Basically it's making up stuff to believe in, rather than believing in "nothingness" (which is not just "nothing").
As Landmark says, "We are meaning making machines." So it's very hard to stay centered on nothingness. And that's what TFA alludes:
> as nihilism is all about hiding from despair
So with existentialism, you're just manipulating yourself. But that's arguably better than being manipulated by others, your culture, authoritarian structures, and so on.
Another perspective is that it's all games. But that we're prone to forgetting that, and thinking that it means something else.
Basically it's making up stuff to believe in, rather than believing in "nothingness" (which is not just "nothing").
As Landmark says, "We are meaning making machines." So it's very hard to stay centered on nothingness. And that's what TFA alludes:
> as nihilism is all about hiding from despair
So with existentialism, you're just manipulating yourself. But that's arguably better than being manipulated by others, your culture, authoritarian structures, and so on.
Another perspective is that it's all games. But that we're prone to forgetting that, and thinking that it means something else.