Mob Psycho 100 - The choice between two evils

WARNING: 

SPOILERS AHEAD

(If you are watching but have not finished Mob Psycho 100, you might not want to read this yet.)
(Also, If you haven't watched the anime before, I heartily recommend it. I thought it was fantastic. you can find it on crunchyroll; link below)
https://www.crunchyroll.com/mob-psycho-100

               In Mob psycho 100, Mob, the hero of the story, fights against many evils. His enemies tempt him with thoughts about the world that would destroy Mob. Two of the biggest of these dangerous ideas presented to him are nihilism and radical individualism. Mob must overcome the evils of nihilism and radical individualism if he is to avoid annihilation.

               Nihilism comes from the Latin word, nihil, which means nothing. Nihilism is the idea that reality does not exist. It holds that our perception of reality is a lie and a fabrication we create in order to comfort ourselves on this inherent worthlessness. The idea goes as far as to point out that since this is held to be true, then life itself is pointless and even foolish. Nihilism is the terrifying justification for many actions including murder, suicide, and even genocide. The idea is frequently accompanied by resentment and hatred of humanity, the world, and one's self. In Mob psycho 100, Mob is all too often swayed by the dangers of nihilism. At one point he wonders,

"If I ever end up wanting to curse someone... If I ever end up using my powers for evil... If I ever end up wanting to eradicate people instead of spirits... I wonder if there will be anyone to stop me."

Here, he is wondering whether he could do something like that, but he is also implicitly wondering whether or not it is worth trying to prevent. His biggest enemy that tries to win him over to this way of thinking is Mogami Keiji, a powerful psychic like Mob, but who has succumbed to total Nihilism and has become an evil spirit himself.

(Mogami Keiji)

Mogami attempts to persuade Mob to give in to nihilism and use his powers to destroy the world, and he almost succeeds. But at the last minute, dimple, a spirit Mob befriended, comes and reminds him of the value of his own life and the life of others. Even after that hard fought battle, Mob stayed resolute in his beliefs. However, the seed of doubt had been planted, and it would not be the last time he struggled with the issue. Later on, Mob's house is burned down by Claw,the terrorist psychic group aimed at world domination. He sees what he thinks are his burned family, and nearly loses his mind in anguish and rage against his antagonizers. He again is convinced by Dimple that it is an illusion, but he still decides to take matters into his own hands and go after the people who did this with utter ruthlessness. Here, Mob is dealing with nihilism, but he also has another dangerous idea that is encroaching on his mind, radical individualism.

(Mob almost loses his mind when he sees the horror.) 

               Radical individualism, unlike nihilism, does see some value in living. However, what makes the idea dangerous, is that it only sees the value in the self. Individualism often relies on the idea that power can be obtained only by the individual, and that the individual should strive for it above all else. It places the self at top priority and leaves all other parts of humanity behind. Radical individualism takes the idea a step further, placing self at god status. This form of individualism often seeks power at the complete expense of others. It is the idea that claw leader, Susuki Toichiro, endorses. This man has other people he uses to attain what he wants but feels no remorse at all when they perish while serving him. He views himself as the king and even god of humanity whose divine right is to conquer and rule the world. This is the other idea Mob must deal with in his journey. He is often told, especially given his incredible power, that he should use his abilities to get whatever he wants. Even two of the people he befriends, Dimple and Hanazawa Teruki, tell him that life isn't worth living without power and try to subtly convince him to use his powers for little things like lifting weights or dealing with bullies at school. The desire to use power for things even as little as that is still dangerous; for if left unchecked, it grows into the desire for bigger and bigger things until it evolves into the desire for world domination and god status like is seen with the leader of Claw. Mob eventually convinces them both otherwise through the example of his own humility. Radical individualism is, nonetheless, a dangerous pitfall Mob could fall into.

(Hanazawa Teruki trying to convince Mob)

               Though both these ideas are quite dangerous for Mob, and anyone else who comes in contact with them, the solution to the problems they pose is also made clear to him throughout his life. He is encouraged by his friends in the body improvement club. He is comforted by his master, Reigen Arataka. And he is surrounded by good people who wish him well. All of their support points him toward a meaningful life, a life of truth and responsibility. Mob is grateful for this, and truly tries to be a responsible person. He remains resolute through extremely difficult times, and, with the help of his friends and his master, he overcomes the trials of nihilism and radical individualism. Reigen Arataka even tells him that in order to control his powers and by extent avoid the dangers of these ideas he must "become a good person, that is all"

(Reigen Arataka comforting Mob)

               Mob goes through a lot of hard times in his life. He is often tempted by nihilism and radical individualism, which are the easy ways out of the hardships of life. He keeps his faith in the goodness of life, however, and does not lose himself to destruction.  The struggle of these ideas is true even to life in our society today, and each individual at some point in their lives comes in contact with both nihilism and radical individualism. Perhaps the best way to fight against them is to become a better individual by pursuing truth and responsibility.