Remember, that’s life.

In 2019 film maker Todd Phillips released his psychological thriller classic movie titled “Joker” to much acclaim. The movie gathered 11 nominations from the Academy including Best Picture and Best Director for Todd. The film’s lead Joaquin Phoenix earned the accolade for Best Actor for his efforts. His performance was a masterclass on acting. The movie centers around the subject of nihilism. Arthur Fleck is a man in his late 30’s living with his mother in the hellish city of Gotham. When he was young he suffered a head trauma injury that affected the neuro-circuitry in his brain resulting in a cognition impairment that enables him to laugh uncontrollablely without his conscious doing. This mental disorder isolates him from society and it results in him being an outcast. With this being his default, he sinks into an abyss of apathy and depression. His loathes his life and fantasizes about and death. His hatred of life ultimately leads to nihilism and with that he begins killing people for the sake of it. The killing spree commenced when he shot dead three stockbrokers after they were assaulting him in the train. The action to kill those 3 stockbrokers comes after a history of apathy when confronted with life and people beating him up because his a “freak”. The killings change his outlook on life and apathy disappears forever, he finds a new release and for the first time in his life he encounters happiness, although sadistic, it comes from the action of interacting with the world and taking charge. Nietzsche states: “When an individual no longer feels like they are the collaborator let alone the center of becoming nihilism becomes a very real possibility.” This is what happens in the movie as Arthur’s dreams and prospects of being a stand-up comedian die and with the realization that his whole life has been a lie. With the quote of the movie he states before killing his mother: I always thought my life was a tradegy but now I realize it’s a comedy. This quote signals Arthur’s nihilism – the inference that there is no meaning at all. With this his reality changes and the mood of the film also changes from dark heavy burdensome strings serving as the score of the movie to uplifting golden soundtracks and Arthur dancing along with a big authentic smile on his face. It is as if his nihilism has triggered the button to live a fulfilling life. From this movie we gather that life is not fair. It paints Arthur as a victim and he is because his been dealt a bad hand from his inception. The movie is emotive, from the visuals, the setting, the camera techniques, the film score, soundtracks and the actors. This is a very good movie and will generate a cult following based on the subjects it explored. No one can really and fully prepare you for life. Nothing can prepare you for how difficult it is. How repetitive and passive it can get and how you can betray your heart with conscious intentions. Nihilism lurks in the shadows of every human being and if you give it an audience, it can consume you whole and lead you straight to hell.

Life is difficult. You wake up one day and the world tells you that you need to get a job and shed away your individuality. After all, you were in school for more than12 years, you had enough time to prepare yourself, you should know what you want to do. That’s how the world operates and so you get a job. You work hard to get a promotion but you are overlooked because the bosses niece just graduated. Feeling dejected but optimistic about the future, you keep your head down and keep working hard. Finally after 4 laborious years, you finally get ahead and earn a promotion. It’s that job you have always wanted and it comes with an office and a secretary. It’s bliss and you can see yourself working at this company for a long time and so you prepare. You have children, get married and buy a house with trees and high fences in the suburbs. You purchase that German car that you have always wanted and life is perfect. Tradegy strikes and the whole world goes into a recession resulting in you getting laid off from your job. But at least you get a settlement cheque and decide that you are going to start a business. It’s a good idea and you are excited at the prospect of being your own boss. The business doesn’t share the same enthusiasm though and fails spectacularly. The house and the German car gets repossessed due to failure of payment and you get blacklisted by the credit bureaus. Your wife divorces you without your knowledge and fleas with the children leaving you with nothing. Aged 44 with no savings and prospects do you have it in you to move on? Do you have it in you to start over? You thought you had forever and now you have nothing. You can’t even get a decent job because you have been blacklisted. What now? The future looks bleek. The world let you down. The order of the world is a lie, everything is a lie! To add insult to injury, the world doesn’t need you anymore, you are too old, young blood is coming into the fold and your are deemed useless, a fossil that occupied the land in the times of dinosaurs. Surely death is a better alternative to life because you have got nothing to live for. That’s life, sometimes bad things happen for no apparent reason and there’s simple nothing you can do.

What is the protocol for helping someone with suicidal thoughts? Is there something that can be done from preventing the inevitable? How do you persuade someone who suffers from nihilism that they have something to live for? It is a very difficult question. One that religion can’t solve because people who suffer from nihilistic thoughts don’t believe in anything. Besides religion regulates morality and people suffering from nihilism are victims of the very same morality. Just maybe nothing can be done, nihilism is the devils den, it is the place of no return. Not even Todd gave us an antidote in his movie. However, being an optimist I have a solution. Gratitude. Gratitude is positive energy and it enables one to reflect about life. Gratitude has reason. Gratitude is patience. Gratitude is life. Gratitude helps you see past today and makes you see tomorrow. Gratitude gives you courage, it is hopeful and at the same time provides assurity. Gratitude opens your heart. Gratitude gives you a reason to live, it gives you a reason to inquire and ultimately be a better person. For the gentleman who lost his job, wife and kids; the children will grow up and reunite with him. He can get a better confidant and work his way up again. He has reason to live. He should be grateful for the trails and tribulations and aspire to be better. Gratitude is what makes life worthwhile. Gratitude is the secret to a fulfilling life. Gratitude stops nihilism and gives reason. It is because of that that one should always be grateful. Grateful for our families, our friends and the fact that we have a roof over our head. Gratitude puts things into perspective. Gratitude is the only thing that matters if you are to live a fulfilling life.

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