The philosophy of cosmicism states that there is no recognizable divine presence, such as a god, in the universe, and that humans are particularly insignificant in the larger scheme of intergalactic existence…
Cosmicism, also known as Cosmic Nihilism, is the philosophy developed by Lovecraft and used in his writings to express the horror of the insignificance of mankind. Above, I’ve quoted Wikipedia’s definition of the philosophy, but much more can be divined from interpretation of the idea. At its most basic level, being a Cosmicist means understanding that humanity is not everything it projects itself to be. Beyond the bounds of this earth, mankind has little impact. We have, at most, sent probes and satellites into space, and a few of our species on brief trips beyond the atmosphere. Otherwise, we are quite insignificant on a cosmic scale. We are not truly important, as our species has only existed for a few hundred thousand years. We have impacted our local environment, but beyond that, we are but a brief flaring of life in the universe, soon to be extinguished. The Great Old Ones see this, but mankind does not. Man is obsessed with his own importance, with humanity itself possessing an ego larger than any individual might.
So how does one accept this philosophy in everyday life without going mad, or slipping into a deep depression at the realization that any action, good or ill intentioned, affects nothing on any scale beyond one’s own personal reach? How does one come to terms with the idea that there is no higher purpose, no great destiny of humanity, and no divine plan for existence? It is simple, and yet not easy for beings possessed of such ego. One must first understand that one must live one’s life primarily for oneself. I’m not speaking of utter selfishness, but the hard truth is that no matter how many people one’s actions may affect, in the end, the only person who can judge your behavior is yourself. No god awaits your soul’s departure to sit in judgement of your behavior throughout your life, and no cosmic force notes your every action to grant reincarnation as a “lower” or “higher” being. Your actions mean nothing in the greater scheme of things, whether you are a selfless philanthropist that donates all of your time and money to helping the unfortunate, or a brutal serial killer who enjoys dancing around in the skin of his victims. You will not be granted entrance to some eternal paradise or damned to eternal torture. Only you can decide what becomes of your essence once your flesh has expired and is rotting in the earth. And in life, only you can make the decisions that will grant you what you desire. You make your life what it is. Outside forces may affect your situation, but only you can decide what to do with the cards you are dealt.
Second, once one can accept the futility of seeking some higher purpose to this existence, one must understand that while ultimately that the individual is the only judge of one’s actions, in the interim, humanity itself will judge your actions. The philanthropist may receive accolades, praise from near and far, while the serial killer might be caught, jailed, and executed. One must understand the society one lives in, in order to live their life to its greatest potential. You may not like that society, you may not wish to be a part of it, but in the end, one must work with the materials at hand. And given that fact, one must make their way in society to the best of their abilities, using the most important tool in the possession of every human, one’s mind. Intelligence, logic, and common sense can aid one in solving almost any problem, if applied correctly. While some may foolishly say something to the effect of, “I’m a nihilist, so I don’t have to be a moral person,” what one must realize is that morality, while not dictated by some divine being, is an imposition of society on the individual. Sure, you won’t go to hell for killing your annoying neighbor, but that sort of action is quite frowned upon by society at large. You will face consequences, most likely of the legal kind. Going to prison for murder will significantly hinder your ability to improve your situation in life, and beyond, as prison is not an environment well suited to improving oneself spiritually with the goal of self-deification. And on a much less drastic level, being unkind to those around you in general will also be a hindrance. At a minimum, it will cause a great deal of stress, which typically causes one to act on their emotions rather than logically analyzing a situation. That is not to say that unkindness is not warranted in some situations, but being generally an ass makes it difficult to progress towards your goals.
Humans are creatures of comfort and desire, in general. In short, most humans desire to be comfortable, however they as individuals define that. To that end, we realize that we must make goals for ourselves, and then must work to achieve them. Understand this about yourself and about your fellow humans, and you will be able to function well in society, whether or not you adhere to a moral code. Everyone is working towards some goal, whether that is to simply make it through another day of drudgery at work, or achieve self-deification and move beyond that which it is to be human. And most likely, they are working towards many goals at once. Every human desires something. Sex, food, enlightenment, whatever the case may be, and we must understand that while we are no concern of greater powers, we must concern ourselves with ourselves. So you, as the Cosmicist, must concern yourself with humanity as well for as long as you exist on this plane. But why, one might ask, should we be concerned with humanity in general if it’s all pointless? Well, though no higher purpose exists for humanity itself, it is of one’s own self interest to concern oneself with humanity as a whole, and with specific individuals, as both of these things can and will have an affect on you as an individual. The old saying is that “no man is an island”, and nothing can be more true. Humans are social animals, and while one may be able to do much by themselves, it behooves you to make connections and care for the people you choose to. These people may not be your blood relations, but connecting with individuals and genuinely caring about them is essential to living one’s life completely. Understand that you, too, are essential to their goals, and know that even while living primarily for oneself, you can help buoy these individuals and take joy from their accomplishments in addition to your own. Making a sacrifice of yourself in order to help someone you care for becomes no sacrifice when they return the favor, as they will when they have something you desire, be it tangible or intangible. Live for yourself, but know that the lives of others should matter to you, even as they matter to nothing else in the cosmos. It is our responsibility as humans to care for other humans, for there is no divine to do that in our stead. But it is also useful to make connections with people you do not necessarily care about. Understand that these people too have goals and desires, and while you may not care if horrible things happen to them, you might have a use for them. In these cases, it is necessary to mask your true self, and work with these individuals to meet your goals, sacrificing as necessary in order to gain a common goal.
And more difficult is caring for humanity in general. Now, this does not mean weeping at the misfortunes of others, or giving so utterly of oneself that nothing is left. You are, after all, living primarily for yourself. Moreover, one should concern oneself with the aspects of society that can affect the individual. It is critical to pay attention to what is happening in the world around you, and not allow yourself to become blinded to the big picture. Politics and societal change will affect your entire life, and if you wish to live your life in relative freedom and security, it is sheer irresponsibility not to pay close attention to these things. Else, you’ll possibly find yourself living in a religious dictatorship and quite uncomfortable indeed. Pay close attention to the activities of those whose ideologies are different from your own, who would force those views upon society at large, and fight them whenever possible. It is not necessary nor wise to attempt to force your own ideologies upon others, as that is antithetical to the freedom of choice that all individuals have, but many have this mindset, and as those who oppose that idea, we must not allow a forced ideology to be imposed on us, or anyone we care for.
In conclusion, to live as a Cosmicist, one must accept that humanity steers its own course, and within that, as an individual, you must work within society, and only you are responsible for your own behavior and fate. No one is there to hold your hand and tell you that “this is the right way”. For there is no “right way”. Only you can decide what is right for you. Make your own path, find others who share your desires and ideas, and care for them. It is not necessary to “love your fellow man”, but it is necessary to be aware of the state of the society you live in, and either avoid changes that would make life more difficult to you as an individual, or fight them in the way that makes most sense. Know that in the greater scheme of existence, we as a species are insignificant, but as individuals we can become much more than merely human. There is far more to existence than the three physical and one temporal dimensions that we inhabit. Great Cthulhu is out there, beyond time and space, and we too can achieve that sort of existence, once we move beyond the ego of humanity, and accept the ultimate self for all that it is.