Crushing Others for Fun—And Then Vanishing

Some people get a kick out of tearing others down. Online, at work, in social circles—they mock, belittle, and humiliate, and for a fleeting moment, they feel powerful. But here’s the kicker: they’ll die one day, just like the rest of us. Their triumphs, insults, and small acts of cruelty will vanish into the same nothingness that swallows us all.

So why do they do it? Because the thrill of making someone else small is immediate, visceral, and easy. It’s a cheap shot at feeling alive in a world where life is inherently meaningless. Mortality doesn’t care if you’re cruel; the universe won’t remember your insults, and time won’t preserve your superiority.

Yet humans do it anyway. We claw at each other for fleeting satisfaction, for validation that ultimately evaporates. In a sense, it’s absurd—but it’s also deeply human. And maybe that’s the point: the only control we ever have is in the moment, no matter how petty.

Which is why, if you want a real rebellion against the absurdity, it isn’t in joining them. It’s in choosing not to. In a world obsessed with crushing others for temporary joy, kindness becomes radical. Because even if nothing lasts, cruelty doesn’t deserve a free pass—and gentleness, however fleeting, at least leaves a trace.