isn’t uncommon to find people with schedules that fill every minute of the day, and socializing may form quite a large part of the schedule. As Schopenhauer pointed out, people tend to socialize in the belief that it is less painful than being on their own.

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